Break in Case of Emergency

by Brian Francis

Dads can be such a drag

Life has been a struggle for Toby Goodman. Her mother died by suicide five years ago, and her father left their small town before Toby was born. Now a teenager living on her grandparents’ dairy farm, Toby has trouble letting people in. She keeps even her closest friend, the brash but endearing Trisha, at arms’ length, and recently ended her first relationship, with Trisha’s burnout brother, Mike. Convinced that she is destined to follow her mother’s path, Toby creates a plan to escape her pain.

But with the news that her father is coming home and finally wants to meet her, Toby must face the truth of her family’s story. Not only is her father gay, but he’s also a world-famous female impersonator—and a self-absorbed, temperamental man-child who is ill-prepared to be a real parent.

When Toby’s careful plans go awry, she is forced to rebuild the life she thought she knew from the ground up. While she may not follow an expected path, through the support of a quirky but lovable circle of friends and family, Toby may finally put together the many different pieces that make up her past, her present, and her future.

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, LGBT, Canada, Fiction, Mental Health, Family

341 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 17, 2019

About the author

Brian Francis's non-fiction book, Missed Connections: A Memoir in Letters Never Sent, was a finalist for the 2022 Trillium Book Award. The Toronto Star called it “thoughtful, funny, poignant, insightful and honest.”

His previous novel, Break in Case of Emergency, was a finalist for the 2019 Governor General’s Literary Awards. Apple Books called it a “knockout” and The Globe and Mail said it “beautifully explores issues around mental health and suicide.”

His second novel, Natural Order, was selected by the Toronto Star, Kobo and Georgia Straight as a Best Book of 2011.

His first novel, Fruit, was a 2009 Canada Reads finalist and is an Amazon and 49th Shelf “100 Canadian Books to Read in a Lifetime” title.

He writes a monthly writing advice column, Ask the Agony Editor, for Quill & Quire magazine and is a regular contributor to CBC Radio's The Next Chapter.

Reviews

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is incredible and provoked a strong emotional response from me. I am not sure if I have ever cried along with a story like I did while reading this one. As someone that has lost family to suicide, I appreciated the focus on healing, acceptance, understanding and breaking the taboos of painful things left unsaid. The author did a wonderful job depicting the suffocating guilt and sadness left in the devastating wake of a suicide. The struggles of the family left behind were realistic and respectfully captured.

I was pleasantly surprised to detect that the author and I grew up in the same small Canadian city. I picked up on this immediately and I have honestly never expected to read a book with so many snippets and references to my home town. I had forgotten all about Greer’s Variety and their awesome Halloween costumes and decor. I enjoyed reminiscing about the Chilli dogs from Taps, visiting Merle Norman at the mall and the south end.

I highly recommend this one.

[Stephanie Gillespie · Rating 2 out of 5]

TW: Suicide(graphic) suicide attempt, homophobic comments, alcohol

This story follows Toby, when the book start she is a ten year old girl who comes home to find her mother has died of suicide. She is then sent to live on a farm with her grandparents. The book is now told in first person, by Toby as a teenager living in the 90’s.

This book really intrigued me, the synopsis sounded so good. A teenage girl reunited with her drag queen father, a was very mislead. While this book does have that plot point it is not the focus like I was lead to believe. This book mainly focuses on Toby and her own mental health. It would come to no surprise that a girl who has gone through the trauma that she has during her childhood, without a doubt would feel depressed and alone.

While I love how this book tries to handle the tough issues some scenes were extremely graphic and could be triggering to many readers. Also there is many homophobic comments, I get it, it’s the early 90’s but it did make me uncomfortable.

I did not feel a connection to any of the characters, and for me that is what I need to love a book. I need that connection, if I don’t care about a character then no matter what the plot is, I simply don’t feel the need to continue reading. The only thing that kept me going was the promise of Toby and her fathers relationship.

[katelyn ❀ · Rating 3 out of 5]

TW: Attempted suicide/suicide, self-harm, & eating disorders

for toby having to live through essentially 2 suicides and finally experience true happiness was incredibly to read. my girl deserved it after everything she’s been through

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This YA book is set in small town Canada in the 1990's. Its main protagonist, Toby has lost a mother to suicide and lives with her maternal grandparents who never seem to want to talk about it. Struggling to find her own way, Toby becomes convinced everyone would be a lot better off without her. On the eve of a monumental decision, Toby is dumbfounded by the announcement that her birth father is returning to visit. But why now? What happens when Toby realizes that her father is not quite what she imagined.


