Alex, by Proxy was a roller coaster. Listening to this by audiobook was obsessive and rage inducing. I finished it in way sooner than I thought as well! Keep reading this book review of Alex, by Proxy for my full thoughts.
Summary
Welcome to sixteen-year-old Alex’s life, ripped straight from the headlines.
Alex is a victim of Munchausen by proxy, but he’s also a witty, sarcastic kid with unusually good crossword skills and a penchant for astronomy. At least he used to be. Now that he’s recovered from years of illness induced by his mother, he sort of has to figure out who he is all over again… And most importantly, he’ll have to decide if he can testify against the woman who gave birth to him.
As Alex awaits the trial, his friends convince him to start a podcast as a way to tell his story. Together, they create “Lethal Lullaby.” The podcast brings Alex closer to his old life—hanging out with friends, cracking jokes, having fun… At the same time, new memories surface and disturbing revelations come out, forcing Alex to acknowledge that the podcast could be making things worse. It seems like he’s got deeper issues than he’d like to admit–and this time, he can’t blame them on his mom.
Day by day, Alex’s mental health crumbles, until he can no longer distinguish between truth and fiction. Should he trust himself to testify? And if he gets up there, what version of the truth will he share?
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Alex, by Proxy was a difficult read in some ways. Your heart breaks for Alex. It’s this experience of gaslighting as he has to constantly prove he’s telling the truth. Alex is such a caring person, motivated by his love for his brother so he doesn’t experience the same. I loved the relationships with Alex and his family. His brother is one of my favorite side characters in Alex, by Proxy. The audiobook and narration from Eddie Lopez makes your heart break even more. You can feel his pain, his twisting feelings of guilt, and wanting to be heard. We obviously side with Alex because we’re reading through his narration.
But we can also see Ella’s POV especially as Alex, by Proxy features both of their podcasts. We see what happens when someone thinks they’re doing the right thing. When someone is so convinced they know what is happening. Alex, by Proxy was sometimes difficult to listen to as we can feel Alex unraveling under the stress and having to prove himself. He’s tried in the court of public opinion and social media is brutal. Alex, by Proxy is intensely emotional. The themes of friendship were fabulous as Alex, by Proxy explores friends who support us even in the hardest of times. When we don’t even always trust ourselves. Friends who want to see the best in us.
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Reading Alex, by Proxy was a whirlwind, but one I was captivated by while listening. Find Alex, by Proxy on Goodreads, Storygraph, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.