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The Opposite of Music
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 eating and sleeping. And after that he just stopped. Stopped being Billy's father and his friend and became someone else. Someone who was depressed and withdrawn and wouldn't respond to treatments.
Determined to help their father, Billy and his family devise a series of unconventional therapies for him. But the strain of looking after Dad begins to wear on them all. Billy stops writing songs and starts avoiding his friends. His sister wants to suicide-proof the house. And his mother worries about losing her job because she takes so much time off. Taking care of Dad is starting to sap the strength they need to keep him alive.
The Opposite of Music is a powerful and realistic debut novel about the lengths a family will go to in order to save one of their own, and the strength it takes to learn how to ask for help.
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 eating and sleeping. And after that he just stopped. Stopped being Billy's father and his friend and became someone else. Someone who was depressed and withdrawn and wouldn't respond to treatments.
Determined to help their father, Billy and his family devise a series of unconventional therapies for him. But the strain of looking after Dad begins to wear on them all. Billy stops writing songs and starts avoiding his friends. His sister wants to suicide-proof the house. And his mother worries about losing her job because she takes so much time off. Taking care of Dad is starting to sap the strength they need to keep him alive.
The Opposite of Music is a powerful and realistic debut novel about the lengths a family will go to in order to save one of their own, and the strength it takes to learn how to ask for help.
352 pages, Paperback
First published February 27, 2007
7 people are currently reading
190 people want to read
About the author
Janet Ruth Young
6 books36 followersJanet Ruth Young graduated from Salem State College and from the creative writing program at Boston University. She was a co-editor of the literary magazine stet and a founder of Writers' Circle, the writing workshop at the Cambridge Women's Center. Janet has published three novels with Atheneum Books for Young Readers, a division of Simon & Schuster.
The Opposite of Music (2007), about a teen boy who attempts to save his father from a life-threatening depression, won the PEN New England Discovery Award and was a Book Sense Pick, a Borders Original Voices selection, and an American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults nominee.
Things I Shouldn't Think (paperback edition 2012), about a babysitter who has thoughts of harming the child she cares for, was nominated for a CYBIL and received a starred review in Publishers Weekly. The hardcover was published in 2011 under the title The Babysitter Murders.
My Beautiful Failure (2012) tells the story of a teenage boy who volunteers at a suicide hotline and falls in love with a troubled caller.
An advocate for people with depression and OCD, as well as their families, Janet has given talks and interviews to the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, the local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the podcast series Living with OCD, The Jordan Rich Show, The Writer's Block with John Ronan,the Massachusetts Library Association, the Marblehead Festival of the Arts, and many schools, book groups, bookstores, and libraries. She has published an article in the quarterly of the International OCD Foundation, and her books are widely used for bibliotherapy.
For more information, see janetruthyoung.com.
The Opposite of Music (2007), about a teen boy who attempts to save his father from a life-threatening depression, won the PEN New England Discovery Award and was a Book Sense Pick, a Borders Original Voices selection, and an American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults nominee.
Things I Shouldn't Think (paperback edition 2012), about a babysitter who has thoughts of harming the child she cares for, was nominated for a CYBIL and received a starred review in Publishers Weekly. The hardcover was published in 2011 under the title The Babysitter Murders.
My Beautiful Failure (2012) tells the story of a teenage boy who volunteers at a suicide hotline and falls in love with a troubled caller.
An advocate for people with depression and OCD, as well as their families, Janet has given talks and interviews to the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, the local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the podcast series Living with OCD, The Jordan Rich Show, The Writer's Block with John Ronan,the Massachusetts Library Association, the Marblehead Festival of the Arts, and many schools, book groups, bookstores, and libraries. She has published an article in the quarterly of the International OCD Foundation, and her books are widely used for bibliotherapy.
For more information, see janetruthyoung.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
January 28, 2018
Downgraded from 4 to 2 stars after retreading.
Sadness. Sleepless. Irritability. Loss of appetite. Hopelessness. Nightmares. After discounting medication and the advice doctors, Billy's mom is trying to cure his father's clinical depression with the help of Billy and his annoying little sister. But his dad keeps getting worse. The deeper Bill Sr disappears into depression, the more each member of the family also disappears. Billy knows what they're doing isn't working. Something has to give.
