About This Book
Reach for this book if your child is navigating the emotional fallout of a divorce, specifically the confusing middle space where they feel split between two homes. It provides a comforting, highly visual language for anxiety, which main character Portico calls the frets. It normalizes the feeling of being caught in between and helps children process the fact that their parents are now separate individuals while remaining a family. Portico Reeves, aka Stuntboy, returns in this sequel to find his parents living on different floors of the same apartment building. While he tries to be a hero for his friends, he struggles with his own internal worry-storms. The story uses humor, superhero metaphors, and dynamic illustrations to explore resilience, friendship, and the reality of modern family structures. It is a hopeful, high-energy choice for middle-grade readers who need to see their big feelings reflected on the page.
What Parents Should Know
Sensitive Topics
DISTRESS: Portico’s anxiety is depicted viscerally as the frets, which can feel intense for sensitive readers who share these symptoms (shaking, racing heart). There are scenes of verbal bullying in the stairwells that involve intimidation, though no severe physical harm occurs. The sadness of the parents' separation is palpable and might be distressing for children currently in the early stages of a high-conflict divorce. CONVERSATION: Parents should be prepared to discuss the logistics and emotions of co-parenting. Portico’s parents live in the same building but are clearly separated; children may ask why the parents can't just get back together if they are that close physically. Be ready to explain that physical proximity doesn't fix a relationship.
Ideal Reader
A 7 to 10-year-old who loves graphic novels and high-energy storytelling, particularly a child who is experiencing the transition of a parental split and feels like they are living in two worlds at once.
Parent Prep
Read the sections where Portico describes the frets to ensure your child has the vocabulary to distinguish between normal nerves and clinical anxiety. Seeing Portico try to manage his parents' emotions or feeling guilty about his parents' conflict.
Age Experience
Younger readers will focus on the secret hideout and the superhero stunts. Older readers (9+) will pick up on the nuance of the parents' interactions and the metaphor of the broken elevator as a barrier to family unity.
What Makes It Special
The integration of Raul the Third's illustrations with Jason Reynolds' rhythmic, voice-driven prose creates a unique hybrid format that specifically targets reluctant readers while maintaining deep emotional complexity.
Read plot summary
Portico Reeves (Stuntboy) is navigating life after his parents' divorce, which he calls becoming Xs. His parents now live on different floors of their apartment building. Portico feels stuck in the in-between time. When the elevator breaks, he must navigate stairwells inhabited by bullies. Alongside his friends Zola and Herbert, he discovers an empty, unlocked apartment and turns it into a secret sanctuary. The story follows their attempts to keep this space for themselves while Portico manages his mounting anxiety, or the frets, through imaginary stunts and real-world courage.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Discussion Prompts
1
Portico calls his anxiety 'the frets.' What are some things that give you the frets, and what do they feel like in your body?
2
Why do you think Portico, Zola, and Herbert felt like they needed a secret hideout that wasn't half-anyone's but all theirs?
3
The elevator being broken is a big problem in the book. How does that broken elevator represent how Portico feels about his parents living on different floors?
4
Portico tries to be a hero for everyone else. Do you think he's good at being a hero for himself? Why or why not?
5
In the story, Portico's parents are called 'the Xs.' How does Portico's view of his parents change from the beginning of the book to the end?
