By Jessica Fontenot

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Known for writing novels that portray a darker side of Hawaii such as in  “The Tattoo”, Chris McKinney writes about Hawaii in a way not typically seen. In his upcoming book, “Boi No Good”, McKinney emphasizes the change in lifestyle for Hawaii’s next generation.

“I felt like I was telling a story … that everyone who grew up like I grew was kind of familiar with,” said McKinney.

The book is not only inspired by McKinney’s life growing up at Castle High School and Mid-Pacific Institute, but also stories told by his friends and colleagues, who work either in the police force or in the fire department.

In “Boi No Good”,  McKinney portrays the life of three teenagers that live with their mother in a deserted bus. They are rescued by child protective services and split up and adopted by different families. The title of the book refers to its main character, Boi Rapun, a teenager who does “no good” and always seems to get into trouble. The story also follows the lives of his siblings Shane Knotting and Glory as they grow into their new lives.

Along with trying to stay true to the lifestyle that he grew up in, McKinney incorporates themes in his book that he hopes will have an influence on his readers. A theme he emphasizes is Hawaii’s loss of social and cultural independence. “There was this sort of wave of outside influence … coming to the islands,” said McKinney, “One of my themes was that the final wave (of influence) is coming to this island really soon.”

McKinney extends his knowledge not only through his books and movies such as “The Back Door”, which was released in 2011, but also at the Chris McKinney language arts Center, codirected with his wife, Mika McKinney. At the center, Chris McKinney shares his experience of his interest in writing and Language Arts with both elementary and high school students, influenced by his teachers at Midpac. “A couple of English teachers in particular … they liked what I was putting out on paper. So even when I wasn’t thinking about being a writer, that sort of helped my confidence,” said Chris McKinney.

Anticipating the books release in October, Chris McKinney hopes the book, as well as those already published, will have a lasting effect on his readers.