Janet Ruth Young is an important voice in YA fiction, because she writes gritty, realistic stories about the impact of mental illness on families. Teens (and adults) hear words like "depression", but often only understand the definitions on a pop-culture level, much different than understanding the disorder as it impacts people. Billy is a complex, flawed fifteen year old narrator, bright, loving, eager to help his family. He actually has better ideas than his mother. I wanted to shake his mother for defying the doctors' recommendations, and for parentifying her children by making them responsible for their father's care. I'm a child psychologist and I've seen this situation in real families, and Young nailed it. After reading Young's insightful and touching THINGS I SHOULDN'T THINK, I had high expectations for THE OPPOSITE OF MUSIC (TOOM). I thought TOOM dragged a lot in illustrating the repetitiveness of depression, and the pamphlet inclusions might have been better used as appendices, as they brought the pace of the story to a near halt. I normally read books in a day or two, no matter the length. This took me 5.
In terms of recommendations, I'd steer readers who are interested in learning about mental illness in families and clinical depression more than readers who are want to read an easy, uplifting novel. Depression is as much a character in TOOM as Billy or any of his family members. I'd recommend the novel to kids and adults who are depressed or have depressed family members. Even though individual experiences differ, the difficulty of depression is universal.
Sadness. Sleepless. Irritability. Loss of appetite. Hopelessness. Nightmares. After discounting medication and the advice doctors, Billy's mom is trying to cure his father's clinical depression with the help of Billy and his annoying little sister. But his dad keeps getting worse. The deeper Bill Sr disappears into depression, the more each member of the family also disappears. Billy knows what they're doing isn't working. Something has to give.
Janet Ruth Young is an important voice in YA fiction, because she writes gritty, realistic stories about the impact of mental illness on families. Teens (and adults) hear words like "depression", but often only understand the definitions on a pop-culture level, much different than understanding the disorder as it impacts people. Billy is a complex, flawed fifteen year old narrator, bright, loving, eager to help his family. He actually has better ideas than his mother. I wanted to shake his mother for defying the doctors' recommendations, and for parentifying her children by making them responsible for their father's care. I'm a child psychologist and I've seen this situation in real families, and Young nailed it. After reading Young's insightful and touching THINGS I SHOULDN'T THINK, I had high expectations for THE OPPOSITE OF MUSIC (TOOM). I thought TOOM dragged a lot in illustrating the repetitiveness of depression, and the pamphlet inclusions might have been better used as appendices, as they brought the pace of the story to a near halt. I normally read books in a day or two, no matter the length. This took me 5.
In terms of recommendations, I'd steer readers who are interested in learning about mental illness in families and clinical depression more than readers who are want to read an easy, uplifting novel. Depression is as much a character in TOOM as Billy or any of his family members. I'd recommend the novel to kids and adults who are depressed or have depressed family members. Even though individual experiences differ, the difficulty of depression is universal.
May 3, 2018
This is totally different from other books that deal with depression
When the father of a happy family becomes depressed, what will the rest of the family do?
With little or no knowledge about the disease, They have to work hand in hand to help him
The story is told by Billy (jnr) the first child in the family.
The issue i had with the book was that i got lost most times and it wasn't really engaging.
May 11, 2008
Reviewed by Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com
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.
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.
February 19, 2008
This should have been good. But the author, a woman, writes from the first person point of view of a teenage boy, and fails to convince me that she understands boys at all. The family irritates me. The father, who is clinically and severely depressed, needs more care than usual, and the family all pitches in to help out. Along the way, I was mad at Mom, annoyed at Linda, and I wanted to smack Billy. Only Dad didn't drive me nuts, but he was almost a non-entity in this book. His character is merely a foil for the lives of all the other characters. Okay read, and I suppose it's an interesting peek into what it's like to live with someone who is mentally ill (although it's NOTHING like my experience of living with a mentally ill person), but I wouldn't put it at the top of my list of anything.
March 24, 2019
I'm just going to say that I don't feel like I can give this one of my usual reviews. It was a different sort of book.
