the pain, my mother, sir tiffy, cyber boy & me

It all started with The Pain. He officially came into my life nine weeks and one day before my Year Ten Graduation Dance. It was a Friday. The thirteenth day of the month. Notice anything there?

Maggie Butt’s world is under siege. An annoying stranger is taking over not only her mother’s life but hers too. There’s also Sister Evangelista (aka the Sister-Terminator), extreme dating disasters, the mysterious Nerd King and the arrival of the Cat of the Walking Dead to contend with. The question is, can Maggie keep it all together?

REVIEWS:

Maggie talks at a hundred miles an hour, strings metaphors together like daisy chains and has so many things going wrong, but you have to love her and hope her life can take a turn for the better soon. This is a terrifically fun and pacy read with lots going on and characters that really grow on you. Girls 13-16 are the ideal target reader. (Lamont Books)

Award-winning author Michael Gerard Bauer has a profound appreciation for the young people he writes about and for; his characters and their dilemmas are always written with great affection and humour. Maggie Butt’s story is no exception; it’s the type of wild emotional rollercoaster any young girl can relate to. And he knows how to write a neat, satisfying ending that young adults will enjoy. Recommended for readers aged 12 and up. (Readings Bookstore – Athina Clarke)

Prone to exaggeration, a flowery turn of phrase and enthusiastic use of a metaphor or three, Maggie Butt (the ‘Me’ in the title) is a funny, clever, caring, slightly annoying yet likeable character that teenage readers will enjoy investing time in … Humorous and perceptive, Bauer’s latest YA novel skilfully portrays a 15 year-old girl’s view of life and the things that are important to her. With its short chapters, authentic voice and pacy style, this coming of age story entertains and engages as it explores themes of acceptance, individuality and empathy. (Magpies Magazine – Nola Allen)

Michael Gerard Bauer has cemented his place as one of Queensland’s most loved children’s authors, with his hilarious Eric Vale books. He returns to Ya with his latest novel. We all know his humour but what we also get here is pathos and character development. The Pain, My Mother, Sir Tiffy, Cyber Boy and Me deals with teenage issues affectionately and realistically. (Riverbend Standing Orders)

Michael Gerard Bauer is one of my favourite authors and once again he has produced a highly entertaining and positive book that is sure to appeal to his readers. Laced with humour, puns and Macbeth quotes, this novel lifts the spirits as Maggie Butt navigates through the stormy waters of adolescence, gradually moving from being very self absorbed to gaining an understanding of the needs and emotions of those around her. I read this book in one sitting, enjoying the light hearted way that it was written. It would be a thought provoking and fun book to use as a class novel or literature circle novel. Highly Recommended. (ReadPlus – Pat Pledger)

The title promises belly laughs and humour. The story delivers. The story is told in Maggie’s voice – at times quirky and snarky, at other times defeated and vulnerable. Will Maggie survive the obstacle course to find that elusive “rock-your-world a little happy-ending kind of moment”? Only Mum, The pain, Sir Tiffy Cyber Boy and anyone who reads this highly recommended book will know the answer. (Daily Telegraph – Sandy Fussell)

Maggie’s voice is quintessentially the teenage girl, in turns snarky, narcissistic and endearing. Although sometimes she ‘tells’ a bit more than ‘shows’, it works because she’s ‘talking’ as if to a friend. The Pain, My Mother, Sir Tiffy, Cyber Boy & Me doesn’t relate to my teen years but it appealed to me as an adult who survived myriad teenagers traipsing through my house. There were times I laughed out loud while reading and I thoroughly enjoyed the geek references. Highly recommended. (Dark Matter Zine – Nalini Haynes)

The Pain, My Mother, Sir Tiffy, Cyber Boy & Me is a funny and entertaining read that delves into themes that I love reading about in contemporary YA: family and love. I especially loved the main character’s voice and the relationship between all of the characters. It’s a sweet and heartwarming novel and I highly enjoyed it. (Jenna – Happy Indulgence)

In true Bauer style, The Pain etc is more than it initially appears. It is wry and cool. It is funny and sensitive. It is a glorious collection of intelligent and side-splitting word play. It is unquestionably a riotous encounter of the teenage kind which connects solidly with today’s reader and transports older ones (like this one) back to nights with Paul Young (figuratively speaking), controversial casual-ware (see the T-shirt incident pg. 146) and thankfully possesses an ending that I’d cross an ocean of metaphors to experience again. Witty, relevant, and snappy, this junior novel will appeal in spades to younger YAers, as well. (Dimity Powell – Boomerang Books Blog)