Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: Black Chuck
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: https://www.writerregan.com/
CITY: Toronto
STATE:
COUNTRY: Canada
NATIONALITY: Canadian
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Female.
EDUCATION:Attended the University of Victoria.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer, novelist, and designer. Creative director at a marketing agency in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Designer of children’s apparel.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Regan McDonnell is a writer, novelist, and designer working in the field of apparel. She is the creative director of a marketing agency in Toronto and a designer of children’s clothing. She attended the University of Victoria where she studied poetry.
Black Chuck, McDonnel’s debut novel, tells the story of a group of small-town Canadian teenagers on the cusp of adulthood, longtime friends who have to deal with evolving loyalties, navigate complex emotional territory, adjust to the aftermath of violence and death, and even face the possibility that a frightening native legend may be alive and existing among them. The effects of bad or nonexistent parenting, bleak economic opportunities in their community, and doubts about their future plague them as they approach their graduation. “As these . . . teens struggle with their demons, we are pulled through their living nightmares by McDonell’s harrowing depiction, and hope for their sakes that they can each find their road,” commented Patricia Jermey in Resource Links.
Real Dufresne is the novel’s main protagonist. Physically imposing, menacing, and, some might say, crazy, Real is the school tough guy, a young man with a bad reputation. He is part Ojibwe and takes his heritage seriously. He is ferociously loyal to his friends and won’t hesitate to fight for what he thinks is right. Unknown to most, he’s the bond that holds his four younger brothers together.
Shaun Henry-Deacon is Real’s best friend, with the two so close that they consider themselves brothers. That’s not to say that they don’t have their conflicts; it’s not uncommon for the two to have bloody brawls that, in the end, seem only to make their bond stronger. Evie Hawley is Shaun’s girlfriend. She became involved with Shaun almost by chance, when they realized that their upbringing with no real parental involvement had created a bond between them.
Alex Janes is a stoner who always seems to be high or interested in getting that way. He is a member of a powerful local biker family whose criminal organization he’ll join as soon as he graduates, most likely taking on a role in dealing drugs. Sunny is Alex’s girlfriend, a Goth Asian girl who has the ability to get her own way in almost any situation.
As the novel begins, the friends have come face to face with a shattering situation: Shaun is dead, brutally and bloodily torn apart and left in a field by the train tracks. What Real doesn’t tell them, however, is that he was with Shaun the night before he died. The two had fought, which wasn’t unusual, but Real doesn’t remember what happened afterward. He fears that a fearsome Ojibwe legend, a Wendigo, had manifested itself through him and left Shaun disemboweled and partially devoured. Given the way he’s lived his life, the reputation he has among the locals, and his belief in Ojibway religion, being possessed by a native demon wouldn’t be outside the realm of possibility for him.
As the story progresses, the fact of Shaun’s death begins to gradually tear at the fabric that has held this group of friends together. It is revealed that Evie is pregnant with Shaun’s child, but that she is having conflicting reactions to Shaun’s death. Sunny is dealing with an eating disorder she masks through her mean girl persona, and Alex is questioning his future. Strong emotions come to the surface when Real and Evie realize they have feelings for each other and Real begins to believe he has responsibility for the unborn child. Real seeks help through a native healer who he believes can help him ward off the Wendigo and restore his life to normal, or at least to what passed for normal before Shaun’s death. Real and his friends must somehow find out what really happened to Shaun, even if it means facing the wrath of a community and friends and the terrifying possibility that a legendary creature is real.
In an interview on the blog Hello Jenny Reviews, McDonnell revealed that many of the elements of Black Chuck were based on real life. “A lot of the little details in this book are based on real experiences I had as a teenager, going to high school in a small town,” she stated in the interview. However, the larger part of the story developed from the character of Shaun, she said. She had written a few chapters about him several years ago and put them away unused. “When I went back to it and finally started writing again, the rest of the story just poured out. Moral: save all your scribblings, young writers! You never know where a book might sprout up!”
In another interview on the Orca blog, McDonnell had some advice for aspiring writers and a suggestion for a surprising place to look for instruction and inspiration. If you want to write, “Just do it! If you want to be a writer, you have to start by writing. And the nice thing is, the more you do it, the better you get at it. If you don’t know where to start, Pinterest is a surprisingly good resource for plot charts, how-tos on character building, writing prompts, etc. I learned a heck of a lot from putting “writing” into the Pinterest keyword search!”
