It is really important to know that behind this cute cover is a pretty intense focus on puberty.
Teenagers, like the view presented on the main topic of puberty itself, are given a very secular representation, shown as superficial, rude, etc.). The main character Rex is extremely rude and disrespectful to his mom and the story seems to indicate that this is just a normal part of puberty. At one point he tells his mom she “owes him” bringing up that she is collecting child support. He gets angry and destroys a store display. Slams the door at home. He is later made fun of for having clothes from a thrift store, at which point he cuts up all his clothes and yells at his mom. In a very disappointing moment, his mom in frustration calls him “a monster” to which grandma replies that “he is a teenager” seemingly implying that this is all normal behavior. In another sad moment mom seems to be made a bit of the bad guy when dad says that “You aren’t what upsets her. You’re just the closest target”, again implying that mom just has other stuff going on and all of his disrespectful terrible behavior is just par for the course.
Rex is very negative throughout much of this story. At one point he comments that, “My life is a fart. A wet and stinky fart”.
When we meet one really “cool” kid we are told he skipped school (presented as a ‘cool’ thing to do). This kid has negative behavior throughout. He says he can’t sit “with comic book geeks”. He brags about having 4 girlfriends, saying he treats girls “the way they do in TV and the movies” (referencing specifically ‘the cool guys’). . Eventually this young man gets the main character to smoke through peer pressure.
At one point a group of ‘cool kids’ get the idea that Rex is ‘hooking up’ with his girlfriends friend. This brings a “Congratulations Rex” and he leaves them thinking it is true.
Later the kids are in a sex ed class and after the teacher makes a comment about reproduction a kid laughs and comments, “she said ‘sex’”. A similar talk in PE produces the comment, “my nads are getting huge” to which again there is laughing. One character comments, “you know what they say about shoe size” (an inappropriate reference).
Grandma, held in a very positive, wise and kind light, says that Rex is “a very good boy” and that he “deserves good things”.
The illustrator is a man who is described as living “with his husband”.
A few other items to be aware of:
One drawing shows the main character whispering that he is on the free lunch program at which his friend gets embarrassed.
Comic books are referenced in a positive light (many are very dark today).
The book “The Time Machine” is referenced as is the comic series “Demon Bear Saga”, the show 90210 and the movies Dune and The Breakfast Club. The murder scene in The Lord of the Flies is also referenced.
Dad’s advice to issues at school is to recommend fighting. This is something that Rex ends up doing at which point his friends tell him to fight dirty and to “kick him in the nards”.
Rex calls the PE coach a ‘jerk’ in his head. The terms holy cow, idiot are also used. Someone is said to be a “natural born jerk”.
Mom is working on Christmas at a Chinese restaurant, but she makes the odd comment that, “poor people don’t have the same holidays as rich people”.
Dinner is described as “rat guts and cat brains”
Someone is referred to as “goodness from the gods”.
Someone comments that they, “gotta take a dump”.
A character, reminiscing, says that “we had the hottest girlfriends” in the past.