Gantos speaks in the voice of Joey himself; so well written and so believable that I wondered if Gantos himself had adhd--Joey has some knowledge of what he is doing but he is compelled and cannot stop himself. His feet move, he can feel his meds wearing off, he does not want to get in trouble but his brain, his ability to think logically and make good decisions, is different than ours and he makes some spectacularly bad decisions, occasionally hurting himself and other people. Joey is getting worse; he has trouble every day at school; the other kids think he is weird, are afraid of him, bully him, etc. Both Joey and his mother resist his placement in the "special school" downtown, but his options are running out, and everything is NOT okay. His family life is far from perfect; family members have the same disorder, plus alcoholism, abandonment, poverty, neglect, abuse-- but the characters are so complex and nuanced... just as in real life, they are not black and white, but imperfect. And...most amazing of all, the book is funny! We genuinely like Joey and his family and are sympathetic. I loved this book but i wonder if a 4th or 5th grader will get the sublety , especially without adult guidance. I would put it at 5th grade at least. Powerful and funny and moving. and real. i will always pause before i get mad at another kid who is "just not listening."
Review by bplma (LibraryThing) 
