At fifteen, Bubby Welter watches his world fracture when his mother, Carrie, suffers a mental breakdown—an event that upends the fragile balance of their lives and forces him into an adulthood he isn’t ready for. As Carrie retreats into her own struggle, Bubby is left to navigate a landscape of confusion, shame, and unresolved anger largely on his own.
Take a Look at Me Now is a coming-of-age novel that explores the quiet, far-reaching impact of mental illness—not only on the person at its center, but on those caught in its gravity. Bubby’s family life is thrown into turmoil just as his own problems begin to surface: the humiliation of a botched robbery, the near-loss of a close friendship, and the sting of being misled by a girl whose charm masks her intentions.
Searching for a way forward, Bubby turns toward the absence that has always haunted him—the father he never knew. His journey to find that missing piece becomes an attempt to confront his fear, resentment, and longing for stability. Meanwhile, both Bubby and Carrie remain suspended in lives marked by stagnation and uncertainty, each trapped within their own pain. The novel leaves readers to consider how their separate agonies will shape their bond—and what, if anything, might finally allow them to move on.