For kids navigating tricky family dynamics and learning to stand up for themselves, this story follows Joey as he finds his voice and builds unexpected friendships.
A parent might reach for this book when their child is feeling overwhelmed by family chaos or feels responsible for fixing adult problems. This story follows Joey Pigza, a boy with ADHD, whose life is a whirlwind of instability. His equally impulsive father is a danger to himself and others, his mother is stressed and trying to move on, and his grandmother uses emotional blackmail. Joey's main goal is to make everyone better, but he learns through an unlikely friendship with a blind, manipulative girl named Olivia that he must first focus on what's best for himself. It’s a chaotic, funny, and deeply empathetic look at learning to set boundaries and find your own stability when your world is spinning out of control. Best for kids who can handle complex emotional themes.
Characters, including the protagonist, lie and manipulate to achieve their goals.
Mild PerilMild
A character has a motorcycle accident at the start. A father's harassing behavior can be unsettling.
Sad ContentModerate
Deals with intense family conflict, parental separation, and emotional manipulation.
Substance ReferencesModerate
The father's erratic behavior is tied to his struggles, which include alcohol use.
Sensitive Topics
The book's approach to its sensitive topics is direct, realistic, and unflinching. The family dysfunction is intense and portrayed directly through arguments, a restraining order, and parental unreliability. The resolution is not a neat and tidy 'happily ever after' for the family, but a realistic and hopeful one for Joey, who learns crucial coping skills and emotional independence.
Ideal Reader
This book is for a mature middle-grade reader (ages 10-13) who is navigating a chaotic home life, particularly one involving high-conflict divorce or a parent with unmanaged mental health or behavioral issues. It's also an excellent mirror for a child with ADHD who feels like they are 'too much' and internalizes blame for things outside their control.
Parent Prep
Parents should be prepared for the intensity of the family conflict. The father's behavior, such as driving recklessly with Joey in the car and repeatedly violating the restraining order, is genuinely frightening at times, and the grandmother's emotional manipulation ('I'll die if you don't do this') is a key plot point. A conversation about healthy boundaries, what kids are and are not responsible for in a family, and the nature of mental illness would be highly beneficial. The book doesn't offer easy answers and is best read with an adult ready to talk through the tough parts. A parent has just heard their child say something like, 'If I can just be good enough, maybe Mom and Dad will get back together,' or has noticed their child taking on emotional burdens far beyond their years. The trigger is seeing a child trying to parent their parents.
Age Experience
A younger reader (9-10) will connect with the zany humor, the fast pace, and the friendship story between Joey and Olivia. An older reader (11-13) will be better equipped to understand the complex undercurrents of codependency, mental illness, emotional abuse, and the profound personal growth Joey experiences.
What Makes It Special
Among many books about divorce and family problems, this one stands out for its unique voice. Jack Gantos captures the frantic, kinetic, and often darkly humorous inner world of a child with ADHD. It doesn't shy away from the ugliness of family dysfunction, refusing to sand down the sharp edges. The book's strength is its validation of a child's chaotic reality while modeling a path toward self-preservation, not just survival.
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Read plot summary
The third book in the series, this story follows Joey Pigza as he navigates the fallout of his parents' separation. His dad, who also has ADHD, has a reckless motorcycle accident and continues to harass the family, leading to a restraining order. Joey is homeschooled with Olivia, the blind and cynical daughter of his mother's deeply religious friend. Pressured by his grandmother to make a friend, Joey strikes a deal with Olivia: he'll help her see the musical Godspell (against her mother's wishes) if she'll pretend to be his friend for his grandma. This transactional relationship evolves into a genuine connection as they discover shared feelings of being trapped by their family's narratives. The climax involves Joey learning to prioritize his own well-being over his compulsive need to 'fix' his chaotic family.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Discussion Prompts
1
Joey spends most of the book trying to 'fix' his parents. By the end, he decides to focus on himself. Why was this such a hard decision for him to make? Do you think it was the right one?
2
Olivia believes she is destined to misbehave because of her mother's story about being bitten by a snake. How does her conversation with Joey's grandma change her perspective on this?
3
Joey and Olivia's friendship starts out as a deal. Do you think they become real friends? What moments in the story show their friendship changing?
4
Joey's grandma says she will die if he can't make friends with Olivia. Why do you think she says this? Is it fair for her to put that kind of pressure on Joey?