I read this about 2 weeks ago and I still have this to say. I wish that more of the story had been given to Toby and Arthur. Too much of the page was given to how everyone else perceived Arthur. So many homophobic remarks, which certainly didn't surprise me. It's just I wanted the teen protagonist to have a little more control in their own story.


Goodreads review published 02/03/21

[Madeline Nixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful book. What a beautiful book. I legitimately just want to write that over and over again as my review. This was an incredibly well done book on suicide, mental illness, acceptance, family ties, love, and reconciliation. From the prose, to artistic choices in chapter breaks, to Toby’s story - everything was beautiful.

(Thank you to HarperCollins for the ARC. All opinions are mine.)

[kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

“We loved one another,” Arthur says. “In a broken kind of way, but it was still love.”

As someone who prefers reading books that take place in the modern day, I appreciate how this book didn’t seem like it took place a few decades back.

I have to mention: Canadian points, as always, and bonus small town farm points.

The book balanced difficult and heart-wrenching moments with humour and chaos. I expected more with Toby’s dad given the synopsis, but I wasn’t mad because we dove a lot into Toby’s past with her mom and then her present relationship with her self-issues. Still, though, I would’ve loved to see the dynamic between a drag queen father and the daughter who just met him and who was also raised in a more-so conservative setting.

A lot of lines nearly got a laugh out of me, though. Others were very very cringe.

[Samantha (WLABB) · Rating 4 out of 5]

It had been five years since her mother died by suicide, and Toby was still dealing with deep seated feelings of abandonment. After a disastrous introduction to her estranged father and a failed suicide attempt, Toby was forced to deal with the aftermath.

My emotions! My emotions! I have to admit, this book was a bit heavier than I had originally anticipated, and I shed many, MANY tears. It was a story about a young women, whose early life was spent with a bipolar mother, who didn't always take her medication. Not only was Toby forced to be the adult in the house, but she carried the weight of not knowing her father. I felt like she struggled with knowing who she really was, because she didn't know where she came from. This coupled with her grief and depression convinced Toby, that the world would be a better place without her.

This part of the story really broke my heart, but let me tell you, the way Francis captured the pain and hopelessness one feels, when in the throes of depression was so real for me. There's this scene, early on in the book, where Toby was having a really tough day, and her actions and the thoughts that were going through her head were just so palpable and raw. I believe I shed as many tears as I did, because I saw shades of my own depression playing out on the page.

Yes, lots of sad stuff friends, but the book took a more hopeful turn post-suicide attempt. It was interesting seeing all the different ways the people in Toby's life reacted to what she had done. The range of reactions was wide, but they all seems plausible and realistic. This terrible event pushed some of the characters to be more honest with themselves and with each other. It gave Toby more insight into herself and helped her open her eyes to all the wonderful things and people that were already in her life.

Yes, this was a somewhat sad story about a suicidal young women, but it was also a story about family, blood and found. And, it was a very honest portrait of mental illness, which was written thoughtfully and with a great deal of compassion. I cried for the pain Toby carried around with her, but that quickly morphed to hope for her as her healing journey began, and eventually, I was cheering for her as she started to rebuild her life.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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[Nadya]

Disclaimer: I received a free ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affects my opinion. This review originally appeared on Pop of Geek

I’m going to break a few rules for this review. I’ve contemplated how to review Break in Case of Emergency by Brian Francis as objectively as possible, but I’ve concluded that whatever I would come up with by doing so would just be dishonest.

Break in Case of Emergency is possibly the closest I’ve seen my own life represented in the pages of a book. Days after finishing this book, I’m still astounded by the similarities between Toby and I – and by how aptly Francis captured feelings and experiences that are very personal to me. It felt as though Francis reached inside my teenage diary and jostled all the pain points free. It was a difficult, but necessary reading experience for me. I’m so glad this book exists.

Five years after her mom dies by suicide, Toby receives the news that the father she never knew is returning to the small Ontario town where she lives with her grandparents. Before she meets her father, Toby learns that not only is her father gay, but he is also a world-famous female impersonator (he does not want to be called a drag queen). She adds these facts to the small collection of things she knows about her dad: that he loved her mom, that he was a wonderful entertainer, and that, in her mom’s words: “He. Was. Magic.”

