Something that is important for you to know when considering this book is that it really starts out feeling lighter… deeper, but very approachable for most kids, but then the mother of the family disappears and we feel the weight of this like a freight train for the family and especially the main character Ernie. While this will be an enjoyable overall reading experience for many, for some this will be jarring. This is amplified when we find out that mom has been battling with a life-threatening cancer which has left a deep wound on Ernie. This too may trigger some challenging feelings for certain readers not expected at the start of the book. There are times when the family is seen deeply hurting, at times leading to unkind behavior and words. It gets a bit heavy and certainly emotional at several places. You should make sure your reader is ready to handle all the feels for this one.

There are a handful of other items to be aware of. We will share them here:

When thinking of things that could get him out of a dreaded school presentation he includes “a fire alarm” or “a fight to break out” ending with “is that too much to ask?”.

We read the odd comment: “I wanted for him to turn so I could rub out my butt and newly discovered wedgie”.

In passing we are told about running away that “Kids try to all the time”.

In desperation, Ernie enters a closed store and steals something. He somewhat justifies this to himself. He nearly tells his dad, but again justifies to himself why he shouldn’t. We see something similar when he skips school and sneaks around. The whole thing is meant to feel “understandable” given the circumstances.

Quinn, the loveable secondary character that comes along, is said to wear multiple times (words not shown).