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  • A boy in profile view, the focus zoomed in on his head and shoulders as he falls against a teal background. The boy has his eyes closed, with pale skin and dark brown hair that seems to ripple as he falls. Other items fall around him: a microphone, newspapers (including one that reads, MOTHER POISONS HER SON), and a pillbox with pills falling out. The whole scene has a sort of glitched out quality to it, with portions of Alex and the falling items blurring into rainbow static.

    Alex, by Proxy

    HARROWING NEW DETAILS IN ‘MONSTER MOMMY’ CASE… SHOCKING INFORMATION SURFACES AS ‘MONSTER MOMMY’ CASE HEADS TO TRIAL… HOW COULD A MOTHER POISON HER SON?

     

    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. Lethal Lullaby brings Alex closer to his old life—hanging out with friends, cracking jokes, having fun—but at the same time, dark memories surface, 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?

    Attributes Value
    Classification

    Fiction
    Genre

    Contemporary, Thriller/Suspense
    Age

    Young Adult
    Publisher

    Independent
    Imprint

    Holiday House
    Language(s)

    English
    Format(s)

    eBook, Hardcover
    Author

    Karen Myna Cantor
    Release Date

    21-Jul-26
    Release Month

    July Releases
    Author Identity

    Chronic Illness, Disabled, Jewish, LGBTQIA+, Mental Health, Neurodivergent
    Content Rep

    Chronic Illness, Disability, Mental Health, Neurodivergence

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