The Italian reviewers really get The Good Son. Here’s another wonderful review in Il Libraio.

“Mickey is a child out of place, intelligent and sentimental, a good son who tries not to complicate things, tries to keep his mouth shut because, as they say, Loose talk costs lives, and even finds ways to help his mother in need, no matter the cost. His is a character that combines comedy with depth, intelligence with pain: his dialogues with himself are both hilarious and moving, and they mirror the dilemmas of a child growing up quickly, between the sweetest childhood fantasies and the harshest adult images.”

“In his debut novel, Irish author McVeigh recounts the daily struggle and the violence of the Troubles without overemphasizing it, but instead consistently balancing brutality with lightheartedness, humor with introspection, to a heartbreaking effect. Through the narrative voice of a child, war becomes the backdrop and element of a harsh social reality, one that besieges innocence. And precisely for this reason, the novel manages to be both funny and merciless: because it shows how quickly one can learn to live amidst the bombs without ceasing to long for a film, a sweet treat, a moment of color.”