“McDonell’s background in creative writing and poetry is evident” in this “brutal, heartbreaking, and yet strangely uplifting novel,” stated Rob Bittner, in a Booklist review. “McDonell has developed characters who are diverse, multidimensional, and flawed, which makes them relatable,” commented Chastity Findlay, writing in the journal Canadian Review of Materials, while a Kirkus Reviews writer commented favorably on the book’s “dynamically complex characterization and storytelling.”
“McDonell has woven in Indigenous cultural aspects throughout that work well with the book’s other themes and that are culturally appropriate and informative for readers,” Findlay further remarked. School Library Journal contributor Abby Hargreaves observed that McDonnell “displays an adeptness in handling themes such as inevitability, loyalty, and guilt, making this a read that sticks in the gut.”
“Black Chuck is a unique book that will appeal to many readers in the target audience,” Findlay commented.
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, February 15, 2018, Rob Bittner, review of Black Chuck, p. 74.
Kirkus Reviews, March 15, 2018, review of Black Chuck.
Publishers Weekly, March 5, 2018, review of Black Chuck, p. 73.
Resource Links, February, 2018, Patricia Jermey, review of Black Chuck, p. 31.
School Library Journal, February, 2018. Abby Hargreaves, review of Black Chuck, p. 105.
ONLINE
Canadian Review of Materials, http://www.umanitoba.ca/outreach/cm/ (February 9, 2018), Chastity Findlay, review of Black Chuck.
Hello Jenny Reviews blog, http://hellojennyreviews.blogspot.com/ (August 9, 2018), Jenn Christensen, “Author Spotlight: Black Chuck by Regan McDonnel + Interview.”
Orca Blog, http://blog.orcabook.com/ (March 13, 2018), “Author Feature: Regan McDonnell.”
Regan McDonnell website, http://www.writerregan.com (August 8, 2018).
ABOUT REGAN MCDONELL
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Regan studied poetry at the University of Victoria with Patrick Lane and Lorna Crozier, and then promptly put the pen down to pursue a career in textile and graphic design. Now the Creative Director at a Toronto-based marketing agency, Regan spends her days designing apparel for kids, and her nights writing fiction for teens. She has no pets or children, but she does have a bass player, and is auntie, oba, and tädi to four surprising, funny little humans.
She also leaves love letters on subways for strangers to find.
Black Chuck is her first published work.
Author Spotlight: Black Chuck by Regan McDonell + Interview
Posted by Jenn Christensen at 9:00 AM
Regan studied poetry and creative writing at the University of Victoria. Black Chuck is her first published work.
Title: Black Chuck
Genre: Young Adult Dark Contemporary
Author: Regan McDonell
Publisher: Orca Books
Publication: April 3rd 2018
Cover Rating: 5/5
Reading format: Provided Paperback
Goodreads | Amazon
Black Chuck by Regan McDonell is the story of five friends, told from the perspective of two of the friends. The story starts off with one of the friends being dead and progressed from there. The two points of view are from the girlfriend and best friend of the deceased. The book takes place in Canada.
Rèal Dufresne is our first main character. Shaun, the deceased, has been his best friend since they were nine. But Rè has a pretty big secret waiting to explode from him. Before Shaun was found dead, they had a huge fight that left both of them bloody. Ordinarily, that wouldn't be too big of a problem, only... Shaun's body was found somewhere not many people, aside from their group, go and Rè can't remember anything from that night after the fight. He just knows that his clothes from that night are bloody. More bloody than they should be.
Evie was Shaun's girlfriend for nine months before his death. Their relationship started pretty randomly with Shaun just stopping by her house one day. He felt like they had kind of the same life with no real parents and that had bonded them. Now, with Shaun gone, Evie is stuck in a pretty serious situation and she doesn't know what to do about it. But Rèal makes it very clear to Evie that he will be there for her no matter what she decides. He feels responsible for her since Shaun was pretty much his brother.
The other two friends are Sunny and Alex. Sunny is a Goth Asian girl who gets her way no matter what and Alex is her boyfriend who just happens to be from a family of really powerful bikers. Together they make up a small, tight-knit group of friends. But maybe a few of them were a little too tight.
