Pluto is struggling. She missed the last 34 days of school because she couldn't get out of bed. Dealing with a new diagnosis of anxiety and depression, she just wants to be her old self without knowing how to get there. She's angry, tired, and just want to be left along. During the summer she must go with her mom to their pizzeria on the Jersey Shore boardwalk. It's a struggle for everyone. Fallon, a new friend with a list and problems to deal with of her own, is a bright spot. It's a painful read with lots of angst, confusion, and attempts to find a way forward. Pluto has lots of supports around her. Her mom is unsure how to help but enlists other folks to build a web of support around Pluto. ( )

i absolutely loved this. i'm not entirely sure the middle grade rating works - it's for sure the high end of middle grade or maybe the low end of young adult. there is some difficult content in here and it's really well handled, but i'm not sure the age group that would most relate. still, i thought this was just excellent. i love, being an adult, being able to really understand both the 13 year old character and her mother, and see what they were both going through while trying to come to terms with pluto's diagnosis and new way of being in the world. the way they both are trying so hard for the other, but not always doing the right thing. it's so realistic and so powerfully true. it's also written really well and i'm so impressed that she could capture so much about mental illness, family, belonging, identity, burgeoning sexuality, and more, in such a poignant and intense way. the space thread was perfectly woven in. this is really well done. ( )

Pluto (the person) is named after Pluto (the former planet). She suffers from severe depression, so much so that she missed the last 34 days of school. It is not summer vacation and she needs to prove to her mother that she is OK and go back to school. But her efforts are falling short of her goals.

She meets Fallon who also isn't quite right. She wants short hair and doesn't want to wear a dress to her cousin's wedding. Together they determine to meet their goals. However, there is more that occurs during their venture.

How to Become a Planet provides a good description of the crippling effects of depression and anxiety in a totally readable, enjoyable story. You'll love Pluto and her mother grappling with this disease, Fallon who turns out to be a great friend and the other characters as well. A totally good read. ( )