Opposite of Music

by Janet Ruth Young

Book Overview

"when i am well i will take you" At first Billy's father just seemed distant, as if he had something on his mind. Then he stopped listening to music, saying it hurt his ears. After a while he stopped... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1416958231
• ISBN13: 9781416958239
• Release Date: May 2008
• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.7" x 8.2"
• Age Range: 12 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 7 to 12

Customer Reviews

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

Billy describes how his father just seemed less interested in life at first, but then things deteriorated to the point of severe depression including weight loss, lack of communication, insomnia, and thoughts of suicide. THE OPPOSITE OF MUSIC tells the story of a family dealing with depression. Billy's mother finally decides that her husband needs to seek medical help. Dr. Fritz is nice, but his attempts to help are frustrating. The first medicine he prescribes makes Billy's dad break out in disgusting sores. The next medicine causes paranoia and frightening dreams. After failed attempts to use medicine to treat the depression, Billy, his mother, and his sister become determined to treat the problem themselves. Each researches the therapy they think would be best, and then they work together to cure dad. Some of their treatment involves diet, exercise, light therapy, aromatherapy, etc. Everyone sacrifices their own life to devote time to dad. When it is obvious that their theories are not working and thoughts of suicide surface, it is decided that a new psychiatrist must be consulted. The new doctor recommends electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Research tells Billy the therapy could be effective, but he also reads horrific tales of brain damage and torture. Will this help, or is his father's recovery a hopeless dream? Janet Ruth Young offers an extremely realistic portrayal of depression and its effects on a family. It is definitely a book to recommend to teens living a life like Billy's. They will know that they are not alone. Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"

Memories of a teenage boy

Several times, I had to remember that the author hadn't been a teenage boy herself, because it was such fun to read this book. The nuances of how boys think at that point in their life were so wonderfully captured. Many times, I found there was no was I could try to zip through this book. As I was reading, I'd think "oh, this is so sudden, so delicious", and I'd reread the line, or the paragraph. I found myself savoring the words at times. This was a wonderful journey back to my teen years, and a wonderful journey to my 20's & 30's in Boston, as a few references are cleverly hidden, references that will make the locals smile. Admittedly, at times the father's condition wasn't very comfortable to work with, but then, that was exactly the situation the family found themselves in. A wonderful piece of work, thank you Ms Young.

The Opposite of Music Heralds a Talented New Voice in Fiction

Janet Ruth Young's debut novel, The Opposite of Music is being marketed as a young adult novel because the protagonist is a teenager, but this is a book for all ages. The Morrison family lives on the North Shore of Massachusetts. Besides Mom and Dad, there is Billy and his younger sister Linda. One day their life turns upside down as their Dad succumbs to a severe depression. Alternatively embarrassed and terrified, Billy and his family do everything they can to help their father. As they do so, Billy becomes cut off from his friends, unsure of what to even say to most of them. So while his longtime friends wonder what his problem is, Billy finds that the only person outside his family that he can turn to is Gordy, relatively new in town, who recently lost his mother. Here is a book that explores a family dynamic as well as friendship in times of trouble. Each of the characters in Young's novel is vividly drawn. Family members will seem as familiar as your own as the pop off the page and come to life. Even the supporting characters, like Dad's co-worker June, a well-meaning friend who tries unsuccessfully to help share the family's burden, and Uncle Marty, Dad's brother who's been down-on-his-luck of late, but offers his brother what help he can, are beautifully realized. There's a lot of valuable information here as well, for anyone who has a family member or friend who suffers from depression, and Billy travels a winding and surprisingly realistic arc that Young explores despite the difficult subject. This one comes highly recommended.