The Adoptee Bookshelf

Galarza, Josh. The Great Cool Ranch Dorito in the Sky.  2024. 320 p. Henry Holt and Co, $19.99 (9781250907714) Recommended Grades 9 and up. 

Rating: 5 stars  

Identities: High school-aged, male adoptee 

Content Warning: Themes include disordered eating, mental health, diet culture, fatphobia

Brett is a high school-aged boy who likes creating comics with his closest friend and goofing off. Despite his humor and kind exterior, Brett struggles to hold his mask together. Brett is processing losing his single, adoptive mother to cancer and has to move in with his best friend. Though Evelen, his adoptive mother has made sure that Brett is taken care of, things aren’t the same anymore. Brett’s coping mechanisms? Disordered eating and binge drinking. Brett’s biggest fears come true when a cyberbully posts his food journal on social media and he spirals. “Sometimes our copying mechanisms hurt us more than the things that caused them.” Though Brett may have to hit rock bottom first he meets a new friend and begins navigating his relationship with his body and food. While managing his eating disorder is the main focus, Brett’s story is connected to the traumatic loss of his biological mother and finding reconnection with his heritage. The author writes about processing trauma sensitively and through Brett’s experience validates that everyone processes grief and that what an eating disorder looks like is different from perceptions of ED shaped by mainstream stereotypes. While this is a heavy read, Brett also seeks joy in every place he can hold onto. The reader is invested in Brett’s development whether it be growth in his friendships or finding peace with Evelyn’s passing. The audiobook is captivating and the hardcover includes comic illustrations in the small details. A National Book Award Finalist, this book is an important read and will be a mirror for those who need it when there are so few young adult books with this representation including themes of disordered eating and mental health. Josh Galarza is an exciting author 

Perspectives : While many of the themes in the book are written with background knowledge from the author’s own experiences, it is unclear what their relationship is to adoption and/or foster care. However, the author’s writing does capture the impact of trauma and how coping with trauma can manifest for young people. This book is primarily about processing grief, and healing. For young adults and adult readers, this book will make you feel not so alone in your journey. It is also important to note that this book addresses a gap in young adult literature on disordered eating with a male-identifying protagonist and unpacks how beliefs about bodies are conditioned by society. 

Practice : 

This book should be available in every public library and high school library. Opportunities to highlight it include Eating Disorder Awareness Week and Mental Health Awareness Month. This book could also be a resource at treatment facilities and for those working at treatment facilities with people who are experiencing disordered eating. For those looking to develop as trauma-informed educators, this is another book to add to the list.