54 pages • 1 hour read
Gillian McDunnHonestly Elliott
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2022A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Themes
The Challenges and Triumphs of Living with ADHD
Content warning: This section of the guide discusses ableism toward people with ADHD.
Elliott experiences multiple traits associated with ADHD that impact his life in various ways. Experiencing ableism presents challenges because he sometimes has insufficient support and understanding from others, including when he has difficulties directing his attention and is forgetful. While this makes certain facets of his life more difficult, his traits also function as strengths and make him who he is.
At the beginning of the text, Elliott identifies his ADHD as a primary cause of his social, academic, and daily struggles. He does not have many close friends, which he attributes to his tendency to make mistakes and to his disinterest in sports. When he reaches sixth grade and the educational styles change to become more dynamic, Elliott has a hard time organizing his classwork and remembering his homework. Overwhelmed, he hides his incomplete work, and his declining grades go unnoticed since the school does not have correct contact information for his parents. Similar challenges are also present in Elliott’s home life, as depicted through his tendency to procrastinate packing at Mark’s and through forgetting to do laundry at Nina’s. To help Elliott overcome his ADHD-related challenges, the authority figures in his life, like Nina and Ms. Choi, provide accommodations to help Elliott learn how to manage his differences on his own. Nina uses a reminder board to help Elliott track his responsibilities, and Ms. Choi advocates for Elliott and employes simple techniques such as standing next to him when he gets distracted. The challenges Elliott faces, along with the relevant support he receives, demonstrate a positive perspective on ADHD. Gillian McDunn suggests that combatting ableism and providing proper support for people with ADHD will help reduce the challenges that people with ADHD face.
Elliott’s neurodivergent traits also contribute to his strengths. This is illustrated primarily through his skills in the kitchen—“[t]his is the place where my ADHD brain transforms into a super brain” (20). The dynamics involved in cooking, like having to monitor different pans on a stove and combining different ingredients and flavors, appeal to Elliott’s attention style. He can keep track of multiple areas that require attention, bouncing from one activity to another, all while listening to music. When Maribel says that she would change her celiac disease if she could, Elliott does not relate, wondering, “If I altered that part of my brain, would it also mean that I wouldn’t cook like I do now?” (183). As well as contributing to Elliott’s character arc, the portrayal of Elliott’s acceptance of his ADHD suggests that ableism and not ADHD is a problem.
The Impact of Family Dynamics and Divorce on Children
This theme is portrayed primarily through the strained relationships between Elliott and Mark and Elliott and Kate. Elliott describes the various ways that Mark has changed since he married Kate, noting how Mark has become more like Kate: “Together they stand, side by side, both with dark hair, tall, and athletic—almost as if, at any moment, they might decide to dash off to do a quick triathlon before dinner” (27). This word “dash” highlights how exhausting Elliott finds this and creates a metaphor of his difficulty to keep up with the changes. Elliott contrasts with Mark and Kate; he has blond hair and is not athletic. This contrast, along with Elliott’s insecurity about his new sibling, makes Elliott feel as if he is being pushed out of his father’s life. At the beginning of the novel, Mark exacerbates Elliott’s fears by consistently lecturing him. Mark is unaware of Elliott’s fears, he does not understand why Elliott finds school challenging, and he can’t relate to Elliott’s love of cooking, instead pressuring Elliott to consider sports. However, as Mark seeks professional help from a therapist, his outlook changes, and he tries to understand Elliott rather than change him. At the end of the book, their relationship has improved but is not perfect, with Mark still encouraging Elliott to work harder and try sports. The imperfection in their relationship conveys one of the text’s central messages: that while people should work on their familial relationships, they can also learn to accept families as they are and make peace with imperfection.
Elliott and Kate have a somewhat stereotypical relationship as Elliott occasionally views Kate as the “wicked stepmother” trope. Elliott directly confronts his reservations, seeming to understand that they are illogical but strong:
Deep in my heart, I know that Kate is actually a nice person. That should make things better, but sometimes it makes it worse. Because maybe I need to be nicer. Maybe I need to do more. But I am trying, whether Kate and Dad see it or not (12).
Kate is a constant presence, and she does not try to force a close relationship with Elliott. This, combined with Kate’s pleasant demeanor, encourages Elliott to naturally grow closer with her, such as when he calls Kate instead of Mark to get his homework and when he and Kate bond over the baby book. However, some of his reservations are tied to his feelings toward Nina. In their conversation at the hospital, Elliott explains this to Nina, and Nina soothes Elliott’s worries, letting him know that she is not lonely and that it is okay to grow closer to Kate. The progression of their relationship reinforces the positive messages about blended families found throughout the novel.
The Power of Friendship and Mutual Support
The power of friendship and mutual support is demonstrated through Elliott’s relationships with Malcolm, his lunch friends, and Maribel. Malcolm, Elliott’s best friend, has offered him friendship and support in the past, but he is currently away. Since Malcolm does not appear directly in the story, their friendship remains relatively underdeveloped. However, Elliott focuses on the missing benefits of Malcolm’s friendship, which emphasizes the importance of friendship, setting the stage for his interactions with his lunch friends and Maribel.
When they are first introduced, Elliott’s lunch friends—Kunal, Drew, Gilbert, and Victor—also highlight the importance of friendship when they reject Elliott, leaving him feeling excluded. They first reject him by socializing without him, then more directly reject him by refusing to let Elliott join their business project group. Kunal, who is hesitant to refuse Elliott entry to their group, eventually befriends Elliott. Their bond grows through their shared experiences, such as their first social encounter outside of school at Sugar Rose, where they learn more about each other. This is an early glimpse of Elliott learning to reciprocate friendship. Elliott extends this reciprocal behavior when he is temporarily grouped with his lunch friends during Advisory. When his lunch friends suggest that Elliott and Maribel bake mini pies, Elliot offers mutual support by suggesting that their group sell cotton balls. This demonstrates his growing and developing social skills, emphasizing the positive impact of mutual support and cooperation.
The relationship between Elliott and Maribel most prominently showcases the power of friendship and mutual support. Elliott takes the first step in their new friendship by checking on Maribel when she looks upset and asking her to work with him. They connect over their respective differences and the ostracization they experience. His social skills waver due to his rigidity and insecurity when he refuses to use a recipe then blames Maribel’s celiac disease for his inedible crust. However, Elliott quickly identifies his mistake and apologizes, demonstrating his willingness to maintain their friendship.
Elliott’s character arc and his interactions with others highlight the essential role of mutual support in personal growth and acceptance. His relationships show that true friendship is reciprocal, transcends differences, and fosters a mutual sense of belonging and understanding, adding another series of important relevant lessons aimed at the middle-grade readership.
