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Summary: Declan! his fight
Review: The novel Torn away deals with the story of a 13 years old boy called Declan. He is involved in the violence in Nothern Ireland. Since his family has been killed in a bomb attack he is about to avenge them. But the police catch him and he is send to Canada to his uncle and his family. Declan is impressed of the tranquillity of the beautiful countryside but he wants to go back to Ireland. His uncel`s family gives him the feeling of safety for the first time, thats why he is torn away between his Ireland and this Canada. Thr autor did a good piece of work, Torn Away is writen in an very easy language (for me as a German). The story is interessting and you always want to know how it will end...
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Summary: review
Review: The novel „Torn away" describes the situation an Irish 13-year-old boy is in.
Declan has lost his family by IRA attacks and is now forced to live with his uncle Matthew in Canada.
At the end of the novel he is torn between his wish to return to Northern Ireland to revenge his family's death on the one hand and thoughts about his new life and of evantually staying in Canada on the other hand.
In fact, this book is not only about a person changing, but also about a mind changing!„Torn away" describes detailly all thoughts, feelings and the conflict Declan is in. It is written very emotional and sometimes even deeply moving. For example chapter sixteen; there is described the last time Declan sees his mother and sister alive. This is so sad and honestly goes to heart.
In contrast to this lovely written chapter, the reader also gets to know cruelty. The religious war in Northern Ireland is approached to the reader. So you get to know another view over the fights than from the news. But besides all these awful things happening, nevertheless it is understandable why Declan wants to return. He hates his new family, has no friends and is treated worse at school. In addition to that he misses his family and wants to fight the "dirty Prots" (Protestants).
But there is a process noticeable. Declan changes during his time in Canada, but in spite of that till the end of the novel he has to think of going back to Northern Ireland. But I myself can't understand the end! For me it is too trashy. There is no introduction to this end, it comes really suddenly and abruptly. It seems, that James Heneghan absolutely wanted to have a happy end. I read this book because it was one theme in my English-profile course at 11th grade. But it is not on my list of my favorite books.
In spite of that I would recommend this novel if someone was interested in this story. It has something for everybody, it is cruel but also sad.
The novel helps you to understand the cruelty and fights going on in Northern Ireland.
And you have the opportunity to get to know a young boy changing, who had to experience so much sorrow! Kerstin Dathe
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Summary: Our review of the book "Torn away"
Review: The well written book "Torn away" is interesting, exciting and you can think about the problems which the main character Declan has. The book deals with the actually problems of the world.
You identify yourself with Declan and think about what you would do, if you were in his situation.First we thought that Declan's fight against the protestants, which has killed his mum and his sister, was wrong, but we can't say it, how people think, who grow up in war.
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Summary: Torn Away
Review: This book is about a thirteen-year-old boy, called Declan, who is torn away from Northern Ireland to Canada, to his uncle. Declan, who is a Catholic, thinks that his family has been killed by the Protestants. Therefore he hates all Protestants.
The author, James Heneghan, worked with several clichés. The poor boy with no family has to go to Canada. Then there is his new family who loves him so much but he doesn't like them. But fortunately after a while he does so. And finally there is an happy end.
On the whole it is a bit disappointing, because the title "Torn away" sounds exciting. Only until chapter 13 is it interesting and you can't stop reading, but then the plot is too boring and too easy to guess, especially the ending.
But of course the book does not only have bad sides. There are some advantages for unskilled reader.
It is written very simply. The vocabulary and the syntax are quite easy. Another positive aspect is that the book is quite short and that there is no unnecessary violence. It is also qualified for teenager to get informed roughly about the troubles in Northern Ireland because it is not very detailed but sufficient.
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Summary: One of the best of all times.
Review: To be torn is to be ripped, severed, shredded, or the surface of an object can be torn, like jeans for instance. Declan was torn away physically when he was taken away from Ireland. His wrists were torn from the cruelties of the metallic handcuffs, just as his mind was torn from the separation, the loss, and the sudden gain of a new family. They say that if a starving man eats a meal after not eating in days, he will die. I believe that almost the same thing happened to Declan when he came to Otter Harbor. He was overcome with the love they granted him. But he was not going to except their " Snotty English Charity" and perhaps because of this he would die of loneliness. After moving to Otter Harbor, Declan slowly but surely began to meliorate. Yet buried deep inside of himself he was torn. In a way no one could explain. He was lost inside of himself trying to find his family and friends, the way things were before their deaths. Alas, they were torn so far apart. There would be no chance of finding them. Heaven and earth are too very different places. To move on would be hard, to stay in place would be to difficult. To go behind, into the past, impossible. Declan was torn in many ways, however, to be torn can be to be mended.
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Summary: An Exelant Read
Review: Torn away is a wonderful book full of suprise, excitement, and suspence. I couldnot put the book down. Although it was quite obvious what would happen at the end I was still thrilled to find out what this exciting character would do.
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Summary: review
Review: Unless you never read a book by J. Heneghan you hopefully will read " Torn Away". I never read one of his books either until one day I was forced to do so by my Profil-cours teacher. The story is about a young boy only 13 years old. He has to leave his homecountry Northern Ireland and has to live with his relatives in Canada. But first of all the police need to catch him which is hard to do because Declan (that's the boys name) is smart . Never the less they catch him and bring him to his uncle Matthew . Full of ideologies of the "Holy Terrors" the terrorist group he joined he has just one wish: to go back.
You will learn about the struggle the juventile has with himself and how his emotional world will be turned upside down. The book is written in a very emotional way so a useful advise is to have a pack of tissue lying beside you while reading. I would have like it if the author had written more about the relaionship between Ana and Declan. Actually I don't believe they 're just good "friends". Both are in their adolescence and both are teenagers with a surplus of hormones. An other thing I didn'tlike so much was the fact the book ends. It should be continued .But still it has it good sides . It is very impressive how Heneghan describes the landscape of Canada . At the end of the book you want to visit Otter Habour.
So if you want to invest a little bit of money in your education buy "Torn Away ".The [price] pay off. They really do! by Stine
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Summary: "Torn Away" and the Irish conflict!
Review: We had to read the novel in our English class. We discussed the conflict of Ireland and its history. The novel is easy to understand even for Germans. From my point of view the story doesn`t deal enough with the recent problem. But it`s a good book for children in the age of 13 to 15, because of the nice content. It`s easy to identify with the characters and the main character's situation. But for dealing with the Irish conflict the book is useless. Sorry!
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Summary: Torn away is good for reading at school!
Review: We read the book at school!
Before we got informations about the conflict taking place in Ireland.We think it`s necessary to understand Declans situation!
The first chapters were a little bit boring but by reading further it became more interesting!
We think,that the book was easy and quick to read and a book for reading at school !
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Summary: Torn Away
Review: We've read this book in class and talked a lot about it and wrote a reading journal.
This book is about a 13-year-old boy who lost his family in a bombing of the IRA and is forced to leave Northern Ireland to stay with his only relatives in Vancouver, Cananda. He is a very headstrong and stubborn boy and tries to escape serval times even from Canada. But in time he begins to like his "new" family and decides at the end to stay with his uncle his aunt and their adopted children in Canada... We've liked reading this book because it's easy to understand and the story is exciting. Also because we like happy ends. :)
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