As I was reading, I realized the hook has this ominous feel to it. I felt like I was being followed by a really dark cloud the entire time. Like something bad was going to happen or some shocking realization was about to be had. I liked that aspect of the book a lot.
In the end, I was kind of surprised by the ending. I was really expecting it to end as a gruesome murder by someone close to Shaun. I really didn't see THAT ending coming. This book really surprised me with how good it was and how much I liked all of the characters and the story they had to tell.
In the end, I gave the book 4.5/5 stars.
1) Where did the inspiration for Black Chuck come from?
A lot of the little details in this book are based on real experiences I had as a teenager, going to high school in a small town. But the main part of the story grew out of the character of Shaun - I had written about 3 chapters about him many years ago, then set it aside. When I went back to it and finally started writing again, the rest of the story just poured out. Moral: save all your scribblings, young writers! You never know where a book might sprout up!
2) What is the best part about being an author?
In my day job as a designer, I take creative direction from a lot of people. When I write books, I call all the shots! If I want something to happen, it can happen - as long as it makes sense for the story. Writing gives me so much more creative freedom! Plus, writing the kind of books I want to read is pretty awesome. I didn't see a lot of books like mine on the market, so I wrote one. That's a pretty powerful thing to be able to do! :)
3) Please tell us 5 random facts about yourself:
1. I'm deathly afraid of boats. 2. I have synesthesia, so I perceive words and numbers as colours and textures. 3. Halloween is my favourite holiday by a long, long mile. 4. I named a main character after my personal trainer. 5. I have never done a cartwheel in my life.
4) If you were a serial killer, what would you want the media to call you?
Even though I am pretty dark and twisty, I can't even bring myself to kill bugs, so if I were an actual serial killer, it could only be by mistake! In that case, my name would have to be "The Oops Killer", I think??
5) Are you currently working any new projects?
I am about 1/4 of the way into a new book. It's got witchcraft, urban legends, tarot cards, a possible monster and at the heart of it is a missing girl and her brother. It's still very much in the soft and gooey phase of an unfinished first draft, but is slowly taking shape. It will be another dark, mature YA when it's done, with a hint of romance because who doesn't love falling in love? :)
Author Feature: Regan McDonell
March 13, 2018 No Comments
9781459816305
Black Chuck: Psycho. Sick. Dangerous. Réal Dufresne’s reputation precedes him. When the mangled body of his best friend, Shaun, turns up in a field just east of town, tough-as-hell Réal blames himself. But except for the nightmares, all Ré remembers is beating the living crap out of Shaun the night of his death. Shaun’s girlfriend, sixteen-year-old Evie Hawley, keeps her feelings locked up tight. But now she’s pregnant, and the father of her baby is dead. And when Réal looks to her to atone for his sins, everything goes sideways. Fast. The tighter Evie and Réal get, the faster things seem to fall apart. And falling in love might just be the card that knocks the whole house down.
How do you usually begin writing your stories?
Being a visual thinker, I always start with images. I use Pinterest boards to create the atmosphere, colors, and textures for the story—for Black Chuck, my theme was “denim, black leather and concrete.” You can see some of the images I used here. I also use music to inspire me. The soundtrack to Black Chuck started out really aggressive and punk, but it morphed into more garage and psych-rock as I got deeper into the story. The Black Angels are almost entirely responsible for this book!
What planning or research did you do for your book?
I don’t really plan out my plots ahead of time—I have a vague idea of where I want the story to go, and then just let the characters loose. But I always do loads of research as I write. For Black Chuck, it was super important to get Réal and his experience right. I used a lot of websites, spoke with Indigenous friends, read essays, and basically devoured everything I could find on the subjects he brings to the story. I don’t think the learning ended when I finished writing, either—Réal opened my eyes to many things I didn’t understand before this book!
9781459816305
Do you have any advice you would give to an aspiring writer?
Just do it! If you want to be a writer, you have to start by writing. And the nice thing is, the more you do it, the better you get at it. If you don’t know where to start, Pinterest is a surprisingly good resource for plot charts, how-tos on character building, writing prompts, etc. I learned a heck of a lot from putting “writing” into the Pinterest keyword search!
What’s the most prized book on your bookshelf?
