Review by Booklist Review
Eighth-grader Mo's unstable life is uprooted when his genius mother's fellowship takes her away to help refugees in Greece. Mo and his father, who is grappling with mental illness, move from New York City to Houston to live with Mo's aunt and cousin. Mo wears a tough persona as armor, promoting a bad-boy image. But the more time Mo spends with his studious cousin, loving aunt, the imam at his aunt's mosque, and teachers who take a real interest in him, the more he finds himself letting people in--except his angry, mean monster of a father and his cold, absent mother. Mo weaponizes his bad boy reputation to scare off his cousin's bully. But he also relies on breathing exercises, traditional South Asian folktales, and art to understand and cope with the challenges in his life. Mo's growing understanding of his world is interwoven with his retelling of folktales, offering insight into his feelings and the book's action. Mo's sardonic voice is distinct, realistic, and relatable. Faruqi has crafted nuanced, complex characters that jump off the page. It's refreshing to see even bullies represented in all their humanity yet still held accountable for their actions. This emotionally resonant story is full of depth while staying true to Mo's voice. Thought-provoking and insightful, this novel humanizes mental illness while unflinchingly showing how families and communities are affected.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Thirteen-year-old Mohammed Mirza believes that rather than admitting he's struggling, it's easier to pretend that he doesn't care about anything--neither his unemployed Pakistani American father's untreated paranoid schizophrenia, nor his white-cued scientist mother, who has abandoned the family for work in Greece. Then Abbu and Mo move from New York City to Houston, a change that prompts an extreme perspective shift for Mo. Now cohabitating with Abbu's widowed sister, Naila Phupo, and her son, Rayyan, also 13, Mo feels like he's seeing how "normal people" live for the first time. Because, to Mo, nothing about his life with Abbu is normal. "This is the story of the boy and the monster," Faruqi (the Holidays and Celebrations with Yasmin series) writes in a prologue, immediately setting the stage for this intensely gripping story in which Mo learns more about his father--and himself--and comes to terms with how Abbu's mental illness affects their life and their relationship. Organic details about living with a mentally ill parent, informed by Faruqi's own childhood, as addressed in an author's note, make for a powerful and revealing read. Ages 8--12. (Mar.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 5 Up--Faruqi's latest takes a deep dive into what it's like living with a parent experiencing mental illness. Mo is an eighth grader with a secret: he lives with a monster. The monster, Abbu (dad), is prone to outbursts, criticizes Mo fiercely, hallucinates, and hears voices. His mom is in Greece helping refugee children, leaving Mo alone with the monster. When Mo and the monster go to live with his aunt and cousin, he slowly learns that Abbu has schizophrenia. As Mo adjusts to life in Texas, he deals with school bullies, bonds with his cousin, and navigates the anger and resentment he feels for his parents. With the help of his aunt, his biology teacher, and his growing Muslim faith, Mo starts to think maybe he's been wrong about his dad. When his dad is hospitalized following a really bad episode, Mo is forced to confront whether Abbu is really a monster or just ill. Faruqi draws on her own experiences with her father's mental illness and gives Mo the support she wishes she'd had via his aunt Naila, making this a story that will grip students from the beginning. Faruqi also uses the Middle Eastern folktales that Mo loves sharing to further explain the lessons he's learning. The scenes where readers see Abbu's episodes are written to show how scary they are for Mo without being overwhelming for middle school readers. VERDICT Recommended for its realistic depictions of mental illness, family struggles, and emotional growth, especially where writers like Jasmine Warga and others are popular.--Amanda Viau
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Thirteen-year-old Pakistani American Mohammad and his father move from Queens to Houston to stay with his aunt and cousin while his research scientist mother works in a refugee camp in Greece. Mo's father's paranoid schizophrenia, which causes dramatic mood swings, makes it difficult to hold down a job and live independently, and Mo adopts a tough bad-boy act to protect himself from the pain of abandonment and anger at his parents. His aunt provides much needed warmth, love, and support, and his cousin Rayyan, coping with his own father's tragic death, serves as a friend at his new school. Mo tries to channel his feelings through engrossing himself in South Asian folktales (interspersed throughout the story), boxing, and art. As he discovers truths about his family, he slowly opens himself up to being more accepting of others. Mo's brave front in trying to deal with volatile situations makes him a sympathetic protagonist. Secondary characters provide nuanced perspectives on how people cope with trials in their lives. A raw portrayal of the pain, confusion, and hurt of a memorable young teenager. Sadaf SiddiqueMay/June 2025 p.86 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A 13-year-old boy struggles with the pain, anger, and sadness of living with his father, who struggles with mental illness. Mohammad Mirza and his abbu, Mumtaz, move from Queens to Houston to stay with Naila Phupo, Abbu's widowed sister, and her son, Rayyan--Abbu can't keep a job, and they have nowhere to live. Mo's mother, Becky Eckert, an engineer and UNESCO fellow who's cued white, is away working in a refugee camp in Greece for two years. Abbu, who's Pakistani American, has paranoid schizophrenia; life has been difficult for Mo, with Abbu's raging episodes and his parents' constant arguments. In Texas, Mo grows close to Rayyan, who's also 13, and his devoutly Muslim aunt, who cares for him attentively. Mo loves desi folktales (which are woven into the book), learning, music, and art, but he acts tough to defend his soft interior against more pain. He harbors deep anger toward his father and longs for his mother, whom he connects with on occasional video calls. Eventually Mo must decide: Can he change the narratives he's long held about his life, himself, and Abbu? The story is engrossing, populated with appealing, well-rounded main and supporting characters. The portrayal of serious mental illness and the complex emotions of a child whose parent suffers from it are realistic, eye-opening, and moving. An authentically textured account of a young teen coping with a parent's mental illness. (author's note)(Fiction. 10-13) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
