Alex, By Proxy

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Author(s)

Karen Myna Cantor

Publisher

Holiday House

Genre(s)

Age Range

13+

Release Date

July 21, 2026

ISBN

978-0823461165

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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?

This breathtaking YA debut is perfect for fans of Sadie and The Act. Come for the can’t-look-away take on true crime, stay for the honest portrayal of mental illness.

Editor review

1 review

When the person you love most hurts you

April 08, 2026 (Updated: June 23, 2026)

Overall rating

4.0

Plot

4.0

Characters

4.0

Writing Style

4.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

4.0

Alex has been in poor health since he was young, but it has recently come to light that his mother Clarissa suffered from Munchausen by proxy syndrome and has been poisoning him with mercury, salt, and other substances. He also suffers from a battery of psychiatric disorders, and hallucinates and has had psychotic episodes, but it is unclear if this is because of his mother’s actions. A former friend and fellow student, Ella, has issued a podcast alleging that Alex has made himself sick, which has caused an uproar in their community, since Clarissa’s trial is approaching, and Alex is set to testify against her. Alex has fallen out with his best friend Bryce, who has his own issues to deal with since his parents are involved in an acrimonious divorce. When Naomi talks to Alex, she encourages him to talk to Ella, and soon the four teens are working together on another podcast so that Alex can tell the “real” story. But what is real? Alex’s father, who was deployed during most of Alex’s childhood, struggles to care for Alex and his younger brother, Logan, who was often neglected since Alex’s illnesses took up so much of Clarissa’s time. Ella babysat for Logan, and was fond of Clarissa; she claims she saw Alex poisoning himself. Alex is not taking his antipsychotic medication, and has recently been in a coma, so struggles with getting through the day. He’s getting emails from Clarissa that turn out to be from her online blog that detailed her struggles with getting proper care for her son. As Alex tells his group about his experiences, a theme emerges; doctors were not to be trusted, and Alex willingly accepted Clarissa’s cures. Why was this? And what finally made him think that he should stop his mother?

Good Points

Alex’s journey through understanding what has happened in his life is an interesting but harrowing one. He doesn’t always remember things properly, and doubts his own perception, making the reader unsure about what has happened. Researching and taping the podcast brings some clarity, as does preparing to testify for the trial.

Ella’s podcast was initially very damaging and hurtful, and learning her reasons for interpreting the situation in the way that she did is interesting. Logan, who at ten is much younger than Alex, ends up playing a key role in Alex’s decision to quit going along with his mother’s plans. Naomi has her own issues, as does Bryce, and they, too, have some relationship issues with Alex that play out during the course of the book. I loved that Alex’s dad was so supportive, and the fact that he was deployed in order to afford medical bills was all the more poignant since he felt so guilty for not knowing what the mother was doing to Alex.

The ending is rather surprising, but makes sense. There are some parts of this that might confuse middle school readers a little, but high school readers will enjoy the twists, turns, and changes of perspective as Alex comes to terms with what happened to him. Readers who found Corrigan’s Remedy enthralling, or who are oddly intrigued by true crime podcast books like Henry’s Girl Forgotten, Altebrado’s The Possible, or Otis’ At the Speed of Lies will want to pick up this look at mental health, family dynamics, and changing friendships.