Gosh, so many! I have a Dutch children’s book my grandfather brought back from Eindhoven for my mother during WW2. I also have my childhood edition of English Fairy Tales, illustrated by Arthur Rackham—swoon! And I recently got my advance copy of Black Chuck, and that is, I have to say, very, very special!
What are your favorite ways to procrastinate?
I’m not great at procrastinating, to be honest. I’m a workaholic full of anxiety and I always need to be doing something! If I was a dog, I’d be a border collie—slightly crazy until given a challenging task.
What would your hero name and special power be?
My first name and family motto loosely translate to “Queen of Raven’s Rock,” so I guess that would have to be my hero name—although I think I’d be more of a Trickster than a hero, so my special power would obviously have to be Devious Smarty-Pantsery.
Do you keep books after you’ve read them, or give them away? Do you borrow books from your local library?
My boyfriend and our tiny apartment would both love it if I never brought another stray book indoors, but unfortunately I am a full-on bibliophile. And now that I’m a published author, I finally have an excuse for it! Hooray! I have compromised, though, and now I only keep the books I truly can’t live without—the rest I send to communities where getting the latest YA books might not be so easy.
Who would you want to play your protagonist in a movie?
I won’t say what faces inspired me—isn’t it way more fun to create that image in your head as you read the book?—but I will say that I’d love to see more Indigenous actors getting juicy roles. If my book was ever made into a movie, I’d insist that each character was played by an actor from that character’s background.
What types of conversations do you hope will come out of your book?
There are so many big things in this book it’s hard to pick one that is more important than the rest—but sexual consent is probably the biggest for me personally. Evie goes through a lot of bad stuff because she doesn’t have the confidence to say, “I’m not okay with this.” Her story is about figuring out the difference between good love and bad, and I hope that it inspires readers to really think about those things, and how to give and get love that’s built on true respect and caring.
Black Chuck is available now!
McDonell, ReganRegan McDonell studied writing at the University of Victoria with poets Patrick Lane and Lorna Crozier, and then promptly put the pen down to pursue a career in textile and graphic design. Now the creative director at a Toronto-based marketing agency, Regan spends her days designing apparel for kids, and her nights writing fiction for teens.
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Print Marked Items
MCDONELL, Regan: Black Chuck
Patricia Jermey
Resource Links.
23.3 (Feb. 2018): p31+.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Resource Links
http://www.atcl.ca
Full Text:
[A]
MCDONELL, Regan
Black Chuck
Orca Book Publishers, 2018. 284p.
Gr. 9-12. 978-1-4598-16305. Pbk.
$14.95
Shaun, Alex and Real have grown up together in their small town, and by now, in their graduating year of
high school, feel truly like brothers. When Alex begins to date Sunny, their close-knit group becomes four.
Shaun is their kingleader: handsome, athletic, and a natural leader. "The truth was, everyone close to Shaun
was just a bit player on his stage, and they all knew it." (p. 126) Then Shaun gets a real girlfriend "instead
of just laying his good looks down and catching whatever walked by" (p. 178) and Evie is added to the
group.
When Shaun's eviscerated body is found in a field by the train tracks, everything breaks down. Real
remembers a vicious fight with Shaun that night, and fears he has inherited his family curse of the Wendigo.
Evie is secretly carrying Shaun's child, and has not yet told anyone. Sunny has been flirting with Real
behind Alex's back, and hiding her eating disorder. Alex is perpetually stoned, as he awaits his future as the
scion of the local biker club and heir to the family business of drug dealing. In the midst of such pain and
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angst, Real and Evie realize they have feelings for each other. Evie laments, "I should be thinking about
Shaun, because he's dead and he loved me, but instead I can't stop thinking about you." (p. 103)
This novel is Orca at its most mature. The characters are living on the edge, with such raw intensity that it is
painful to remember that they are still teens. The absence of any real parenting has forced each to grow up
too quickly, and they have acquired hard protective shells. Real, for example, presumes he has murdered
and eaten Shaun because of the Wendigo demon he dreams about, and seeks help from a native healer.
Although he is feared by the other town kids as cold and psycho, we know he is actually in loco parentis for
his four younger brothers, and trying his best to be good: "He knew he'd never truly be absolved. But if this
held the demon at bay--if it kept everyone else he loved safe from him then at least he stood on the road to
forgiveness. Now all that was left was to walk it." (p. 191) As these four teens struggle with their demons,
we are pulled through their living nightmares by McDonell's harrowing depiction, and hope for their sakes
that they can each find their road.
