Saturday, November 6, 2021

What About Will by Ellen Hopkins - OPTIONAL

What About Will by Ellen Hopkins
, 384 pages. Putnam’s (Penguin), 2021. $18 

Content: G (undescribed drug overdose) 

 BUYING ADVISORY: MS – ADVISABLE; EL - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

12yo Trace and his 17yo brother Will have always been best friends – Will has never made Trace feel like a bothersome little brother. Bit 17 months ago Will was criticallly injured in a football game and has been dealing with the effects of severe brain damage. He broke up with his girlfriend and has isolated himself from all others who care for him. Plus. Trace discovers that Will has been self-medicating with drugs – consorting with a dangerous crowd to get the highs and lows he craves. What can a little brother do? 

Hopkins uses her free verse (not to be mistaken for poetry) to illuminate Trace’s inner turmoil as he deals with Will’s descent into darkness. Everything is handled thoughtfully, in a way that even 5th and 6th graders can relate to, without being unnecessarily graphic or coarse. 

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS 

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