by Chris Baron
First sentence: “All my plans for the summer are ruined.”
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Content: There is bullying, and an inference of sexual assault, as well as descriptions of anxiety. I read this book for the Cybils, and this is a reflection of my opinion and not that of the whole panel.

Sasha has a problem with anxiety. He gets what he calls “the gray” and disassociates. In one of these moments, when he was being bullied, he hit an ex-friend with a book and injured him. As a result, his parents decide to send him to stay with his Aunt Ruthie in the country. He doesn’t want to – there will be no friends, no video games, no Wi-Fi, and hardly any cell service. He figures that it won’t do him any good. But, once he gets there, he finds that there are friends and bullies, just like back home. There is his connection with Aunt Ruthie, who is still grieving over the death of her husband. While his anxiety isn’t cured, Sasha finds a way to handle his anxiety, and that maybe the country isn’t terrible.

I liked this book well enough. I liked the way Baron described someone having a panic attack, and the way anxiety was portrayed. I didn’t care for the bullies, though I thought Sasha did his best to handle them. I liked that nature was a healing place. But I didn’t love it. There was nothing in particular, it just wasn’t my cup of tea. Not a bad portrayal of anxiety, and I’m sure it will help kids recognize and be able to deal with it.