Thematic Links: Teen Relationships; Teen Pregnancy; Eating Disorders; First Nations Spirituality
[A] Average, all right, has its applications
Patricia Jermey
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Jermey, Patricia. "MCDONELL, Regan: Black Chuck." Resource Links, Feb. 2018, p. 31+. General
OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A530467619/ITOF?
u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=d4c4eb44. Accessed 14 July 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A530467619
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McDonell, Regan: BLACK CHUCK
Kirkus Reviews.
(Mar. 15, 2018):
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
McDonell, Regan BLACK CHUCK Orca (Young Adult Fiction) $14.95 4, 3 ISBN: 978-1-4598-1630-5
When a Canadian teen is found dead, his surviving friends must deal with the fallout.
Ojibwe and Quebecois Real Dufresne's life is already complicated when his white best friend, Shaun, is
found dead the morning after the two got into yet another fistfight. When he discovers the disemboweled
body, Re, despite not remembering much from the previous night, believes that he savagely tore apart and
ate his friend. Evie Hawley, Shaun's pregnant white girlfriend, isn't handling things much better--the father
of the baby she's not ready for is dead, and she can't help feeling relieved. Amid growing mistrust within
their group of friends, the pair support (and fall for) each other through a storm of self-doubt. Despite
dynamically complex characterization and storytelling, the unfortunate inclusion of spirit animals,
traditional healing rituals framed as repellent, and visions used as plot devices present a distorted view of
Ojibwe culture, particularly since the author seems only able to envision the complications of Re's
relationship with his Ojibwe heritage as fearful and gruesome. This represents a missed opportunity to fully
explore the nuances of Re's complex identity in favor of stereotyped shorthand and grisly spectacle, for
example, as he repeatedly grapples with a dream-fueled fear of a violently cannibalistic inheritance from his
great-uncle, Black Chuck, who ate his daughter after being possessed by the Windigo, an Ojibwe demon.
Brooding, absorbing, but not quite the cultural mirror it aspires to be. (Thriller. 14-18)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"McDonell, Regan: BLACK CHUCK." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Mar. 2018. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A530650586/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=840105da.
Accessed 14 July 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A530650586
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Black Chuck
Rob Bittner
Booklist.
114.12 (Feb. 15, 2018): p74.
COPYRIGHT 2018 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Full Text:
Black Chuck.
By Regan McDonell.
Apr. 2018. 304p. Orca, paper, $14.95 (9781459816305). Gr. 9-12.
Real Dufresne has been called many things--sick, psychotic, dangerous--but Re can't seem to figure out
what is real. Is he truly dangerous? Is he responsible for the death of his best friend, Shaun? Just as he feels
that he possibly has a handle on things, he discovers Shaun's girlfriend, Evie, is pregnant, and his feelings of
responsibility for the unborn child begin to consume him, even as the rest of his world is falling apart.
McDonell's background in creative writing and poetry is evident in this debut novel; the pain and angst of
both Re and Evie is palpable, and the struggles they face within their respective relationships, as well as
their shared community, are real and nuanced. Much like the work of Stephanie Kuehn, McDonell's
narrative will leave readers guessing and wondering what is real and what is mere folktale. This is a brutal,
heartbreaking, and yet strangely uplifting novel about the consequences of lies, the gravity of love, and the
courage it takes to prevail over self-condemnation.--Rob Bittner
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Bittner, Rob. "Black Chuck." Booklist, 15 Feb. 2018, p. 74. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A531171628/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=a9789524.
Accessed 14 July 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A531171628
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Black Chuck
Publishers Weekly.
265.10 (Mar. 5, 2018): p73.
