Customer Reviews

Alex and the Amazing Dr. Frankenslime

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
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This is a charming, well written book that displays the authors' wealth of experience with adolescents and families and the depth of her understanding of the therapeutic process. It's fun and informative for kids, parents, and therapists.

A quick, easy and yet very informative read. So well written I had flashbacks to my youth! I could `feel' decades old relationships that I experienced as a child while navigating the minefield that is adolescence. Some were nurturing, caring and illuminating, as was the case with Dr. Frankenslime. Others were much less trusting. One need not be (or have) a troubled teenager to gain a wealth of knowledge and enjoyment from Desannoy's book. Two thumbs up.

I would have loved having a book like this when I was still a practicing psychologist working with young people. I love the kid-friendly style, and kids who are dealing with their own problems and issues will easily identify with Alex. This is a great resource for kids and anyone working with kids. Highly Recommended!

Alex is a twelve year-old girl with a major attitude. Her sardonic and sometimes funny outlook serves as the wall Alex surrrounds herself with, one she has built over time to protect herself and to keep others from coming too close. Alex has been hurt by her "messed up family," due to a physically and emotionally absent alcoholic father.

Alex's wall begins to crumble when her wise mother gets her into therapy with Dr. Frankenslime (aka Dr.Vicki). Throughout the sessions and through Alex's running monologue, the reader witnesses a change. Alex begins to deal with such issues as trust, fear, rejections and friendship.

As a parent I appreciated the way Dessanoy moved Alex through the stages of grief (anger, denial, bargaining, depression, and acceptance) over her father's abandonment. Although Alex and the Amazing Dr. Frankenslime deals with the vulnerability of a tween in an alcoholic and dysfunctional family, the story has merit in a wider arena as well: families going through divorce or other difficult situations where tween or teens may feel they have no control.

Desannoy includes two appendices in the back where Dr. Frankenslime (aka, Dr. Vicki) addresses kids with great questions and parents with a brief overview of critical warning signs indicating expert help is needed. A great book to add to your parenting collection!

by Judy Miller

for Story Circle Book Reviews

reviewing books by, for, and about women

Extremely well written book. It is fun and easy to read and beautifully illustrates the therapeutic process for troubled teens - going from resistance to the idea of therapy to the necessary attachment and working through leading to real change within and without. Would highly recommend this for anyone working with adolescents - teachers, therapists, physicians etc. And of course recommend it to any teen that is having trouble getting the help that they need.

Psychotherapist Margot Desannoy is such a gifted and talented writer who has found a way to help kids (and their parents) understand how therapy can benefit kids (and she delivers that message with such a wonderful witty sense of humor!). We love the dialogue she creates for Alex (especially all the names Alex finds to call her therapist!).

We love the resources that she includes in the back of the book (such a rare find at the end of a "fiction" book!). We proudly have it displayed in our waiting room of our counseling center!!

Thank you Margot and we look forward to your entire series of books to come!!!

Mark Frankle LMFT and Debi Jenkins Frankle LMFT

I absolutely loved "Frankenslime." Margot Desanoy is a wonderful writer, and I found the book funny, heartfelt, and very very true to life. I'm hoping for a sequel, where perhaps we find out about what happened to... well, I won't give anything away here.

This would be a superb book for therapists who see kids to keep in their waiting rooms, or even provide to ambivalent clients, to help them see where the therapy can go. It will absolutely be in mine.