It’s the first day of summer vacation, and 14-year-old Quentin “Quagmire” Tiarello (white) wants nothing more than to sleep-in, eat junk food, play video games, and maybe see what Cassie Byzinski (white) is up to. He’s not expecting to find his mom in one of her “spinning” moods. Quag’s used to managing his mom’s mental illness, and today’s technique is to get out of her way. Once outside of his apartment, he is happy to cross paths with Cassie, who invites him to Art Camp at the Y, insisting that he has the perfect skills for her group’s radio show. To his surprise, Quag has a knack for creating sound effects and finds some connection with the other drama kids, despite his prickly tendencies. Cue the record-scratch sound effect when Quag emerges from the Y to find his mother screaming at him to get in the car. Quag complies, only to find himself on the road and unable to redirect his mom’s behaviors like he has in the past. After a difficult moment at a road stop, Quag’s mom drives away, abandoning him. Forced to call an uncle he’s never met to pick him up, Quag finds himself in rural Nebraska, waiting on a mom who might not return. Painful realities are softened with wry humor and observations in this tender sophomore novel.

Wry humor and sharp insight capture the distinctive voice of a young teen forced by his mother’s unstable mental health to recalibrate his outlook and build a new life with found family. For fans of Gary D. Schmidt and Rebecca Stead.

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Quagmire Tiarello prides himself on not needing anything from anybody. Sure, his mom is skipping work again and showing signs of going into one of her full-out spins, but it’s nothing he can’t handle. He’s used to her up-and-down moods, even if this time it feels a little different.

Then his mom disappears, and Quag must find shelter with an uncle he didn't know he had. Should he come clean about his mother’s mental health challenges? Or can he use his carefully honed skills to bluff long enough to find his mom and get home? Readers will root for Quag as he finds himself rethinking his world and learning to accept help from the people who love him.