The Death and Life of Benny Brooks: Sort of a Memoir by Ethan Long (review)

Reviewed by: The Death and Life of Benny Brooks: Sort of a Memoir by Ethan Long Kate Quealy-Gainer, Editor Long, Ethan The Death and Life of Benny Brooks: Sort of a Memoir; written and illus. by Ethan Long. Ottaviano/Little, 2023 [288p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780316333122 $16.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780316333320 $9.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R* Gr. 4-6 It's really no wonder fifth-grader Benny is having trouble sleeping: his mom recently took off and has little interest in seeing Benny or his siblings, his dad is quite literally chain smoking himself to death, his brother is an obnoxious bully, yet no one seems to think any of these things warrant Benny's recent anger issues. So now he's being forced into therapy, where he mostly stays silent, unable to discuss or even access his feelings, though he does get some support from a teacher and understanding friends. When his father is diagnosed with cancer and given just a few months to live, Benny's mom comes back into their lives, but how are they supposed to reform a family when it's so terribly broken? Based on the author's own childhood, this is a tender, vulnerable portrayal of one kid's attempt to shore up his strengths to piece together the shards of a deeply shattered heart, with little help and sometimes actual hinderance from those who are supposed to care for him. The conversational tone and cartoony illustrations belie Benny's list of troubles, but it becomes clear as his narration continues that his straightforward telling is very much a coping mechanism to keep a certain amount of distance from what must be a chaotic mess [End Page 107] of feelings. His voice rings absolutely true, especially when he realizes that other people are in fact struggling with these lousy circumstances and that his siblings and parents are coping in different, and often toxic, ways. Readers not yet ready to tackle Krosoczka's Hey, Kiddo (BCCB 11/18) will appreciate Long's honest exploration of a troubled family that is bound both by love and tragedy. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois