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A review by nicolemhewitt
What About Will by Ellen Hopkins
5.0
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
What About Will explores the depths and limits of family bonds. After Trace's older brother Will suffers a brain injury, he is a completely changed person. He's become angry and distant. Trace has always worshipped Will, so the transformation has been particularly hard on him. And since his mom is outright missing (she left to go tour with her band) and his dad isn't completely paying attention, Trace seems to be the only one noticing Will's increasingly erratic behavior. Many kids will relate to Trace's struggle with whether or not he should say something about what he's seeing (that can be a tough call for many middle graders - how do you know if you're overreacting?). And they may also relate to the fact that no one seems to really take Trace's concerns seriously enough once he does voice them. Then, of course, there's the issue of loving someone even when they're really struggling and going down a wrong path. Unfortunately, that can be a reality for many people. Families can be messy and complicated sometimes!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher for Cybil’s judging purposes. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
What About Will explores the depths and limits of family bonds. After Trace's older brother Will suffers a brain injury, he is a completely changed person. He's become angry and distant. Trace has always worshipped Will, so the transformation has been particularly hard on him. And since his mom is outright missing (she left to go tour with her band) and his dad isn't completely paying attention, Trace seems to be the only one noticing Will's increasingly erratic behavior. Many kids will relate to Trace's struggle with whether or not he should say something about what he's seeing (that can be a tough call for many middle graders - how do you know if you're overreacting?). And they may also relate to the fact that no one seems to really take Trace's concerns seriously enough once he does voice them. Then, of course, there's the issue of loving someone even when they're really struggling and going down a wrong path. Unfortunately, that can be a reality for many people. Families can be messy and complicated sometimes!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher for Cybil’s judging purposes. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***