When Mr. Dog Bites

March 31, 2014
In this no-holds-barred coming-of-age story, Conaghan’s U.S. debut, the British author introduces 16-year-old Dylan Mint, who struggles daily with Tourette’s syndrome. When Dylan learns that he’s likely to die in a few months, he sets out to accomplish three things: have sex with a girl, help his best friend Amir overcome prejudice, and get his soldier father home from Afghanistan. Naturally, nothing goes as planned, as Dylan discovers truths about his family, his own condition, and the people in his life. Focused through narration rife with bursts of profanity and Cockney rhyming slang, this story takes on an almost hallucinatory tone (“ ‘BIG GIANT SHITE’ I shouted, then whooped a few times and then headed back to class in a massive daze”). It’s nevertheless an uncompromising look at the effects of Tourette’s, autism, and Oppositional Defiant Disorder on those who have them and their friends and family. Though the story occasionally goes astray amid a meandering plot and dialogue that takes effort to unpack, Conaghan, who has Tourette’s himself, does an excellent job of portraying his unconventional and memorable protagonist. Ages 14–up. Agent: Ben Illis, the Ben Illis Agency.

May 1, 2014

Gr 10 Up-Dylan Mint suffers from Tourette's syndrome. He also just found out he has only eight months to live. He decides the only thing to do is come up with a list of "Cool Things To Do Before I Cack It." The list includes having sex for the first time, finding a new best friend for his best friend Amir, and convincing the army to allow his dad to come home from the war. It's obvious to readers from early on that Dylan is not actually going to die-this belief stems from a misunderstanding at the doctor's office. It is also clear his dad is not actually in the army or at war. This first person account is insightful, engaging, and immerses teens into the world of Tourette's. British and Scottish slang, coupled with Dylan's scattered thought processes, can make it difficult to understand at times. Though the excessive swearing may be off-putting to some readers, the language is authentic, given the protagonist's disorder. This is an uninhibited and compelling look inside the mind of a teen living with Tourette's. The ending, neatly tied up in a bow, seems far-fetched, but readers will root for Dylan nonetheless and would not want to see it end any other way. If they can get past the challenging language, they will be rewarded with a relatable character who has many of the same problems they do.-Tammy Turner, Centennial High School, Frisco, TX

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