Quagmire Tiarello Couldn't Be Better

by Mylisa Larsen

Overview

Wry humor and sharp insight capture the distinctive voice of a young teen forced by his mother’s unstable mental health to recalibrate his outlook and build a new life with found family. For fans of Gary D. Schmidt and Rebecca Stead.

A PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BEST BOOK * A KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST BOOK * FIVE STARRED REVIEWS!

Quagmire Tiarello prides himself on not needing anything from anybody. Sure, his mom is skipping work again and showing signs of going into one of her full-out spins, but it’s nothing he can’t handle. He’s used to her up-and-down moods, even if this time it feels a little different.

Then his mom disappears, and Quag must find shelter with an uncle he didn't know he had. Should he come clean about his mother’s mental health challenges? Or can he use his carefully honed skills to bluff long enough to find his mom and get home? Readers will root for Quag as he finds himself rethinking his world and learning to accept help from the people who love him.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780063324688
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	09/17/2024
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	240
File size:	890 KB
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Mylisa Larsen was born in Idaho, has lived in eight states and two countries, and currently resides in Wisconsin. She is the author of several picture books, including How to Put Your Parents to Bed, and the acclaimed middle grade novels Playing Through the Turnaround and Quagmire Tiarello Couldn't Be Better. mylisalarsen.com.

Editorial Reviews

"[An] amazing story told with deep understanding and touched with humor. Buy it, read it, talk about it, and share the love by passing it on." 
— Booklist (starred review)

“Filled with humor and poignant truth-telling.”  — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"[A] gorgeously written story that centers a teen yearning for stability and support." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"The third-person narration showcases Quag’s inherent quirks and singular anxious charm. But the friends here are true ones, giving him grace and showing up when Quag finally admits that his mom needs help—and so does he. Readers will appreciate the occasional bird wisdom as well as the thoughtful and heartbreakingly realistic ways parent-child dynamics are presented without blame or judgment but rather honest considerations of needs." — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)

“Thought-provoking. Moving and quick-paced, this novel gives readers valuable insight into a character who normally avoids attention and thus sympathy too.” — Horn Book (starred review)

“Filled with heart, humor, and exceptional sentence-level writing, Larsen’s tale makes Quagmire Tiarello an easy character to root for.” — School Library Journal

From the Publisher

★ 2024-06-15
Fourteen-year-old Quentin “Quagmire” Tiarello takes care of his mother, who has undiagnosed bipolar disorder.

Sometimes his mom disappears for a couple of days. While he waits for her to return after “a spin,” Quag, who presents white, tries to survive on his own, even if that means scavenging from a pizza parlor’s dumpster. He already knows that her illness must remain secret, so he avoids the nosy neighbor and keeps to himself. But after his crush, Cassie, invites him to join her and her friends at the YMCA’s ArtCamp, Quag signs on to operate the soundboard for their radio play. Eventually, though, his mom shows up outside the Y, and Quag is taken for a wild ride: She whisks him far away from their home in central New York, leaving his friends in the dark. Quag realizes, though, that he can’t keep his mother safe anymore. After seeking help from his uncle, Quag must decide whether or not to open up to his friends. The novel realistically and empathetically addresses struggles around mental illness: Quag takes on heavy adult responsibilities with intelligence and compassion, and, despite his mother’s abandonment of him, readers understand Quag’s love for her as he recounts her more resilient and caring moments. Short passages about birds interspersed throughout the narrative reflect Quag’s personal growth. Readers will find themselves emotionally invested in this journey.

An original narrative voice filled with humor and poignant truth telling. (author’s note with resources)(Fiction. 10-14)

Kirkus Reviews