COPYRIGHT 2018 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Black Chuck
Regan McDonell. Orca, $14.95 trade paper
(304p) ISBN 978-1-4598-1630-5
In this atmospheric if slow-moving debut, 16-year-old Evie Hawley is pregnant--and the father of her baby,
Shaun, has just been killed. Following Shaun's death, Evie feels lost; her single mother works nights, and
Evie rarely sees her, so Evie spends a lot of time with Shaun's friends. Evie becomes conflicted when she
finds herself drawn to Shaun's best friend, school tough guy Real Dufresne. Real, who is half French and
half Native Ojibwe, is attracted to Evie, but is plagued by guilt. He is convinced that he is possessed by the
Windigo--a mythological monster--and that he killed Shaun, even though he doesn't remember what
happened that night. As Evie and Real grow closer, the group of friends splinters apart and Evie is forced to
make difficult decisions about what to do with the baby. McDonell sets the story in a rural "red-brick-andwrought-iron
town" where options can seem as bleak as the physical surroundings. References to Ojibwe
mythology and language add texture as the mystery surrounding what really happened to Shaun, and who--
or what--is at fault, deepens. Ages 12-up. (Apr.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Black Chuck." Publishers Weekly, 5 Mar. 2018, p. 73. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A530430352/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=cfb08186.
Accessed 14 July 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A530430352
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MCDONELL, Regan. Black Chuck
Abby Hargreaves
School Library Journal.
64.2 (Feb. 2018): p105.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No
redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
MCDONELL, Regan. Black Chuck. 304p. further reading. Orca. Apr. 2018. pap. $14.95. ISBN
9781459816305.
Gr 9 Up--Haunted by his family history and a community that thinks of him only as a "psycho," Real
Dufresne has a secret. The leader of their group, Shaun, has filmed up dead and eviscerated, and the shock
is tearing Real, Sunny, Alex, and Shaun's girlfriend, Evie, apart. With something to hide and negotiating
their feelings around Shaun's death, Real and Evie find familiarity in each other. But as their secrets bubble
to the surface, there's no telling what it will mean for the group. In a chilling and twisted novel, McDonell
brings together small-town gossip, teenage noir, and Algonquin lore to thrill readers. Alternating between a
focus on Real and Evie, the narrative sometimes lacks necessary clarity and focus, but ultimately serves up
a narrative that propels readers forward with a drive that pounds like a heart beneath the surface. McDonell
provides a strong sense of character for each of her players, drawing them to a crashing conclusion through
a series of impactful events. The author also displays an adeptness in handling themes such as inevitability,
loyalty, and guilt, making this a read that sticks in the gut. McDonell includes a brief note on her research
and discussions with Native individuals who informed her use of Algonquin legends along with resources
for those who wish to learn more. VERDICT Though it takes a few chapters to find its ground, this book
delivers on a stirring psychological drama fans of Carol Plum-Ucci's The Body of Christopher Creed and of
the CWs Riverdale will tear through.--Abby Hargreaves, District of Columbia Public Library
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Hargreaves, Abby. "MCDONELL, Regan. Black Chuck." School Library Journal, Feb. 2018, p. 105.
General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A526734130/ITOF?
u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=e7928f34. Accessed 14 July 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A526734130
_ CM . . . . Volume XXIV Number 22. . . . February 9, 2018
cover
Black Chuck.
Regan McDonell.
Victoria, BC: Orca, April, 2018.
290 pp., trade pbk., pdf & epub, $14.95 (pbk.).
ISBN 978-1-4598-1630-5 (pbk.), ISBN 978-1-4598-1631-2 (pdf), ISBN 978-1-4598-1632-9 (epub).
Grades 9 and up / Ages 14 and up.
Review by Chasity Findlay.
***½ /4
Reviewed from Advance Reading Copy.
excerpt:
“Hey, Alex,” he said, glancing sideways.
Alex shifted to look at Ré, cheekbone propped on his fist, elbow resting on the door. “What’s up, man?”
Réal swallowed hard. “I, uh, gotta tell you something.” He squeezed the wheel again, biting his lip. His eyes darted over the road, looking for a way to not say what he was about to say and not finding one.
When he spoke again, his voice was thin.
“I was with Shaun the night he died.”
The silence that hung between them transformed. It became full and heavy and curious. Alex said nothing, but his mouth opened a little, his eyes narrowed.
“I beat the living crap out of him,” Ré continued. “And he near busted my nose.” He glanced at Alex again to see if the image would register—those Irish sunglasses, his nose all scabbed and bloody. It did.
“Why?” Alex’s voice was just a breath.
“That’s a long story I can’t tell you,” he said wearily. “But the thing is, he was alive when I left him at Nan’s. Beat up, but no worse than I was.”
“So what happened?”
