The Anti-Book

February 1, 2021
An unexpected source of advice helps a boy fix his life. Mickey hates everything--the pointy cactuses all over his town, school, his sister's bully of a boyfriend, the new woman his dad is marrying, and the new woman his mom is going to marry. One of the only things he doesn't hate is bubble gum, especially the Bubble Gum King brand. When he finds a prize inside, a coupon for something called an Anti-Book for people who are anti-everything, Mickey decides to play along. He discovers that everything he writes into the book disappears, only to come back as the opposite version of itself. Aided by a helpful flyhouse (after he erases a housefly), Mickey has to navigate this terrifying new world to get his old life back--if he wants to, of course. Lively interstitial illustrations show the White tween in both realistic and fantastical settings. This madcap story sympathetically shows why a kid might become an impossible grouch after feeling like his family life is out of control and being targeted for homophobia (despite having a clunkily depicted yet positive support network, including a queer mom whose sexuality isn't positioned as an issue). Short sentences and a fast-moving plot will especially appeal to reluctant readers. A bubble-gum story disguising some real substance. (Fantasy. 8-12)

COPYRIGHT(2021) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from April 1, 2021

Gr 5 Up-"Get lost!" is Mickey's regular response to his parents, older sister Alice, and even his dog Noodle. The 12-year-old's attitude stems from his sister's bullying boyfriend who constantly taunts Mickey, claiming everything he does is "gay," as well as his parent's recent divorce announcement. Mickey's one joy is chewing Bubble Gum King gum, and occasionally using the mail-in coupons for cheap prizes such as the "Anti-Book." When he receives this journal-like book it states only, "To erase it, write it." Mickey quickly scribbles down hundreds of people, places, and things, awakening the next morning to find himself in his created Anti-World, where things are not gone but topsy-turvy. His sister's boyfriend has turned into a car, his big sister is now the size of his thumb, and cacti are attacking him. Is this a dream or a nightmare? And how will Mickey fix it all? This is a contemporary, quirky escape from the adolescent doldrums. From page one, tween readers are ensnared with Mickey's relatable life. Simon's omniscient narrator speaks to readers with equal parts humor, sarcasm, and intrigue. Short, quick-moving chapters, filled with dialogue and action, will keep the interest of its target audience. Mickey's Anti-World is confusing, weird, and defies logic, authentically mimicking a tween mindset while also working as Mickey's emotional catharsis. Simon focuses on Mickey's development as a whole person, of which sexuality is a minor component. Reminiscent of Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Mickey eventually comes to terms with his sexuality and his parents' divorce, ultimately achieving self-confidence. VERDICT Highly recommended for libraries; the strange, fantastical nature of this book is a fresh and welcome remix of the coming-of-age genre.-Mary-Brook J. Townsend, The McGillis Sch., Salt Lake City

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2021
Grades 4-7 Mickey is absolutely sick of everything: his annoying dog, his absent older sister, his divorcing parents, his bully-filled school--everything. The only thing that he still likes is bubblegum, and when his recently purchased pack includes an offer for a mail-order book, he immediately sends away for it. Of course, the prize turns out to be disappointing, like everything else in his life--it's just a notebook of empty pages--but after noticing a brief instruction ("To erase it, write it"), Mickey lists everything that has been bugging him, and whatever he writes disappears from existence. At first this seems like a dream come true, but he soon realizes that his new world may actually be a nightmare. Simon offers wacky, inventive sidekicks and plenty of humor, but it's also weirdly refreshing to adventure with a grumpy protagonist truly wallowing in his misery. On the flip side, it's heartening to watch Mickey grow in self-love and self-awareness and ultimately realize that he has been papering over deeper emotions with surface complaints. A sweetly silly but satisfying concoction.

COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

April 5, 2021
Twelve-year-old Mickey, portrayed as pale and freckled in Scruton’s cartoonish b&w art, is constantly angry—at his 15-year-old sister Alice and her cruel 17-year-old bodybuilder boyfriend, at his divorcing parents and their new partners, at nearly everything. Then, in a pack of bubble gum, he finds a coupon for the Anti-Book, a blank journal with the inscription “to erase it, write it.” Whatever Mickey lists in the book vanishes: his house, school, and family, until he’s transported to the bizarre Anti-World, where he encounters twisted reflections—often opposites—of everything he erased. For one, his big sister is now little: three inches tall. To escape the Anti-World, the siblings must travel through the realms of Bad, Sad, and Mad to confront its ruler, the Bubble Gum King. With this fast-paced, humorous adventure, Simon (also known as Pseudonymous Bosch) explores the complicated interplay of negative emotions as Mickey learns to confront his shifting “states of mind” and cope with the world around him. Uneven writing strengthens once Mickey enters the Anti-World, and a subplot in which Mickey deals with “the word ‘gay’ (as a dis)” opens the door for conversations about identity and tolerance. Ages 8–12. Agent: Sarah Burnes, the Gernert Co.