While the central thread of Break in Case of Emergency is the relationship between a girl and her estranged father, the book also carefully deals with mental illness – in fact, I would even say that this is a bigger part of the book. In the aftermath of her mom’s tragic death, Toby deals with her own mental health struggles and even attempts to take her own life, a plan that was set in motion before she knew her father was going to return. Although this was very difficult to read, I felt that Francis dealt with this sensitively and without dramatizing this painful point in Toby’s life. While the reactions to Toby’s suicide attempt are frustrating (I especially shook my head at her closest friend Trisha for the way she reacted), I ultimately think these reactions are very realistic and astoundingly human. Here, Francis captures how during our lowest points, people can surprise you, frustrate you, and even fail you in how they show you they care.

The book, which I think one could argue is a work of YA historical fiction, is also a reflection of societal attitudes towards gay people. While he did indeed abandon his daughter, Toby’s father’s actions are also a reflection of his surroundings: his family didn’t accept him, and the small town where he grew up was not exactly welcoming of his talents. Even when he returns years later, several characters either make homophobic comments, or express homophobia in their actions, often without being checked. I really wondered if this was done because the book takes place in the 90s – are these comments meant to show that being gay was not as accepted at the time as it is now (or perhaps because people were more ignorant then)? Personally, I believe that homophobia is wrong no matter the decade, but I do understand if this was employed as a means of showing how gay people were treated during this specific time and place. In turn, this also makes the reader think about how people are treated today in 2019 based on their sexual orientation – we say that things are better, and in some respects they are, but we’re kidding ourselves if we think discrimination doesn’t still exist and harm people today just as it did in the past.

There is a moment in the book where Toby’s father gives her a bit of an explanation as to why he left and why he never came back. His explanation, however painful it may be, is what I wish I could hear from my own father. I don’t think I ever will. No matter how much I pretend that it has gotten easier to deal with as I grow older, I still want to know him. I’m angry with him, but I still feel love and compassion for him. I don’t know why. For that, I am so thankful to Francis for validating this very real and confusing feeling of longing for something that you’re not really meant to. It has made me feel a little less alone.

Regardless of whether or not you can see yourself reflected in Toby’s story, at the very heart of Break in Case of Emergency is a poignant message of finding self acceptance and empathy in a world that rejects difference. I think most people can relate to that.

[Caitlin R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm going to start this off with a big huge trigger warning for suicide. This book even goes right down to the nitty gritty details (which, as someone who has taken psychology classes and works in the health care industry, knows that this is a huge no-no). If you are in a bad headspace, please please please, I urge you, do not read this book... and instead, reach out to a friend, family member or organization for some help. This book is not light.

Synopsis: Toby is a fifteen year old girl, who's mother died by suicide when she was ten years old. Now, as a teenager living with her grandparents in the 90's, she is also feeling the pull of suicidal ideation. To top it all of, she finds out that her estranged father is a gay "female impersonator" (do not call Arthur a drag queen).

I think this book had a lot of potential, and in certain areas fell a little flat for me. I think it needed to be a lot longer to make me "feel the feels". It felt like it wasn't fleshed out enough for me. I feel like I don't know Arthur well enough to love him (although I feel like the potential is there), I feel like I'm not confident in how Toby is going to do after the book is over (which leaves me feeling anxious for her), and I just have a general sense of longing for what could have been.

I'm also a little miffed that this book takes place in the 90's, but has absolutely no nostalgia factor? The only reasons I can see why it would be set in that time period is so that 1) Toby doesn't have a cell phone, 2) they can justify how homophobic everyone is, and 3) they can justify how mental health awareness wasn't really a thing? But like... it's the 90's! THE FRICKIN 90's!! Where are all of the fun references to really make this a fun read???

Anyway, overall I think this was an okay read that I neither loved nor hated. It will be interesting to see where our book club discussion goes.

[Aly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm on a sad book kick lately, but I liked the hope this had. Toby hasn't had the easiest life growing up, her mother was schizophrenic and killed herself when Toby was young. She's never known her father and is tired of living, so she makes a plan to kill herself when her estranged father comes into her life. At first, it seems like meeting him isn't a good thing, he's irresponsible and mean, but as they get to know each other a bond forms.
Toby was a bit difficult for me to understand, but the hopelessness she felt was heartbreaking and I'm happy she came to realize she has a support system and could talk about her feelings. The dark thoughts made this a little tough to read, but it's important to have books like these and the light at the end of the tunnel made me smile.

Thank you to NetGalley and Inyard Press for the copy in exchange for an honest review

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a YA book about a teenager who found out that her estranged father was a drag queen. Turns out that that is just a small portion of the book. The narrator, Toby, is a teenage girl whose mother died by suicide. Toby lives with her grandparents on a dairy farm. (I really honed in on the dairy farm details. Brian Francis did his research).

Toby is suicidally depressed, and wants to die. The book is actually about mental health and suicidal ideation, but is also about love, and families. Author Brian Francis treats every character in this book with incredible compassion, which is what I loved the best about it. There are also a lot of incredibly sweet moments. This was sad, moving, and funny, all at the same time.

Wonderful book. :)

[PinkAmy loves books, cats and naps · Rating 1 out of 5]

In the early 1990s, Toby considers following in her mother’s footsteps by committing suicide when her learns the father she’s never met is coming to visit. No only that, he’s a “homosexual drag queen” performer. Suicide will have to wait a few days. BREAK IN CASE OF EMERGENCY goes downhill from there.

BREAK IN CASE OF EMERGENCY is one of the worst stories I’ve ever read. I’m old enough to remember the state of public sentiment in the late 20th century. Although people weren’t as accepting of LGBT people during the 1990s, I’m not sure how Brian Francis thought about telling this story in this way would enhance that knowledge or be interesting to readers. While his writing quality isn’t terrible, the story is not worth reading. I can’t think of anything more positive to say.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A YA book that I believe will be appreciated most by teens. Although it explores mental illness, suicide, identity and family dysfunction, it does so with humour, humanity,and hope. I will recommend it to my high school readers who are looking for a read with mature themes and subject matter without a prevailing sense of darkness. The humor tempers the tragedies and keeps the story entertaining. An enjoyable read.

[Sacha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. I’ll post a review upon publication.

Updated to include the review on 2/4/20:

3.5 stars

I appreciate that this novel handles the issue of suicide without romanticizing it (as various other contemporary YA novels do).

The main character experiences a great deal of family trauma: a mother who struggles with mental illness and completes suicide, a father who is absent, grandparents who appear to love her very much but are not excellent at communicating this (or at communicating about the central issues in her life), and her own experiences with mental illness. Readers get an in-depth perspective into the thoughts of a person with suicidal ideation, the experiences of those who survive a friend or family member's suicide, and the sense of isolation that a person may feel while appearing to be typical and even happy on the outside.

While I appreciate the way this issue is addressed, I really struggled with the portrayal of the main character's father, Arthur, who is gay, and who also has an international career as a vocal performer who wears traditionally women's clothing (both on stage and off, at times). The ancillary characters are described as conservative and religious, and the small town of Tilden is referred to in numerous ways as less than enlightened. In fact, Arthur explains that he had to leave the town to be himself, that Toby's mother was the only one there who accepted him for whom he really is, and that his own mother shut the door in his face when he returned for a visit. All of that noted, I'd have like to see some more modern language and thinking around Arthur's identity in the novel. He does gain some acceptance from the group at the end - as does his partner - but a lot of this falls into stereotypical tropes, and I found this element distracting from the greater purposes of the work.

I'll be recommending this one to students and colleagues as a strong representation of various aspects of suicide, but never without the caveat that the LGBTQ+ - related elements read as if they were articulated by a member of the Tilden community.

[Esme · Rating 3 out of 5]

**contains spoilers**
**Trigger warning for suicide, mental illnesses and homophobia**

I originally posted my review and rated this book a 5 star... with further analyzing and speaking with my book club, my review has been demoted to a 3.5 star read. It's still an overall good book, and I didn't hate it entirely. The writing is actually quite good, and I do like the concept of the book. Some character is great, and others are awful. I really did relate to certain characteristics Toby had. There were some VERY uncomfortable aspects of this book... especially the awkward sex scene in the middle of it. After the climax of the book, her mood switched on a dime she went from wanting to try and kill herself again to being happy and perfectly fine. it ended quite abruptly there should have been an epilogue or something at the end of it because I just wanted a little bit more from it. There was just more bad in this book than good, which is why I felt the need to re-write my review and change my reading.

[Chadreadsbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to edelweiss and the publishers for sending me a E arc of this book in exchange for review!!!

