During Will Betke-Brunswick's sophomore year of college, their beloved mother, Elizabeth, is diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. They only have ten more months together, which Will documents in evocative two-color illustrations. But as we follow Will and their mom through chemo and hospital visits, their time together is buoyed by laughter, jigsaw puzzles, modern art, and vegan BLTs. In a delightful twist, Will portrays their family as penguins, and their friends are cast as a menagerie of birds. In between therapy and bedside chats, they navigate uniquely human challenges, as Will prepares for math exams, comes out as genderqueer, and negotiates familial tension.

A Pros and Cons List for Strong Feelings is an act of loving others and loving oneself, offering a story of coming-of-age, illness, death, and life that announces the arrival of a talented storyteller in Will Betke-Brunswick. At its heart, Will's story is a celebration of a mother-child relationship filled with unconditional devotion, humor, care, and openness.

Author: Will Betke-Brunswick
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Tin House Books
Published: 11/15/2022
Pages: 168
Weight: 0.75lbs
Size: 8.40h x 6.40w x 0.50d
ISBN: 9781953534453


Review Citation(s):
Library Journal 09/01/2022 pg. 149
Kirkus Reviews 11/01/2022
Publishers Weekly 11/07/2022
Booklist 10/28/2022