Four stars
Prose:
Written in a different style than most novels, with a non-traditional chapter breaks (can you even call them chapters?) but still enjoyable.
Characters:
I was a little confused about some aspects of the characterization. I can't say too much, because of spoilers, but I think it had to do with the non-traditional prose. Still enjoyable, and I didn't hate any of it.
Plot:
Not the type of book I usually read, but the plot was fairly well-done and I did like how the story portrayed a realistic version of depression.
Overall:
Occasionally I find that I want to read a book set in today's world, instead of my usual historical fiction or fantasy. Usually, I find them intriguing and good for the occasional read. This one was good, but it left me feeling like something was missing. Overall though, fairly well done. I also liked the ending. That was good.
Content:
The book covers a multitude of hard topics. Depression is the main focus. There are also mentions of his uncle's different girlfriends. Definitely a teen read.
Note: I read this sometime over vacation- don't remember wich day.
Four stars
Prose:
Written in a different style than most novels, with a non-traditional chapter breaks (can you even call them chapters?) but still enjoyable.
Characters:
I was a little confused about some aspects of the characterization. I can't say too much, because of spoilers, but I think it had to do with the non-traditional prose. Still enjoyable, and I didn't hate any of it.
Plot:
Not the type of book I usually read, but the plot was fairly well-done and I did like how the story portrayed a realistic version of depression.
Overall:
Occasionally I find that I want to read a book set in today's world, instead of my usual historical fiction or fantasy. Usually, I find them intriguing and good for the occasional read. This one was good, but it left me feeling like something was missing. Overall though, fairly well done. I also liked the ending. That was good.
Content:
The book covers a multitude of hard topics. Depression is the main focus. There are also mentions of his uncle's different girlfriends. Definitely a teen read.
Note: I read this sometime over vacation- don't remember wich day.
August 16, 2018
When I began this read I wondered why I chose this book. I was confused but no more confused than the characters in the novel. However, as I read more I became caught up in the problems of the family that was trying to cope with the changing behavior of the father. They, too, were confused. He didn't want to go to work. He wouldn't eat. He couldn't sleep. They sought medical help but the medications didn't help either so they turned to the internet seeking other solutions. When these didn't help the family found returned to their doctor. Their lives were dedicated to to watching and caring for a father who seemed lost. Someone had to be with the father always. They had no lives of their own. Would anything help? Read the novel for your self to discover the answer.
March 18, 2012
The Opposite of Music
Janet Ruth Young
2007
Young Adult
Billy talks abotu how his father seems less interested in life at first, but then things come down to the point of bad depression including weight loss, lack of communication, loss of sleep,and suicidal thoughts. This book tells the story of a family dealing with depression. Billy's mom finally decides that her husband needs help. Dr. Fritz’s attempts to help are frustrating. The first medicine he prescribes makes Billy's dad break out in gross sores. The next medicine causes paranoia and really bad dreams. After failed tries to use medicine to treat the depression, Billy, his mother, and his sister wanted to fix 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, 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 come up, it is decided that a new psychiatrist must be contacted. The new doctor recommends electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Research tells Billy the therapy could be effective, but he also reads horrific tales of brain damage. His father may not recover.
I think the theme of this book is “Never give up.” Billy and his family go through a lot with their dad and they never give up. His dad never gives up on trying to get better. He knows there’s something wrong with him and he tries to fix it. The whole family pitches in to try to cure dad.
“Then a funny thing happens to Mom’s face. She begins to smile, and the smile grows, exceeding what you would consider normal limits and turning into a half circle. It grows until it seems like it’s taking up two-thirds of her face. Her cheeks turn into Ping-Pong balls, while her eyes get smaller and smaller. Then her eyes completely disappear.” This can be found on page 343. It shows that the author is very descriptive and that she wrote from a teenage boy’s point of view and did a very good job in doing so.
I chose this book because i thought it would be about music, and it wasn’t. It was about a family trying to overcome their Dad’s depression. I can relate to this book because I have a friend who’s Dad is going through depression and he has some troubles sometimes, but I am always there for him. I liked how this family in this book is so strong and they won’t give up until their dad is better.
