Brendan Walsh

"The Boy and the Crow" is the gripping, fast-paced story of 16-year-old big city gang member, Daniel Cagney. Convicted of a crime in juvenile court, he is sentenced to spend a year's probation on the Vermont farm of his grandparents, whom he has not seen for many years. From the moment he arrives at the farm, Danny struggles to adjust to his new life on foreign turf. He continues to believe that it is only a matter of time before he escapes to the city, but a young crow, which he almost kills one day, “conspires” to change his mind.Under his grandparents' watchful eyes, Danny begins to resist the pull of the ghetto that he has left behind. He meets a beautiful girl who accepts him for who he is, but her zealous father wants him out of his daughter's life for good. To make matters worse, Danny soon becomes the target of local bullies and the county sheriff. Then, his fellow gang members come calling.

The Boy and the Crow

Daniela V.

I won this book on First Reads, Goodreads giveaway program. Thanks to Brendan Walsh for hosting the giveaway.


The Boy and the Crow is a story about a boy's struggle to change his life. At first, he doesn't know he wants to change it, but with a little help, he ends up finding out what he really wants. This is a story about redemption. 

 A 16-year-old boy named Daniel Cagney is in trouble. He ends up in juvenile court for taking the rap for some friends in his gang, the Crows. He is sentenced to spend a year in his grandparents farm in Vermont. But this is not the only problem he faces: Danny doesn't have all the support he needs. His mother, a cocaine addict and an alcoholic, is in prison and his absent father is now dead. As he tries to find a place in the countryside, he ends up harming a young crow. Danny realizes he doesn't want him to die and takes care of him.

I liked how this crow and Danny had so much in common. They were both struggling to survive their new life and adjusting to it slowly. They helped each other. As a bird owner (even more, a talking-bird owner) I must say that I enjoyed all of the aspects of the novel that had to do with Paddy, the crow, and his evolution along with Danny (I'm a Danny too, so I was extremely touched by it).

The prose was fantastic, poetic sometimes. The way the story is told was, in my opinion, the right one. Alternating from present to flashbacks was the perfect way to unmask different aspects from Danny's past.

I liked how, at the start, everything seemed to be an insignificant problem but with time, it builds into something a lot more bigger. That's the way life is, but no matter how sour, it always has its sweet moments.

The only thing I have to criticize is that almost all of the action happens at the very end of the book, so the (view spoiler)[happy (hide spoiler)] ending contrasts a little bit too much with all the drama.

I'd definitely read more from Brendan, I'll wait eagerly for his next book.

The Boy and the Crow

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