
Reach for this book when your middle schooler is grappling with a family health crisis or feels overshadowed by the 'perfect' people in their life. Claire is a relatable protagonist navigating the awkwardness of eighth grade, from mean girls to frustrating dance rehearsals, when her world is upended by her father's sudden stroke. This story masterfully balances heavy themes of medical trauma and rehabilitation with sharp, laugh-out-loud humor. It is an ideal choice for parents looking to validate a child's feelings of anger and helplessness during a crisis while modeling how a family can find a path forward through communication and resilience. It is best suited for ages 11 to 14 due to its authentic portrayal of adolescent social pressures and medical realities.
Depicts a parent's sudden, life-threatening stroke and the difficult recovery process.
The book handles a parent's disability and medical trauma with direct, secular realism. It doesn't sugarcoat the fear of the initial event or the ugly parts of recovery, including personality changes and physical limitations. The resolution is realistic and hopeful, focusing on adaptation rather than a 'miracle cure.'
A middle schooler who uses humor as a defense mechanism and is currently facing a 'new normal' due to a family member's illness or a sudden life shift.
Read the breakfast scene where the stroke occurs to prepare for the clinical but emotional description of the event. It can be read cold by most 12-year-olds. A parent might see their child withdrawing or becoming hyper-critical of themselves after a family stressor, or perhaps the child is struggling to empathize with a sibling's different way of grieving.
Younger readers (10-11) will focus on the 'scary' medical aspect and the bullying subplot. Older readers (13-14) will better appreciate Claire's nuanced resentment of her 'perfect' brother and her complex identity as a dancer.
Sonnenblick is a master of the 'tragedy-plus-time' formula. He manages to make a book about a stroke genuinely funny without ever being disrespectful to the gravity of the condition.
Claire is a sarcastic, talented, yet self-doubting eighth grader who feels like a 'glitch' compared to her high-achieving older brother and her seemingly perfect peers. Just as her social and extracurricular anxieties reach a peak, her father suffers a massive stroke in front of her. The narrative follows Claire's internal and external journey as she manages the fallout: hospital visits, the slow and frustrating process of her father's rehab, and the realization that her family is fundamentally changed.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
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