Janet Ruth Young
2007
Young Adult
Billy talks abotu how his father seems less interested in life at first, but then things come down to the point of bad depression including weight loss, lack of communication, loss of sleep,and suicidal thoughts. This book tells the story of a family dealing with depression. Billy's mom finally decides that her husband needs help. Dr. Fritz’s attempts to help are frustrating. The first medicine he prescribes makes Billy's dad break out in gross sores. The next medicine causes paranoia and really bad dreams. After failed tries to use medicine to treat the depression, Billy, his mother, and his sister wanted to fix 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, 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 come up, it is decided that a new psychiatrist must be contacted. The new doctor recommends electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Research tells Billy the therapy could be effective, but he also reads horrific tales of brain damage. His father may not recover.
I think the theme of this book is “Never give up.” Billy and his family go through a lot with their dad and they never give up. His dad never gives up on trying to get better. He knows there’s something wrong with him and he tries to fix it. The whole family pitches in to try to cure dad.
“Then a funny thing happens to Mom’s face. She begins to smile, and the smile grows, exceeding what you would consider normal limits and turning into a half circle. It grows until it seems like it’s taking up two-thirds of her face. Her cheeks turn into Ping-Pong balls, while her eyes get smaller and smaller. Then her eyes completely disappear.” This can be found on page 343. It shows that the author is very descriptive and that she wrote from a teenage boy’s point of view and did a very good job in doing so.
I chose this book because i thought it would be about music, and it wasn’t. It was about a family trying to overcome their Dad’s depression. I can relate to this book because I have a friend who’s Dad is going through depression and he has some troubles sometimes, but I am always there for him. I liked how this family in this book is so strong and they won’t give up until their dad is better.
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June 12, 2015I have no idea how to rate this book. On one hand it was empowering and had an absolutely beautiful and compelling writing style and on the other hand I was totally uncomfortable with how the father was portrayed. I read it really fast- it’s pretty easy to get into, but I had really mixed feelings. So.
Lets start with the good stuff. This book was trying to write about mental health in an honest way. It talked about how the father was still a person, and discussed different kinds of therapies in a fairly honest way. The author had obviously done her research. The writing is beautiful phrases like ‘the opposite of music” (you guessed it) pop up al over the place, and I feel like the protagonist, Billy was an interesting perspective to read about. I liked how he thought, and that he loved his father so much. The family was definitely trying to support the Dad. And I think Billy’s trouble with that was also realistically written. All of the characters (except for the father) were complex and multi layered. It was really compassionately written.
So what didn’t I like. For one, the father had no personality. None at all. He would occasionally say things, but he mostly just sat there. Considering that his illness and the extraordinary means that they went to trying to help him, it wasn’t really described. We were mostly told and not shown how the father is feeling, through Billy’s perspective. Also, therapy and medication were shown in a really negative light. Having had several people really close to me benefit from medication, I really wished that they showed both it’s advantages and it’s disadvantages. I know that it was really hard for the Morrison’s, but they didn’t really (as Billy kept pointing out) try anything except for electro shock therapy long enough to see if it helped. It didn’t really make sense what they were trying to do to help him. Also, this book is slightly low on a cohesive plot- there’s no climax, or really much rising action at all.
So, I feel a mix of emotions about this book. It compassionately told a story of people, but it also dehumanised people with mental disorders, even if the characters didn’t believe they were doing so. I don’t know how to rate if. If you’re curious though, you could always read it.
Lets start with the good stuff. This book was trying to write about mental health in an honest way. It talked about how the father was still a person, and discussed different kinds of therapies in a fairly honest way. The author had obviously done her research. The writing is beautiful phrases like ‘the opposite of music” (you guessed it) pop up al over the place, and I feel like the protagonist, Billy was an interesting perspective to read about. I liked how he thought, and that he loved his father so much. The family was definitely trying to support the Dad. And I think Billy’s trouble with that was also realistically written. All of the characters (except for the father) were complex and multi layered. It was really compassionately written.
