Alex, by Proxy

by Karen Myna Cantor

A Munchausen by proxy victim reveals his deepest secrets on a true-crime podcast—but will his audience believe him, let alone his loved ones?

HARROWING NEW DETAILS IN ‘MONSTER MOMMY’ CASE… SHOCKING INFORMATION SURFACES AS ‘MONSTER MOMMY’ CASE HEADS TO TRIAL… HOW COULD A MOTHER POISON HER SON?

Welcome to sixteen-year-old Alex’s life, ripped straight from the headlines.

Alex is a victim of Munchausen by proxy, but he’s also a witty, sarcastic kid with unusually good crossword skills and a penchant for astronomy. At least he used to be. Now that he’s recovered from years of illness induced by his mother, he sort of has to figure out who he is all over again… And most importantly, he’ll have to decide if he can testify against the woman who gave birth to him.

As Alex awaits the trial, his friends convince him to start a podcast as a way to tell his story. Together, they create “Lethal Lullaby.” The podcast brings Alex closer to his old life—hanging out with friends, cracking jokes, having fun… At the same time, new memories surface and disturbing revelations come out, forcing Alex to acknowledge that the podcast could be making things worse. It seems like he’s got deeper issues than he’d like to admit–and this time, he can’t blame them on his mom.

Day by day, Alex’s mental health crumbles, until he can no longer distinguish between truth and fiction. Should he trust himself to testify? And if he gets up there, what version of the truth will he share?

This breathtaking YA debut is perfect for fans of Sadie and The Act. Come for the can’t-look-away take on true crime, stay for the honest portrayal of mental illness.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary

320 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication July 21, 2026

About the author

Karen Myna Cantor is a Young Adult fiction writer based on the East Coast. Now a mapmaker, she spent several years working as an environmental scientist in a small Florida town notorious for Florida Man stories. Her work focuses on mental illness, queer identity, and environmental themes.

She is the author of Alex, by Proxy, a YA contemporary in which a boy starts a true crime podcast about his own mother, and Snaketown, Florida, a YA contemporary in which two teen girls try to put their town in the map in the worst way possible—by staging a (fake) disaster.

Reviews

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC provided by Young Adult Books Central

Alex has been in poor health since he was young, but it has recently come to light that his mother Clarissa suffered from Munchausen by proxy syndrome and has been poisoning him with mercury, salt, and other substances. He also suffers from a battery of psychiatric disorders, and hallucinates and has had psychotic episodes, but it is unclear if this is because of his mother’s actions. A former friend and fellow student, Ella, has issued a podcast alleging that Alex has made himself sick, which has caused an uproar in their community, since Clarissa’s trial is approaching, and Alex is set to testify against her. Alex has fallen out with his best friend Bryce, who has his own issues to deal with since his parents are involved in an acrimonious divorce. When Naomi talks to Alex, she encourages him to talk to Ella, and soon the four teens are working together on another podcast so that Aelx can tell the “real” story. But what is real? Alex’s father, who was deployed during most of Alex’s childhood, struggles to care for Alex and his younger brother, Logan, who was often neglected since Alex’s illnesses took up so much of Clarissa’s time. Ella babysat for Logan, and was fond of Clarissa; she claims she saw Alex poisoning himself. Alex is not taking his antipsychotic medication, and has recently been in a coma, so struggles with getting through the day. He’s getting emails from Clarissa that turn out to be from her online blog that detailed her struggles with getting proper care for her son. As Alex tells his group about his experiences, a theme emerges; doctors were not to be trusted, and Alex willingly accepted Clarissa’s cures. Why was this? And what finally made him think that he should stop his mother?

Alex’s journey through understanding what has happened in his life is an interesting but harrowing one. He doesn’t always remember things properly, and doubts his own perception, making the reader unsure about what has happened. Researching and taping the podcast brings some clarity, as does preparing to testify for the trial.

Ella’s podcast was initially very damaging and hurtful, and learning her reasons for interpreting the situation in the way that she did is interesting. Logan, who at ten is much younger than Alex, ends up playing a key role in Alex’s decision to quit going along with his mother’s plans. Naomi has her own issues, as does Bryce, and they, too, have some relationship issues with Alex that play out during the course of the book. I loved that Alex’s dad was so supportive, and the fact that he was deployed in order to afford medical bills was all the more poignant since he felt so guilty for not knowing what the mother was doing to Alex.

The ending is rather surprising, but makes sense. There are some parts of this that might confuse middle school readers a little, but high school readers will enjoy the twists, turns, and changes of perspective as Alex comes to terms with what happened to him. Readers who found Corrigan’s Remedy enthralling, or who are oddly intrigued by true crime podcast books like Henry’s Girl Forgotten, Altebrado’s The Possible, or Otis’ At the Speed of Lies will want to pick up this look at mental health, family dynamics, and changing friendships.

