All The Things That Could Go Wrong

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Both main characters feel genuine and rounded, that mix of joy, horror, anger and confusion that can only really come with high school and puberty. I didn't like one more than the other, I just found them both fascinating.

Now let me introduce Dan. Things aren’t easy for Dan either. His brother has left and everything has changed. His only option is to take out his frustrations on easy targets such as Alex. Both boys’ are tested when their mothers, oblivious to the tensions at school, arrange for the boys to meet up at weekends. It’s amazing! Such a bold idea to have a character like Dan… you pulled it off brilliantly.’ Ross Welford, author of Time Travelling with a Hamster Oftentimes, it is easier for us to sympathize with the victims of bullying at school, but have we ever thought about what was going on in the bully's mind that caused them to take antagonistic actions as a form of their defensive shield. With a forward plot through the two main characters' perspectives, the stories in this book try to explore how pre-teens face life's problems that they have to find solutions for on their own. Not only do we have the pleasure of reading about family life, but also the most precious friendship between two boys. I feel like this is a very overlooked aspect in modern literature so it was excellent to see. Dan and Alex are very different people but the way they interact is amazing. Especially since Dan is one of the main bullies of Alex, having this pressure on them only added to the intrigue.Consequently, Dan’s aggression and annoyance is taken out on the vulnerable target in his year group: Alex. The portrayal of OCD was excellently displayed, and I did enjoy the snippets of how frustrated the OCD made Alex, yet he had no way to control it. While Alex did overcome a lot in the novel, he also didn't have a magic cure just because he helped Dan with a boat, which i found very refreshing as this could have easily swayed that way. I think the easiest way to start this review is to say I loved everything about this book. I was a little worried going into it as I really enjoyed We Used to Be Kings by Stewart Foster, which I believe is an adult book, and was worried that maybe I wouldn't enjoy this one as much. But I did. Perhaps even more than We Used to Be Kings. It was a completely heartbreaking book for the most part since it was difficult to read about Alex and his struggles with OCD and the bullying. Thankfully, I've never really been bullied, not like Alex, but there so was something so painfully real about the way it was written. One good quote that I highlight in this book is when Alex, in another scene when he is being bullied, looks very worried about Dan, the bully who gradually becomes his friend when he suddenly leaves school due to the stress climax he experiences losing his older brother. An exciting depiction of how pre-teen relationships, no matter how tough, are always filled with sincerity, tenderness, and warmth--something that might be difficult to find in our adult days.

I absolutely loved the relationships in this novel. We have a very complex family dynamic going on for both protagonists which completely juxtapose each other. Alex has a strong bond with his little sister, Lizzie who is absolutely adorable and the writer was capable of successfully capturing that element of annoyance that all kids have which made her feel incredibly authentic.

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Summary: A brilliant story about mental health and the difficulties of school; it's full of both heart and great storytelling. All The Things That Could Go Wrong takes us into the heads of Alex and Dan, neither of whom are happy, but both for entirely different reasons. I thought this book was meaningful and important whilst still just being a great read, and what more could you really ask for than that? All The Things That Could Go Wrong will also feature the previously released singles “Someone Will Love You Better” and “You’re Just Drunk.” The record is said to explore a coming-of-age story through the lens of the rising Gen Z musician. Conceptually, Orlando will explore themes of anxiety, his rise as a social media star, and how overthinking impacts interpersonal relationships.