So what didn’t I like. For one, the father had no personality. None at all. He would occasionally say things, but he mostly just sat there. Considering that his illness and the extraordinary means that they went to trying to help him, it wasn’t really described. We were mostly told and not shown how the father is feeling, through Billy’s perspective. Also, therapy and medication were shown in a really negative light. Having had several people really close to me benefit from medication, I really wished that they showed both it’s advantages and it’s disadvantages. I know that it was really hard for the Morrison’s, but they didn’t really (as Billy kept pointing out) try anything except for electro shock therapy long enough to see if it helped. It didn’t really make sense what they were trying to do to help him. Also, this book is slightly low on a cohesive plot- there’s no climax, or really much rising action at all.
So, I feel a mix of emotions about this book. It compassionately told a story of people, but it also dehumanised people with mental disorders, even if the characters didn’t believe they were doing so. I don’t know how to rate if. If you’re curious though, you could always read it.
October 5, 2012
Obviously this book is meant for a younger audience, and it wouldn't be
something I would pick up normally. The very subject of it, a teenage boy
dealing with the crippling depression of his father, is not something I am
generally drawn to. However, I'm sure some kids, especially kids who are
going through similar situations, would find it easy to relate to, or at
least more accessible. However, I found it hard to get into, personally,
because of the way Young writes for Billy, the main character.
One of the things that bothered me a lot about the book was the lack of
actually description. I didn't know how Billy was fifteen until about
half-way through the book, which made a lot of the things Billy said until
then difficult for me to understand. I had been under the impression that
he was closer to twelve or so, so finding out how old he actually was was
actually a bit of a relief. Billy had referenced sex a few times before he
mentioned his age, so it had all seemed a little inappropriate for him.
Also, I have no idea what Billy really looks like, and he seems a little
flat for a character, his development hard to follow and understand from
the beginning of the book towards the end. I imagine that it would make it
hard for a younger reader to follow the change that Billy goes through in
his father's depression.
The setting of the book was also something hard for me to grasp, though it
really isn't the main part of the story like it is for some books. It's not
as though Billy is traversing across the continent to reach some
destination. I just wasn't sure where he lived, exactly, as he only
mentions a town called Hawthorne. I imagine that there can't just be one
Hawthorne, and not everyone knows their geography well enough to be able to
picture where it is on a map, especially not a student who is struggling
with school already. Without more context of where Billy lives, some of the
parts of the story lack a rich understanding that some other novels have,
making it a little frustrating when Billy references the types of people
that live near him and when he talks about a new place that he is.
something I would pick up normally. The very subject of it, a teenage boy
dealing with the crippling depression of his father, is not something I am
generally drawn to. However, I'm sure some kids, especially kids who are
going through similar situations, would find it easy to relate to, or at
least more accessible. However, I found it hard to get into, personally,
because of the way Young writes for Billy, the main character.
One of the things that bothered me a lot about the book was the lack of
actually description. I didn't know how Billy was fifteen until about
half-way through the book, which made a lot of the things Billy said until
then difficult for me to understand. I had been under the impression that
he was closer to twelve or so, so finding out how old he actually was was
actually a bit of a relief. Billy had referenced sex a few times before he
mentioned his age, so it had all seemed a little inappropriate for him.
Also, I have no idea what Billy really looks like, and he seems a little
flat for a character, his development hard to follow and understand from
the beginning of the book towards the end. I imagine that it would make it
hard for a younger reader to follow the change that Billy goes through in
his father's depression.
The setting of the book was also something hard for me to grasp, though it
really isn't the main part of the story like it is for some books. It's not
as though Billy is traversing across the continent to reach some
destination. I just wasn't sure where he lived, exactly, as he only
mentions a town called Hawthorne. I imagine that there can't just be one
Hawthorne, and not everyone knows their geography well enough to be able to
picture where it is on a map, especially not a student who is struggling
with school already. Without more context of where Billy lives, some of the
parts of the story lack a rich understanding that some other novels have,
making it a little frustrating when Billy references the types of people
that live near him and when he talks about a new place that he is.