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[Nicole Austin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Holiday House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

“Alex, by Proxy” by Karen Myna Cantor is one of those books that sounds intense going in, and somehow ends up being even heavier than you expect, though there are some moments of levity.

At its core, the story follows Alex, a teen survivor of Munchausen by proxy with his mom making him sick on purpose for attention, and his situation is absolutely devastating. The long-term effects of the abuse aren’t just physical; he’s dealing with psychosis, hallucinations, PTSD, and the possibility of permanent brain damage from mercury poisoning. What makes it even more heartbreaking is that Alex knows he’s an unreliable narrator. He openly admits he can’t always trust what he sees or remembers, but you still want to believe him because he feels so genuine.

One of the most interesting parts of the book is the format. It mixes traditional narration with podcast transcripts, emails, and other media, which makes it feel like you’re piecing together a true crime case in real time. The podcast Alex creates with his classmates (“Lethal Lullaby”) is meant to help him reclaim his story, but it also kind of sends him spiraling, especially since he’s not taking his medication due to trauma. Watching that downward slide is tense and honestly pretty hard to read at times.

The emails from his mom are especially chilling. You get a firsthand look at her mindset, and it’s deeply unsettling; she genuinely seems to believe she was helping him, while also being manipulative enough to make Alex question his own reality. Their relationship is complicated in a way that feels painfully real. Even after everything, Alex still loves her, which just makes everything hurt more.

The book also touches on some really relevant issues, like “mom influencer” culture and how parents oversharing their kids’ medical lives online can have serious consequences. Alex is literally dealing with bullying and public scrutiny because of things his mom posted without his consent, which adds another layer to his trauma.

Character-wise, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. Alex is incredibly well-developed, and his bond with his younger brother is one of the strongest parts of the story, especially when he realizes his mom might have targeted his brother next. That moment really drives his determination to protect what family he has left. On the other hand, some side characters (like Ella) can be frustrating. She constantly pushes her own narrative and refuses to listen to Alex, and while that feels realistic in terms of how people treat victims, it would’ve been nice to see more growth there. The emphasis on the aftermath of abuse (rather than just the crime itself) is what makes this book stand out from other YA thrillers.

Overall, this is a raw, emotional, and sometimes uncomfortable read. It’s less about solving a mystery and more about figuring out what comes after the truth comes out, like how you rebuild your identity, how you deal with trauma, and whether you can trust your own mind again.

It’s not an easy read, but it’s a memorable one. If you like messy, emotional stories with true crime vibes and a strong focus on mental health, this is definitely worth checking out.

[Steff Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is no such thing as a perfect victim.

Alex, by Proxy stands up as an exceptional illustration of this truth. There is no such thing as a perfect victim; and yet, somehow, an unfortunate number of people in the world expect it when presented with real people—real victims.

In every manner of the words, the story told in this book is a grim and dark one. It is one where we follow the journey of a victim, after the fact, once the atrocities committed against him are finally brought to light or the rest of the world. What follows is the story of a victim who has experienced far more than his mother’s poisoning and who, as a result of both what he has been through and the public’s reaction to it, suffers even more. It’s the sort of book you finish reading and find yourself feeling a deep sense of despair at the way our world treats people who have been victimized and traumatized. And my hope for this book is that it creates within those who read it an understanding of compassion and a desire to care more than we may have previously.

I truly believe books like this are important, for the reasons I’ve already mentioned but also for many more.

And while, at the end of the day, this isn’t likely to be a book I return to nor is it a story I consider to be exceptionally well written through every page—I have some issues with certain aspects of the character development that felt unrealistic in regards to Alex’s friends and there are definitely points where it drags a bit—the subject matter and the story that is genuinely somewhat expertly woven in is actually one I felt deeply impressed by. Anyone who reads Alex, by Proxy will, I believe, come away from this reading experience a more understanding and knowledgeable person. And that’s worth a lot.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alex never expected to survive. Much less to have to stand trial, testifying against his own mother. All Alex knew is that he is sick. He has always been sick. When his mother is accused of poisoning Alex, he enlists the help of a few classmates to create a podcast to get his story out there. But Alex can't remember what has happened to him over the years, and seeing/hearing his mom despite her imprisonment doesn't help others believe him. An engaging mystery with an unreliable narrator that will keep readers guessing until the very end.

Alex, by Proxy, is an interesting take on a mystery. I like that Alex is an unreliable narrator and the story doesn't feel predictable. The problem, though, is that Alex doesn't feel like a relatable character because of his lack of reliability. I struggled to maintain interest in the story throughout because the characters felt flat. Not one that I think many students will finish, even if the premise will get them to pick it up at first.

I read an ARC from NetGalley.

[Lealie Mae]

Anticipating this release!