Ever since his dad died, Eddie's mom has been pretty much ignoring him. She spends all her time getting high, and leaves Eddie to take care of himself and the household. When she's arrested and sent to rehab, Eddie goes to live with his aunt, uncle, and cousin in the city. Alex is a little less than thrilled about having to share his room with his cousin Eddie, but he knows that Eddie's had a lot of tough stuff going on in his life, so he'll do his best to make him feel welcome. That's not as easy as it sounds, though. Eddie has to come to terms with his old life while finding his place in his new one, and that's not going to be simple for either of them.
How Ya Like Me Now is an engrossing, interesting book that is short enough to read in one sitting! Halpin's characters are lifelike and very well written (as is the whole book). His story is interesting enough to keep readers turning pages. It's definitely one of the better dysfunctional-parent stories out there, but that's not all it is. Eddie's adjustment to his new environment is just painfully awkward enough to be real, and in the end this is a satisfying story that is well worth reading.
Content: There is drug usage (by Eddie's mother).
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Asheville, NC USA
