Roskos,
Evan. Dr.
Bird’s Advice for Sad Pets. Houghton Mifflin 2013 310p ISBN 978-0-547-92853-1 hs/adult Hardback E-BN
Realistic fiction
James Whitman, as his name suggests, is
a poet. A confused young man, he is
often depressed and more often full of anxiety about his dysfunctional family,
his relationships at school and his inability to feel good. Whenever he finds himself in the midst of
another bout of depression and/or anxiety, he actually hugs trees, talks to an
imaginary dove-psychiatrist named Dr. Bird, yawps like the misfit that he is, and writes
poetry. Unlike the narrator in Walt
Whitman’s Song of America, James simply cannot find anything to sing
about. His sister Jorie was expelled
from school, and James finds himself on a quest to find out why. His parents have kicked Jorie out of the
house, and James’s role in that catastrophic event reveals itself in the second
half of the book. With the stigma of
emotional and mental difficulties “out of the closet,” different authors have
treated this topic in a plethora of ways.
In this case, author Evan Roskos has presented the reader with a new
twist by having James, realizing that he needs help, hold it together long enough
to get a job to earn enough money to see a psychiatrist. This book is all about relationships, both
negative and positive ones, and about self-help. In a
poignant and memorable way, it addresses a very important issue: depression in teens.
James is not a
forgettable character. Because it addresses the issues of teen sex, “cutting,” and
depression, and its use of some profanity, this book is best for high-school students and
other young adults.
Summary: Depressed and contemplating suicide almost daily, James Whitman
tries to solve the mystery of his sister’s expulsion during her senior year,
attempts to find a place in his dysfunctional home, and builds upon old and new relationships
to heal himself.
Depression-Fiction,
Families-Fiction --Martha
Squaresky
