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All The Things That Could Go Wrong

Book Synopsis

There are two sides to every story

Dan is angry. Nothing has been the same since his big brother left, and he’s taking it out on the
nearest and weakest target: Alex.

Alex is struggling. His severe OCD makes it hard for him to leave the house, especially when Dan
and his gang are waiting for him at school . . .

Then the boys’ mums arrange for them to meet up and finish building the raft that Dan started with his brother. Two enemies stuck together for the whole of the school holidays – what could possibly go wrong?

Our Review Panel says...

All The Things That Could Go Wrong is an absorbing story about bullying and friendship crafted with the right balance of warmth and tension to engage readers in upper KS2. Like most stories, there are two sides to this one and the narrative alternates between the viewpoints of teenagers Alex and Dan. I found the plot to be absorbing and emotionally engaging, making it a quick and intense read for me. I thought that Alex’s OCD was portrayed compassionately, sensitively and without stereotyping and I came away with an increased awareness of some of the possible nuances of living with OCD. The book could also open some important classroom discussions about the complexities of bullying and its effects. This would be a wonderful story to read in upper KS2 classrooms and would appeal to readers who have enjoyed books about real-life issues such as Wonder or The Goldfish Boy….