Réal’s chest crushed. Alex’s face was as hurt and confused as a dog’s smacked by its master. Réal swallowed and shook his head, choking the words out. “I don’t remember. I left him, I drove around, and then —”
He gripped the wheel tighter to keep his hands from shaking. All the nightmares. The creatures. The lump of flesh in his throat… His mouth filled with spit, like he might puke, but he swallowed it back. “And then nothing,” he said.
Alex slowly pushed his long legs straight, spine pressing back into the vinyl seats. As Ré’s words took hold, Alex’s hands curled into fists. His voice, when it came, was reedy and desperate. “Are you fucking telling me you killed Shaun?”
Réal Dufresne has a bad reputation in Cold Water. People call him psycho, sick, and dangerous. When his best friend, Shaun, is found dead, his body mangled, the day after their big fight, Réal blames himself. He thinks he might have killed Shaun during their fight, but the problem is, he has no memory of it.
Since Shaun’s death, Ré has been having disturbing nightmares and obsessing over the fact that he is a descendant of the cannibalistic Windigo, Black Chuck. Ré wonders if there really is something dark swirling inside of him, if the things that people say about him just might have a ring of truth to them.
Black Chuck is author Regan McDonell’s first published novel. She studied writing at the University of Victoria before changing plans to pursue a career in textile and graphic design. She currently works as a creative director at a marketing agency during the day whilst writing teen fiction in the evenings.
Black Chuck is a novel that weaves together several different themes to create a gritty novel like no other. Mixed with dark themes of death, grief, guilt, and secrets kept, McDonell has sprinkled in ideas of love, family, friendship, loyalty, and personal and cultural identity. The themes work well together to create a book unlike anything I have read before. The themes are well-balanced so as not to make the dark passages too disturbing or overwhelming, or the romance aspect too sugary for readers.
Throughout the book, readers learn about Réal’s Indigenous heritage through both his conversations with Evie and in the words and phrases he uses in Anishinaabemowin. Additionally, Ré’s recollections of his family’s relation to the infamous Windigo, Black Chuck, shed light on the power of storytelling within his family’s culture. In the author’s note at the end of the book, McDonell shares her intentions in writing Réal’s character in a culturally sensitive and respectful way and the efforts she made to ensure that she did so. She shares her source of translations for the Anishinaabemowin phrases and provides resources for readers interested in taking their learning further in regards to the Windigo, Anishinaabemowin, and residential schools. After reading the book, I feel that McDonell was successful in meeting her goal of developing Ré’s character in a respectful and accurate way and doing justice to the Indigenous themes presented within the book.
McDonell has developed characters who are diverse, multidimensional, and flawed, which makes them relatable. From Réal being stereotyped by his peers as psycho, sick, and dangerous, when he is actually a loyal friend and caring sibling, to Evie, the quiet girl hiding a secret pregnancy, the characters in Black Chuck have many unique characteristics for readers to connect with. The other two supporting characters that round out the teen friend group are Alex, the stoner from a wealthy family with ties to a biker gang, and his girlfriend, Sunny, who at first comes across as a mean girl but is later revealed to be struggling with an eating disorder. One aspect that I would have liked to see developed further would be Réal’s bad reputation. At the beginning of the book, there is one scene in which he gets into a fight with a peer who speaks ill of Shaun at the school memorial service for him, which, given the circumstances, could arguably be justified. Besides that, Ré’s actions demonstrate characteristics that show him to be a young man who is responsible for taking care of his four younger siblings, a loyal friend to Shaun and Alex, and a person with a sense of honour to take care of a pregnant Evie after her boyfriend passes away. I felt like more background information could have been provided through flashbacks to give the reader a picture of where Ré’s reputation as someone to be feared came from.
I think that Black Chuck is a unique book that will appeal to many readers in the target audience. The unsolved death, teen pregnancy, and unexpected romance are distinct ideas that work well together and provide something to capture all readers’ attention. The members of the diverse cast of characters are relatable and well developed, making for an engaging read. McDonell has woven in Indigenous cultural aspects throughout that work well with the book’s other themes and that are culturally appropriate and informative for readers. Black Chuck is an engaging and diverse book that would be a welcomed additional to any classroom or school library.
Highly Recommended.
Chasity Findlay is a high school English language arts teacher and a recent graduate of the Master of Education program at the University of Manitoba.