January 15, 2016
Do you know how it feels when your dad is going insane? This teen's father is mentally unstable because he is going through depression in general it's causing the family to go to a rough time. They take his father to a therapist then gives the boy's father pills that makes him even more mentally unstable. The boys father can't sleep at night, his father has nightmares and it makes the family even more scared of his condition. the boy's family is trying their hardest to help him but nothing works. The boy has to try his best to help his father go through this time.
The story is about a boy's father that is menatally unstable and the boy finds happiniess by playing music, the boy seperates from his friends and society. The main charcters were Billy, his sister Linda , his uncle Marty, his Father Mr.Morrison, and his Mother Mrs. Morrison. Billy and his family try to help his father but nothing seems to work. Billy sneakes out with his friend gordy to see a show and he leaves his father at home by himself before his uncle came. My favorite charcter was Billy because he tries so hard to help other people.
My favorite charcter was Billy because I can kinda relate to him in a way becays by the way he is struggleing help other out when he can't help himself out.I've been in the same experiences as Billy, like sneaking out and forget about everyone just for one thing. I try to make other people when i couldn't be happy myself.
Overall in my own opinion this was a really great story and I loved it so much. my favorite part in this book was when Billy and Gordy sneak out and go to a show, and they get confused and they don't know what to do. If i could change anything in the book it will be the middle because it only foucs one thing. But this book was amazing and it was one of the best book i read.
I would rcommend this book to a lot of people actually it was a great book like so good. If you like sad and heart worming stories this book will just blow your mind it was so great.
The story is about a boy's father that is menatally unstable and the boy finds happiniess by playing music, the boy seperates from his friends and society. The main charcters were Billy, his sister Linda , his uncle Marty, his Father Mr.Morrison, and his Mother Mrs. Morrison. Billy and his family try to help his father but nothing seems to work. Billy sneakes out with his friend gordy to see a show and he leaves his father at home by himself before his uncle came. My favorite charcter was Billy because he tries so hard to help other people.
My favorite charcter was Billy because I can kinda relate to him in a way becays by the way he is struggleing help other out when he can't help himself out.I've been in the same experiences as Billy, like sneaking out and forget about everyone just for one thing. I try to make other people when i couldn't be happy myself.
Overall in my own opinion this was a really great story and I loved it so much. my favorite part in this book was when Billy and Gordy sneak out and go to a show, and they get confused and they don't know what to do. If i could change anything in the book it will be the middle because it only foucs one thing. But this book was amazing and it was one of the best book i read.
I would rcommend this book to a lot of people actually it was a great book like so good. If you like sad and heart worming stories this book will just blow your mind it was so great.
July 3, 2013
Told in a unique, contemporary voice, The Opposite of Music is a story of sadness, frustration, courage, and hope as it follows Billy Morrison through his life as he tries to help his depressed father.
Mr. Morrison is a distant, quiet form of what he used to be. Billy used to think he was the coolest dad, one who would always be there for him. But now, his father has changed. In fact, Billy and his sister Linda hardly know their father anymore. The man's delayed responses, hesitance to eat, and withdrawn nature prompts Billy's mother to take him to a psychiatrist, who only concretes their suspicions by diagnosing him with depression. Billy, his mother, and his sister all do their best to help out Mr. Morrison, trying to figure out what it is exactly that is causing him to be depressed. They feign ease and positive attitudes when someone stops by for a visit, but are really weighed down with the burden of trying to get rid of the depression once and for all. As his family tries to take care of him, his depression only gets worse and they all slowly begin to careen into a downward spiral; after nearly fruitless meetings with the psychiatrist, they resort to other treatments. One of the considered ones—through desperation—is shock therapy…they hear mixed reviews about it, and Billy is totally opposed to the idea. His protests, however, don't seem to change his mother's decision about trying it out. Different friends and some family members often stop by to help the stressed family deal with the hard times, but really, it's within the four of them that they finally find a way to emerge from the cold and dark confusion that encircled their lives. Through clever wording, a steady pace, and, sometimes, a poetic flow, The Opposite of Music captures a family's determination to help a father and each other, even when facing extremely difficult times that threaten one's health.
