Being in a band is Stelle's salvation. It is her escape from the chaotic clutter at home and her mother's depression. Even though she is able to lose herself for a few hours, pounding away on the drums in the basement of her dad's new house, as soon as she leaves, it's as if the world is going crazy all around her: one bandmate's parents refuse to acknowledge their son is gay; her band's only potential lead singer dresses like a vampire; and even her best friend, Lu, with the "perfect family" has been on edge lately.
But it's the strange, confused conversations that Stelle has with her grandmother in the nursing home that hold the key to unlocking the unhappiness at the heart of her family.
DEB LOUGHEAD is a Toronto author, poet, and workshop leader who has been writing since she learned how to read. She is also the award-winning author of over twenty-five books for young people, including the Lorimer Sports Stories novel Just Run (a Junior Library Guild selection).
"An unflinching look at mental health issues and family dysfunction..."
"The SideStreets imprint is a real mark of quality: readable teen fiction that tackles difficult topics in a way that's accessible to reluctant readers without condescending to them or sugar-coating the issues. Beyond Crazy is another fine example, featuring a musician who struggles to cope with her mother's mental illness."
"[An authentic portrayal of depression and the ripples that affect those around it . . . The text is one that could appeal to a variety of reluctant readers and deals with serious issues that need to be present in the young adult literature canon."