The Science of Being Angry

March 15, 2022
An angry girl learns to cope. Nobody understands why 11-year-old Joey does the things she does. Not even Joey. She throws things, kicks, hits, yells, and calls other kids names. When the novel opens, she gets her family--her two moms, her identical twin brothers (she's the fraternal triplet), and her nonbiological mom's older son, Benny--evicted from their apartment after she punches a security guard. A class project on genetics, framed as nature vs. nurture, gives Joey the idea of tracking down her sperm donor to find out if he also has anger management issues. Melleby gets readers inside Joey's head, making them empathize with a frustrating, unlikable, and regularly violent main character, an impressive feat. Some parts of the novel don't quite hang together, like an early reference to Joey's moms being "ridiculously strict about certain gender-related things, like girls wearing shirts outside," even though one mom hates dresses and both support her playing hockey on an otherwise all-boys team. Some hints are dropped about the triplets' donor's identity that never get resolved, and the genetics assignment is a convenient but shakily executed plot device. Regardless, this is powerfully crafted with a satisfying conclusion, and it tackles uncommon but critical themes with nuance and complexity. Main characters are White. A strong novel about strong feelings. (Fiction. 9-14)

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March 28, 2022
Impulsive Joey often feels uncontrollably angry, a sensation whose intensity confuses her and causes her to react “with her fists,” straining relationships. Her family is kicked out of their apartment after Joey punches a security guard, and the 12-year-old feels isolated at school after pushing her best friend and crush, Layla. Carried by their Mama after IVF, fraternal triplet Joey and her identical brothers are not genetically related to their Mom; when her science class explores nature versus nurture during a genetics unit, Joey becomes anxious that Mom could possibly “fall out of love” with her, and curious about a possible genetic link to her rage. As part of a group assignment, Joey secretly researches her mothers’ sperm donor to find out if her anger might have biological roots. Though some details are passed over (Joey appears to have sensory sensitivities, but a possible relationship to her emotional dysregulation is never investigated), Melleby (How to Become a Planet) persuasively, sensitively depicts Joey’s internal turmoil and the effects of the overwhelming emotions on her relationships, in an affecting story of a girl struggling to untangle her place in her family. All characters are portrayed as white. Ages 9–12. Agent: Jim McCarthy, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret.

Starred review from May 1, 2022

Gr 4-8-What do you do when you're angry all the time, and you don't know why? Eleven-year-old Joey Sennet-Cooper doesn't know anyone who gets mad like she does. Not her moms, even though they can be stubborn and stern; not her brothers, even when they get frustrated with Joey's outbursts; and not her best friend Layla, who Joey ghosted after realizing she might have more than just friendship feelings for her. When Joey gets angry, she can't control her words or actions and people around her get hurt, physically and emotionally. A school science project on nature versus nurture makes Joey wonder about tracking down her sperm donor for potential genetic causes to her anger, but the investigation spawns even more problems for brown-haired, light-skinned Joey and her family. How will Joey find the answers she needs before she pushes away the people she loves most? While her actions are often deeply frustrating, Joey has scrappy determination, and readers can't help but be charmed by her and her lovable and well-developed cast of family and friends. Joey's inner thoughts and desperation to better understand her impulses builds empathy for those grappling with similar struggles. VERDICT A strong recommendation for readers who enjoy contemplative, character-driven stories like those by Ashley Herring Blake.-Darla Salva Cruz

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2022
Joey, eleven, is one of a set of triplets in a blended family with two moms, and she's hardly ever thought about the sperm donor whose genes she has inherited. But her own difficulty with anger management has gotten worse lately, to the point that her behavior gets her family evicted from their apartment. They're all crammed into a motel room, except her beloved older half-brother, who disappoints the others by moving in with his dad. As the situation boils over, Joey wonders, with some inspiration from a school genetics project, if her impulses might be inherited from her biological father and seeks out information on him. Further complicating things is her crush on the female classmate (a longtime friend) who is helping with her DNA research and Joey's insecurity-fueled ineptitude at handling the friendship. Melleby (How to Become a Planet, rev. 7/21) excels at exploring aspects of queer life within a layered story. Joey's family situation is believably bumpy, for reasons both related and unrelated to its configuration (her mothers disagree about how to manage Joey's outbursts; Joey worries, unfoundedly, that her nonbiological mom could give up on her). An affecting portrayal of a preteen who has even more to figure out than most about why she is the way she is; how to handle herself; and where she fits in the world. Shoshana Flax

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from May 15, 2022
Grades 4-8 *Starred Review* Joey is the odd triplet out--literally, as the fraternal sibling to her two identical brothers, but also as the ticking time bomb of the family. She's often gripped by an uncontrollable rage that she can only release by acting out, which usually manifests as hitting, pushing, or yelling. But these actions only provide a temporary reprieve, and her temper has cost her friends and is beginning to hurt her family. That's when a school project on genetics and genealogy gives her an idea. Joey loves her family, but their makeup is complicated. The triplets have two moms, who conceived them via IVF, so half of the siblings' DNA is from an anonymous sperm donor. Joey latches onto the hope that her anger issues may have been inherited from the donor, and if she can find him, maybe he can tell her how to fix herself. Melleby digs into the complex emotions Joey feels while also showing--without casting blame--how her actions hurt those around her. Her moms come across as loving, distinct individuals who are at a loss as to how to help Joey but are unwilling to give up on her. Nature versus nurture is a strong theme throughout, as Joey investigates her donor and her confusing, messy feelings. This emotional read shows the power of friendship and family without omitting the work that goes into loving someone.

COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 1, 2022
Joey, eleven, is one of a set of triplets in a blended family with two moms, and she's hardly ever thought about the sperm donor whose genes she has inherited. But her own difficulty with anger management has gotten worse lately, to the point that her behavior gets her family evicted from their apartment. They're all crammed into a motel room, except her beloved older half-brother, who disappoints the others by moving in with his dad. As the situation boils over, Joey wonders, with some inspiration from a school genetics project, if her impulses might be inherited from her biological father and seeks out information on him. Further complicating things is her crush on the female classmate (a longtime friend) who is helping with her DNA research and Joey's insecurity-fueled ineptitude at handling the friendship. Melleby (How to Become a Planet, rev. 7/21) excels at exploring aspects of queer life within a layered story. Joey's family situation is believably bumpy, for reasons both related and unrelated to its configuration (her mothers disagree about how to manage Joey's outbursts; Joey worries, unfoundedly, that her nonbiological mom could give up on her). An affecting portrayal of a preteen who has even more to figure out than most about why she is the way she is; how to handle herself; and where she fits in the world.

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)