Mr. Morrison is a distant, quiet form of what he used to be. Billy used to think he was the coolest dad, one who would always be there for him. But now, his father has changed. In fact, Billy and his sister Linda hardly know their father anymore. The man's delayed responses, hesitance to eat, and withdrawn nature prompts Billy's mother to take him to a psychiatrist, who only concretes their suspicions by diagnosing him with depression. Billy, his mother, and his sister all do their best to help out Mr. Morrison, trying to figure out what it is exactly that is causing him to be depressed. They feign ease and positive attitudes when someone stops by for a visit, but are really weighed down with the burden of trying to get rid of the depression once and for all. As his family tries to take care of him, his depression only gets worse and they all slowly begin to careen into a downward spiral; after nearly fruitless meetings with the psychiatrist, they resort to other treatments. One of the considered ones—through desperation—is shock therapy…they hear mixed reviews about it, and Billy is totally opposed to the idea. His protests, however, don't seem to change his mother's decision about trying it out. Different friends and some family members often stop by to help the stressed family deal with the hard times, but really, it's within the four of them that they finally find a way to emerge from the cold and dark confusion that encircled their lives. Through clever wording, a steady pace, and, sometimes, a poetic flow, The Opposite of Music captures a family's determination to help a father and each other, even when facing extremely difficult times that threaten one's health.
April 17, 2012
My routine of picking up some random book from my school library brought me this book and my goodness am I glad it did. There was little, if anything, to complain about. Unless you NEED romance. Because, there is no romance for Bill, who is narrating the story. All the romance is the steadiness of Mrs. Morrison's love for her husband. Not exactly the hands on kind most YA books give. But I loved it. Young had me refreshed with a story that didn't have some romantic counterpart to get the MC through his struggles. And struggles there were. Which, is obvious just from reading the back of the book. But, oh-my-goodness, it's possible! Billy can get through them without a girl. Not even a hint of one. Which... Okay. Is not the point of this book at all. I was just really really impressed with Young for not adding in any silly romance. She did an excellent job at being real with it. Billy was real. His family was real. The tidbits we see of his friends, are real. Even the strange psychiatrist they visit at one point is real. And how they deal with Mr. Morrison's depression, and Mr. Morisson... Not over dramatic in the least. She portrayed life, the weird bits, the strangeness of people, the funny parts, the serious moments, and did well.
July 3, 2010
Depression, an illness that affects the entire family, is the topic of this book recommended for young adults.
The story is told in the first person by a 15 year old boy who with his mother, sister and uncle assumes the care of his father who is sinking into clinical depression. They begin with help from the medical arena where a diagnosis is received and various medicinal concoctions are tried but this becomes frustrating as the father has reactions to the medications. They then venture into the realm of every cockamamie article ever written on mental health. Imagine 'wafting a lemon soaked kleenex under a persons nose' as a way of curing depression!
To be responsible for something as important as making his dad better is a daunting and all consuming task for Billy. What child wouldn't want to be part of the reason his father gets better. But at the cost of friends, studies, sleep?
An easy read but at times became irritated with the chain of events being irrational. But what in a 15 year old's mind is rational?
The story is told in the first person by a 15 year old boy who with his mother, sister and uncle assumes the care of his father who is sinking into clinical depression. They begin with help from the medical arena where a diagnosis is received and various medicinal concoctions are tried but this becomes frustrating as the father has reactions to the medications. They then venture into the realm of every cockamamie article ever written on mental health. Imagine 'wafting a lemon soaked kleenex under a persons nose' as a way of curing depression!
To be responsible for something as important as making his dad better is a daunting and all consuming task for Billy. What child wouldn't want to be part of the reason his father gets better. But at the cost of friends, studies, sleep?
An easy read but at times became irritated with the chain of events being irrational. But what in a 15 year old's mind is rational?
October 6, 2008
I enjoyed this book quite a bit, but it isn't a happy book.
It is written in first person from the perspective of a fifteen-year old boy. It journals the experience his family has as they go through the sudden and severe depression of their father.
It captures well the difficulties of dealing with mental illness: getting a diagnosis, struggling through treatment options, deciding who's in charge, guilt, isolation, anger, etc.
I think it also captured well what it's like to live with depression specifically or to love someone with depression. It showed how it is an illness that affects the entire family.
