ALA Booklist

Charlie Law, 14, is desperate for freedom, knowledge, and adventure. Unfortunately for him, Charlie is also a resident of Little Town, a country controlled by the Regime, whose oppressive rules include no fighting, no littering, no asking questions, and no breaking curfew. Everything changes when Charlie meets Pavel Duda, a young refugee whose family escaped from Old Country, the land which borders Little Town. As their friendship blossoms, the boys help each other with typical teen struggles like fitting in, crushes, and bullies, while also learning to stand up to the tyrannical forces that control their lives. When Old Country invades Little Town, bringing with it bombs, soldiers, and a new, even more terrifying set of rules, Charlie and Pavel soon become entangled in the fight of their lives e that will test not only their will to survive but also their loyalty to each other. With its distinctly nonspecific settings, Conaghan's sophisticated and cleverly written novel will easily appeal to teen readers interested in dystopian, historical fiction, or war-themed stories.

Horn Book

Charlie Law lives in Little Town, a place with a strict Regime and an antagonistic relationship with bordering Old Country. Nobody leaves Little Town, and nobody leaves Old Country--until one day the Duda family arrives as refugees. This dense, dark novel is lightened up at times with teen-boy asides. Conaghan's dystopia, with its contemporary-world parallels, is all too easy to envision today.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

In this allegorical coming-of-age novel, 14-year-old Charlie Law struggles to stay alive in a war zone amid prejudice and tough decisions. Charlie lives in Little Town, where a corrupt regime rules through fear and tyranny, and criminals have all the power. When he befriends Pavel Duda, whose family fled the neighboring Old Country, both boys experience culture shock but become inseparable. Then Old Country bombs and occupies Little Town, disrupting the social and civil structures. To survive, Charlie and Pav become indebted to the powerful Big Man, a crime lord with access to food and medicine, but when his demands for repayment become unthinkable, Charlie has to take a stand. Conaghan (When Mr. Dog Bites) presents a compelling situation with no easy answers; it-s easy to sympathize with Charlie-s moral and ethical dilemmas, and the dichotomy between Old Country and Little Town could fuel provocative discussions. However, the generic, ambiguous nature of the setting and conflict-while striving for universality-can be distracting in its lack of detail, giving readers little grounding. Ages 14-up. Agent: Ben Illis, Ben Illis Agency. (Sept.)

School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up-Told from the perspective of 14-year-old Charlie, this book brings light to communities where teens are struggling under a repressive government or regime pressured by a larger neighboring nation (think current events in Ukraine or the Middle East). Set in a fictional modern world, this story features a teenager who befriends a refugee who moved from Old Country, the neighboring nation that bombs Little Town. Their friendship grows and is tested, most notably by school bullies and the corrupt gang leader Big Man. Charlie struggles with the lure of a gang leader who offers what he needs during a time of crisis, the social pressures of cultural prejudice, and even desire for the pretty girl at school. The slow-moving plot eventually crescendoes into an unexpected climaxreaders will fly through the last portion of the book in one sitting. VERDICT Recommended for classroom discussion and for those interested in realistic fiction about a world in turmoil. Seth Herchenbach, McHenry Community College, IL

Voice of Youth Advocates

Fourteen-year-old Charlie Law lives in Little Town, which is governed by a vague totalitarian regime. In Charlie's area, the corrupt man "in charge" is the Big Man, who has a group of thugs and minions to enforce his wishes. Favors must always be repaid, even Charlie's inhaler request for his asthmatic mother and some chairs for his shed. Charlie's new neighbors, the Duda family, are refugees from the hated Old Country and its politics. Old Country invades Little Town by bombing and occupying it with their military. Little Town has lots of rules: no being out after dark, no stealing, no shouting, especially at the lawmakers, and more. Life under Old Country seems to be just as bad . . . or is it? The lines between the two begin to blur for Charlie. What should he do when Big Man's price for Charlie's favors is assassination?The reader is left with lots of questions. There is no explanation of where this dystopian novel takes place. Conaghan plunks the reader down and does not reveal why the world has come to this. We do get clues with names like Pavel Duda, whose house smelled like cabbage, who has almond-shaped eyes, and speaks a different language/lingo. This book deals with differences between people and how they react, the effects of bullying, right and wrong, and how we choose a path we may not be sure is right.Jane Van Wiemokly.