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Review: Quagmire Tiarello Couldn't Be Better

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Quagmire Tiarello Couldn't Be Better
By Mylisa Larsen
New York: Clarion Books, 2024. Fiction. 234 pages.

Quag, as his friends call him, is looking forward to summer break. He can't wait to sleep in, relax and figure out when the pizza restaurant next door throws away their extra pizzas. His summer plans are pretty loose, and he is looking forward to an uneventful summer. The first day of summer vacation, while talking to his mom, he realizes she isn't well. She is going into one of her spins again.  He tells himself everything will be okay, and he has dealt with this before, but this time her symptoms seem worse. The summer is not starting out well.  When a girl that Quag likes, Cassie, asks him to join a summer radio camp with her and some friends he agrees, even though he knows this isn't his thing. Again, he tells himself that everything will work out, and things will be okay. But his summer is quickly spiraling out of control, as Quag's life takes a sharp turn and is no longer going in the direction he thought. 

This book does such a great job at showing the reader how a child feels and reacts when they have a parent who struggles with mental health. The author tells the story with a lot of heart, and adds just enough humor to keep things light. An important book that can open up some great discussion about mental health. I would recommend this book for upper middle grade readers who like realistic stories about families who are dealing with difficult things. 

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