Book Review – JOEY PIGZA LOSES CONTROL
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Gantos, Jack. 2000. JOEY PIGZA LOSES CONTROL. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 0-374-39989-1
2. PLOT SUMMARY
As the story begins, Joey Pigza’s mom is driving him toward Pittsburgh to live with his father (Carter) and grandmother for six weeks. Nervously, mom leaves the boy in his care. Soon, they are on their way to Storybook Land to do some bonding, but Joey quickly realizes that his dad is an older version of his old self. Not who he is now, but who he was before he received help from his special education teachers and got some medication that allowed him to focus and calm down. Carter is immature, has some OCD tendencies, is possibly alcoholic, and talks incessantly, never allowing Joey to engage him in a real conversation. Dad also likes to refuse his treatments to help him stop smoking, stating that the cure sometimes is worse than the disease. He pulls Joey into a baseball league that he is coaching to avoid jail time following a run-in with the law. Fortunately, Joey is a natural when it comes to pitching, and the team starts to win. Back at home, Carter decides that Joey needs to be free of his medications and flushes them down the toilet. On a solo trip downtown, the young boy starts to feel the effects of not having his meds, but lies to his mom about it. Carter then starts floating the idea of Joey living with him and his new girlfriend, Leezy. All the while, Joey’s symptoms keep creeping back and he starts to feel more wired and out of control (rubbing his head until it bleeds). After a scary night out with dad, the championship baseball game finally arrives. The pressure is too much for young Joey, who runs off the field after a series of wild pitches. He flees to the mall, calls mom, and hides out till she arrives. Joey has a new understanding of his mom, his dad, and most importantly, himself.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Joey Pigza Loses Control is a potent contemporary fiction book, covering topics that are unusual for books aimed at this age group. Joey definitely grows during the course of the story, learning some tough lessons from dealing with his dysfunctional father and grandmother. The internal and spoken dialogue ring true, and a lot of kids these days, unfortunately, probably easily relate to his struggles dealing with a broken home, ADHD, alcohol abuse, and manipulation. Readers will easily picture the familiar settings of the mall, the baseball field, and downtown. The plot rings true, and does not have obvious moralizing. The reader sees the results of making poor decisions such as the grandmother’s need for constant oxygen due to years of smoking. As the story develops, the reader will probably notice that Joey, of all people, is actually the more responsible one, trying to help his dad and encouraging him to seek real help like he did. With Carter’s prompting, he does things that he knows are wrong, and ultimately, it all ends badly. Joey desperately wants to please his father, and to have a whole family. Unfortunately, like in real life, this is not always possible. It’s sad to think that there are parents out there like this, but it’s important for the kids to know that they are not alone and it’s not their fault.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Reviewed in PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY: “Like its predecessor, this high-voltage, honest novel mixes humor, pain, fear and courage with deceptive ease. Struggling to please everyone even as he sees himself hurtling toward disaster, Joey emerges as a sympathetic hero, and his heart of gold never loses its shine.”
Reviewed in BOOKLIST: “Gantos has given Joey a remarkably vivid personality, and, blending irrepressible humor with a powerful depiction of a child's longing for normalcy, he has written a dead-on portrayal of a young person assessing the often self-serving behavior of the adults who control his life. Few children these days don't know someone wrestling with ADHD; meeting up with Joey is a fine way to gain insight into the problems "hyper" children face. But the story is more than message. Gantos’ skillful pacing, sly humor, and in-depth characterization make it a truly memorable read.”
Newbery Honor Book
5. CONNECTIONS
More JOEY PIGZA books by Jack Gantos:
Gantos, Jack. JOEY PIGZA SWALLOWED THE KEY. ISBN 978-0312623555
Gantos, Jack. WHAT WOULD JOEY PIGZA DO? ISBN 978-0312661021
The JOEY PIGZA LOSES CONTROL page is HERE. It features the awards and recommendations the book received, a summary, and a biography of the author.
This is a good story to lead into a discussion about facing and resolving conflicts.
will this help me on a quiz?
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