Brooks knows that for children involved in some form of abuse, whether it be physical abuse on the one hand, or drug abuse on the other, the abusive situation often becomes their universe.

Everything is seen through the distortion that the abuse causes in their lives.

Thus, a science fictional world where nearly everyone is either an abuser, a victim, or both, is an apt metaphor for the situation of the child attempting to deal with an alcoholic parent. Although Sam may seem to be in control, in fact, everything in his life revolves around his mother's abuse of alcohol.

Perhaps the greatest strength of No Kidding lies in Brooks's ability to treat all of the characters with respect, in sisting that they be given the right to make their own decisions, but also allowing them to make mistakes. Sam's efforts are heroic, but he cannot...