TW: suicide, Attempted suicide, neglect, mental health

Where to start with book because Wow! This book is such an emotional and hard hitting contemporary of a girl called Toby who feels like she doesn’t belong in this world anymore and wants to end things and to end the pain of what’s she felt and been through in the past few years following the own suicide of her mother and her father neglecting Toby and her mother before Toby was born, Toby also feels that she just ruins everything she gets into including relationships with family and her best friend Trisha and tries to keep every at arms length and not let anyone in and always tries to keep strong so everyone thinks she is okay, but in the inside we see she isn’t!!!.

This books main focus is supposed to be about Toby and her father meeting and who comes back to Ontario the town in where she lives with her grandparents, but just before her father comes back Toby finds out that he is Gay and not only that but is a a hugely known/one of the best female impersonators in Europe, her dad does not like to be called a drag queen (as he states in the novel) but for me one of the big factors and the main premise of this book is mental health and how see Toby struggle to cope with her mental health with the aftermath of what has happened in the past few year.

Just throughout this book you just want to jump into the story of this book and just give Toby the biggest hug in the world and tell her she is one of the strongest people ever after all the devastating situations that have happened to her.

This story is filled with so much sadness and isn’t a book to be taken and picked up lightly as you definitely need to be in the right mindset to read this and definitely check deeper into this book before starting if you are thinking of starting this book soon or in the future!!! But with its sadness comes hope as you will see as you go through this story.

I’ve got to say this has got to be one of the best portrayals of mental health written so full of heart and thoughtfully. Finally I’ve got to say this as it’s so important!!! Please whatever you do today,tomorrow, everyday check up on the people you love and even strangers you meet and ask them if they are okay because you really don’t know how much that could make someone’s day and brighten up there clouds of grey to a beautiful Sun even if it’s for a few days. It can help!!

[Natalie]

YA isn't really my bag, but this was well-written and engaging. Probably good for 15+, but trigger-warnings galore. I was disappointed not to have more of the father character (who provided levity and depth).

[Isa · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was what made me attempt suicide.

This book, despie it having "research is so pivotable!" in its goddamn acknowledgments, seems to have cared more on what it's like to live on a farm rather than mental illness. It's terrible. It's completely unaware of how it would affect their reader, and to top it off, it's also homophobic! So this is shit!

[Dolank · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Let me be your lighthouse.' 🥺

[Colline Vinay Kook-Chun · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do admit to beginning this novel with high expectations as it had been avidly promoted. The story also interested me as it dealt with possible mental health issues that so many teens face at this time of their lives. I think it is good that there is literature like this out there to help teen readers realise that they are not alone when experiencing suicidal thoughts or even feelings of worthlessness.

The story is written from the point of view of a teenage girl who does feel worthless; and who comes to believe that the people she is surrounded by would be better off without her. She does have a raw deal: growing up with her grandparents without a dad around, her mom having committed suicide. Francis places us right inside the mind of Toby Goodman, a girl who is having suicidal thoughts. We read of how her mind circles around suicide and why it would be such a good thing for her to do. There were moments, to be honest, when I felt that the thoughts expressed were a bit repetitive and I wished the story would move on – though I can understand that the writer wanted to reflect how a depressed person would focus on the negative and constantly obsess on a point.

Toby Goodman meets her dad who is a well-known drag queen. Not much time is spent on the encounter and subsequent meetings though. At the end of the novel, I wished that more had been written of their interaction. The moment of meeting her dad does help Toby come to certain realisations about herself, and even about her mom. Meeting her dad does put to rest some concerns that Toby had about her mother and her own relationship with her.

Toby is a character that grows in the story. She learns about herself and about what is important to her. She comes to learn more about the people in her lives; and begins to see herself through their eyes. The novel suggests to the reader that in our lives we are part of a group; and that we each have our role within that group. Out role is important and our actions do affect the others around us in a negative or positive way.

Break In Case of Emergency is a novel that celebrates a person who can overcome extreme sadness with the help of those around her. It celebrates that we, as people, can overcome the challenges in our ordinary lives with the love of those in our lives. This contemporary young adult novel will be one of those stories that can help young teens realise that they are not alone; and that they can look to the support of family and friends to help them through difficult times.

[Junie · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's kind of just mediocre. I'm sure other people would enjoy this, but I didn't like the writing style, for two main reasons: dialogue and metaphors. The dialogue often doesn't sound like actual things a person would say, and there's a lot of dialogue in this book. The metaphors are heavy-handed, used too often, and very boring.

