Benny was a happy Irish kid obsessed with the sport of hurling, with some wisecracking and tormenting his younger brother on the side . . . until his father's job situation plopped him in Africa and forced him to change everything from his everyday activities to what he takes for granted. Newly transplanted to Tunisia, Benny flounders for his bearings until he develops a rivalry and then a friendship with a Tunisian kid named Omar. Even though they don't speak the same language, they find common ground. Benny soon faces circumstances that have him learning what brotherhood means . . . in more ways than one.I didn't really buy the premise of a Tunisian kid speaking in television phrases as the only English he knows, because he'd have to know context for them too and it seemed improbable that he'd be able to make himself understood outside the odd advertising jingle. I also thought the perspective choices were weird; it was written in third person primarily tied to Benny's point of view, but occasionally it entered other characters' heads briefly for convenience's sake, and sometimes the narration even cut away to talk to the reader. I found it distracting, and was also sort of irritated by some of the portrayal of mentally ill folks (not the way they were treated by characters in the story, but by the way the narration spoke of them). However, I did enjoy Benny's character because the way he learned his lessons was not contrived or caused by one singular event, and he was still sort of a little jerk throughout--he didn't have a ridiculous moment of redemption that rendered him unrecognizable from his previous self. Some of the stuff he valued and tried was kind of adorable, and I did like that he questioned his privilege (and that the book showed the well-meaning white people camping out in Africa as some self-congratulatory hippies, which is true to life in many ways), but overall even though the book held my attention I didn't find it enthralling.
Benny is uprooted from everything he loves and values when it's either no job or a promotion for his dad--in Tunisia. The family settles into a "village"--a settlement funded and maintained by Eurogas, his dad's employer. There are many luxuries, including a swimming pool--but just on the other side of the wall Benny discovers a street kid, Omar, whose survival mode lifestyle makes Benny rethink everything he has. But it doesn't really hit home until the day Omar takes him to see his sister, who is restrained to a bed and drugged out of her mind at the local psychiatric institution. Benny learns what happened to Omar and his family--and realizes that if Omar needs his help, Benny needs to give it--but the consequences are not easy. This is a powerfully written story, often times very funny, but with a serious undertone--readers will be moved and enchanted. Sometimes hard to get through the Irish slang but this is a minor detail. Junior high and up.
What do You think about Benny And Omar (2007)?
This hilarious and heart-warming novel contrasts the lives of Irish born Benny with Tunisian orphan Omar. Because of Benny's dad's work, the family have left Ireland and re-located to a walled community in Tunisia. Omar lives well and truly beyond those walls, and against the odds, the boys form a friendship. Omar speaks English through jingles and television show references, so “Marge” is mother, “Lisa” is sister etc. Action and adventure ensue and the stakes are high for Omar who survives on his wits, thieving and football. A great book for reminding what’s important in life, such as laughing with your mates.
—Megan
This is one Eoin Colfer novel I've never read before. *waits for collective gasp to subside* I know. You didn't think there was one, did you?I loved this book. It had all the humor and trademarks of a Colfer story, with some good gut-punching emotion on top of it. On the surface, it's the story of an Irish boy suddenly displaced to Tunisia, of all places, forced to adjust to a new culture and country while trying to keep his same simple life from back home. On a deeper level, this is a coming-of-age story, a boy just on the brink of realizing that the world doesn't revolve around him and that hurling isn't an integral part of existence.Benny is a sarcastic but likable character and watching his journey from self-centered boy to more-considerate older brother thanks to his unlikely friendship with a local named Omar was satisfying. It's filled with madcap adventure and humor, from mischievous scrapes to Omar's 'T.V. English'.This had everything I'd expect from Eoin Colfer.As for the audio version, I could listen to that Irish accent all day. ^_^
—Amanda Thompson
I really enjoyed reading this book. It's hilarious, real and totally worth the read. Eoin Colfer does an amazing job of writing about the experience of Benny who leaves his beloved Ireland for Tunisia when his Dad gets a job transfer. Suddenly Benny is out of his comfort zone and the social rules have been turned upside down. How is he going to cope. Benny befriends orphan Omar and the two set of on some cringe worthy adventures but Omar's story becomes very complicated and serious and Benny has to finally come to grips with the fact that he isn't the centre of the universe. A book that is great fun but doesn't mince with reality. It is ideal for young teenagers who like quirky, out of the box stories.
—Linsey Painter
