The Boy with the Butterfly Mind

In this family drama, Williamson (The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle) alternates between two 12-year-old protagonists in Glasgow who share a desperate wish to mend their broken families. Elin wants to be perfect, hoping that her father will realize how much he misses her and move back in. Underneath her smooth facade, though, she seethes with anger toward most everyone in her life: her mother’s boyfriend, Paul; her new stepsister; and Jamie, Paul’s “monster” son. Jamie just wants people, and especially Elin, to like him, but he has ADHD and sometimes acts in erratic and occasionally explosive ways. Elin and Jamie’s increasingly destructive behavior ramps up the story’s tension and suspense, while their misguided beliefs that they can “fix” their parents’ relationships will likely resonate with some readers. Unfortunately, Elin’s spite grows tiresome, and her moment of reckoning and sudden enlightenment, while welcome, lead to an implausible happily-ever-after ending. Without a strong focus on endearingly earnest Jamie and his “butterfly mind,” Williamson’s relevant themes of forgiveness, empathy, and acceptance have a lesser impact. Ages 11–13. [em](Nov.) [/em]