I found Toby's dad to be very stereotypical. Now, I can understand that there is overlap between stereotypes and reality and lived experiences, but I can't think of a single reason why he would wear drag to the very serious situation he does near the middle of the book.

I wish there was a note at the start directing readers to the resources at the back of the book. I also wish there were trigger warnings.

The sex bit was weird.

2.5/5

[Girl Well Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

A special thank you to HarperCollins Canada, #HCCFrenzy, and the author, Brian Francis for a finished copy of the book.

Life hasn't always been easy for 15-year-old Toby. Her mother died by suicide five years ago, and her father is not in the picture having abandoned her mother when she was pregnant.

When the book opens, Toby is living on a dairy farm with her grandparents. Struggling to find any light in her world, she’s making plans to follow a similar route as her mother. But her plans are suddenly interrupted when she’s told that her estranged father is returning home. Oh, and that he’s gay, and a famous female impersonator.

This novel broke my heart, and I mean that in the best way possible. Francis tackles some heavy and difficult topics, but deftly handles the responsibility that comes with writing about suicide and depression—he writes with care, compassion, and authenticity.

The characters are well-developed and each provide a different view of Toby. As far as she is concerned, there is just enough pathos without the reader feeling sorry for her, instead they are pulling for her and don't want her to make the same choice as her mother.

With Francis' signature wit, Break in Case of Emergency is a vulnerable story about a non-traditional father and daughter relationship, and a young girl reconciling with herself. I highly recommend!

[Judi Easley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trigger Warnings: Suicide, Abandonment, Homosexuality, Mental Illness
This was no cheery little YA book. I shed more tears with this one than with many of my so called tear jerker romances. Young girl raised by single mother who hears voices,10 year-old discovers her mother dead by her own hand, deadbeat father shows up when she's 15 falling down drunk. And nobody thought she might need counseling for any of this? No wonder she felt like she was at the bottom of a big dark hole and that nobody cared, they'd all be better off without her. But thankfully someone is paying attention and she's found before the pills and beer do their job and Toby gets a second chance to know her father. "Let me be your lighthouse." Recommended

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book for many reasons. I found it extremely moving, so much so that I cried at 3 different points as I read along. While I am a completely different person than the main character I found reading this at this point in time - learning to live with anxiety during the pandemic -made me feel much closer to them than I likely would have last Jan. I highly recommend this book - it is very entertaining, it's a really quick read & it's very impactful. I sincerely hope that any youth that identify with people or events that take place in the story read the entire text - Brian has thoughtfully included helpful resources. Thank you Brian for giving me hope.

[Z · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed by how this book ended up going, as I feel like the basic themes had a lot more promise than the true course of the plot and character dynamics and resolutions.

The mental health aspect was a huge theme that I think Francis explored pretty well throughout the novel, both in the MC and her mother's struggles with continuing with their lives, and it was really interesting to see how the excuses the MC kept making helped her better understand what happened with her mother so many years ago.

I love the idea of a beyond unconventional father being dropped into a familiar place that didn't have a lot of acceptance ready for him. But his character was exceptionally unlikeable. I think the development of the character, the immaturity and baffling extent to which he acted out for the first half of the novel, involved resolving too much in a way that was too easy.

I didn't like any of the other characters very much at all, either. A generalization, but their gaping flaws felt real, but no other part of them really did to me. It felt like they were nothing but their shortcomings, and redeeming qualities were negligible to nonexistent.

Still, I applaud the author for his work to bring a different set of circumstances to his characters and for tackling issues like suicide, acceptance, and small-mindedness.

My thanks to Netgalley and Inkyard Press for the ARC!

[MT Reads! · Rating 2 out of 5]

- not my cup of tea!
- interesting representation & exploration from a teen perspective on family struggles / mental health
- the love interest (??) had me so confused
- some pretty big topics (TW)

[Ric Eberle · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book. As a suicide survivor the descriptions of the feelings that lead to to that dark place are spot on. The book is more than that, it is coming of age, learning and growing, acceptance and love. It has laugh out loud moments and tears streaming down you face moments. I loved this book. "Just call, me, Liza"

[Sahaana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Couldn't put it down. It made me want to cry; it hit me harder than I thought it would.

[Kennedy Wellwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so good. I really liked it! You could connect with the characters and see the development. It also made me cry a couple of times. I think it’ll be a decent hit in my English class!

[Katsmewsings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well done. All high school aged kids should be reading this.