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roseleaf24's review against another edition
4.0
This is definitely my favorite Jack Gantos book. He falls into the category of authors I'm glad write, but whose books are not for me. His books make me anxious, but this one was mild for most of it, until his father goes off the rails. So great in helping to understand how other's brains work.
breakfastgrey's review against another edition
5.0
Totally dug this one. It hit pretty close to home and watching the dissolution of Joey's relationship with his father and his mental state was as compelling as it was tragic. (student book club)
libcolleen's review against another edition
4.0
Very real family, with well developed characters, and a good understanding of ADHD. I like it better than the other Pigza books because his mother, despite her faults, can be relied upon, so it isn't as depressing.
captkaty's review
4.0
This is one of those great books that is funny and engaging enough to give a reluctant reader that also has some really good meat on its bones. Joey Pigza (who is on meds for a raging case of ADHD) is raised by his single mom. His dad, who walked out when he was a baby and self-medicates his own undiagnosed case of ADHD with alcohol, has recently dried out and wants to spend time with his son. Joey can't wait to get to know his father, but the reality doesn't live up to his expectations. A lot of really heavy things happen in this book -- Joey's dad forces him to go off his meds, gets drunk all the time, is pretty abusive to Joey's grandmother and the kids on the baseball team he coaches -- and yet it's pretty funny. I thought it was a heavier book than the first one, in a good way.
bsmorris's review
3.0
Jack Gantos does a great job of showing what it's like to live with ADHD. Joey Pigza is an engaging character who tackles some real problems in his life, but Gantos manages to show both the humor and the poignancy of Joey's problems.
jcpdiesel21's review against another edition
3.0
A little bit of Joey and his world goes a long way. Like in the previous book, I greatly appreciated getting the story from Joey's perspective; it was heartbreaking to see his life fall to pieces after his dad got in the way of him taking medicine to help regulate his ADHD. While bringing Joey's dad into the picture helped illuminate the bigger picture, he was an incredibly frustrating character and a bad influence. The book also ends rather abruptly shortly after a climactic event, allowing for little in the way of closure. Not sure I'll be back for more from this series.
jcarsrud's review against another edition
4.0
Fast reading sequel that gives an interesting perspective into the mind of a child with ADHD.
federo999's review against another edition
3.0
I read this years ago, but I still remember it as a funny book. I liked how it was written. I think parents should read this book as well to get a sense of what kids think about things.