But it was able to do all this without getting too heavy. I wouldn't have a problem if my kids wanted to read it. Some of the members of book club maybe . . .
It is written in first person from the perspective of a fifteen-year old boy. It journals the experience his family has as they go through the sudden and severe depression of their father.
It captures well the difficulties of dealing with mental illness: getting a diagnosis, struggling through treatment options, deciding who's in charge, guilt, isolation, anger, etc.
I think it also captured well what it's like to live with depression specifically or to love someone with depression. It showed how it is an illness that affects the entire family.
But it was able to do all this without getting too heavy. I wouldn't have a problem if my kids wanted to read it. Some of the members of book club maybe . . .
May 30, 2014
This book was not my favorite. I felt that Young was trying to hard to think about what it would be like to be a teenage boy in this scenario. I feel she could have better written this book from the perspective of a teenage girl, since she has actually experienced what it is like to be there. Or she could have showed us the scenario through everyone's point of view.
I really thought this was going to be a good book. It sounded good, a family going through their father's crippling depression and trying to help make him better. It sounded like it would be emotional, but I felt no emotional attachment to this book, and I was really okay when I was finally done.
If you need something to read...go grab a different book. This isn't worth your time.
I really thought this was going to be a good book. It sounded good, a family going through their father's crippling depression and trying to help make him better. It sounded like it would be emotional, but I felt no emotional attachment to this book, and I was really okay when I was finally done.
If you need something to read...go grab a different book. This isn't worth your time.
November 22, 2008
Recommended for gr. 7-12. This is the story of a father’s gradually increasing depression and how his family deals with it as told by his son, Billy. The family turns increasingly inward as they attempt to deal with the depression through medication, diet and home remedies and finally electroshock therapy. Through Billy’s words we can see how the treatment is all-consuming to the point where he has no activities outside of the family any more. Brief mention of masturbation in a conversation between teenage boys, otherwise nothing objectionable.
Currently reading
August 20, 2008I bought this book from Janet herself! She kindly came to present at our Women's Network Book Club. I've just started the book, but I'm looking forward to reading it. While the book is written more for teens, it is definitely an adult read, as well. The book is written from a young boy's perspective as he deals with his father's depression. The book adresses the use of different alternative treatments, which I thought was an interesting twist. I'll post back once I finish it!
March 7, 2012
3.5* Great execution. This book is more literary with its style and its slow pace. It shows depression and its effects fabulously. However, it just doesn't get the teen voice correct at all, and it's so obvious at times that the characters are speaking like stilted adults. Even if it were written for adults in an adult voice, it still would feel unnatural - which is not a good thing for a novel that is very much a present-day realistic piece.
June 17, 2007
A difficult read, only because it deals with a families stuggle when the father spirals deep into depression. I thought it was honest and realistic as mom and the 2 kids (1 a teenage son) all cope as best they can, and try everything to help their father get well.
November 20, 2008
A good perspective on mental illness and how it affects everyone, not just the person who has been diagnosed. This is particularly good for teens who have parents struggling with a psychological disorder.
October 27, 2009
I just couldn't get into this one. I thought I'd like it based on reviews I'd read, but never warmed to it. It's the story of one family as they try to deal with and treat the father's depression. And, well, it's kind of depressing.
July 26, 2012
I found this book in a used book store at Clear Lake. It intrigued me because depression is something that runs in my family. Young takes you on an incredible journey of an adolescent boy and his father. The content is powerful and dark. I can't imagine experiencing depression first hand.
May 9, 2008
Writing style was a bit confusing at times, but an overall thought-provoking read.
October 13, 2008
to me, it felt unrealastic. what kind of man would subject himself to that? well, maybe a depressed one. I don't know.
September 13, 2009
(C/C+)
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September 9, 2009Loved it. Insightful.
January 29, 2010
I thought this book was alright but it was a little boring. However the message was pretty good and positive.
March 19, 2010
This was...depressing, but really good. It's the kind of book that you can't reread, though, unless you've forgotten everything about it.
August 3, 2010
This book was recommended by a member of the library staff, but I was disappointed in it. I never connected with the characters. I had trouble getting through it.
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