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All the Things That Could Go Wrong
A moving and beautifully written story about what can happen when two completely different boys are forced to put aside their differences, for fans of Wonder .
There are two sides to every story.
Alex's OCD is so severe that it's difficult for him to even leave his house some days. His classmate Dan is so angry that he lashes out at the easiest target he can find at Alex. When their moms arrange for Alex and Dan to spend time together over winter break, it seems like a recipe for certain disaster...until it isn't. Once forced together, these two sworn enemies discover that there is much more to each other than they ever knew.
There are two sides to every story.
Alex's OCD is so severe that it's difficult for him to even leave his house some days. His classmate Dan is so angry that he lashes out at the easiest target he can find at Alex. When their moms arrange for Alex and Dan to spend time together over winter break, it seems like a recipe for certain disaster...until it isn't. Once forced together, these two sworn enemies discover that there is much more to each other than they ever knew.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published June 29, 2017
70 people are currently reading
2301 people want to read
About the author
Stewart Foster
16 books107 followersStewart Foster lives in Bath and wishes he'd never left school. So he went back to university far too many years later and he wrote a book, We used to be Kings, and then he wrote another, The Bubble Boy, that was loved by The Guardian and many others. It won Sainsbury's book of the year 2016 (10+) and The Trinity Schools Book Award 2017 and many other library awards
'All the things that could go Wrong" has also won many school and library awards, and continues to be shortlisted.
His next novel will be published in May 2019
Like his page on Facebook - Stewart Foster Author and follow him on twitter @stewfoster1.
'All the things that could go Wrong" has also won many school and library awards, and continues to be shortlisted.
His next novel will be published in May 2019
Like his page on Facebook - Stewart Foster Author and follow him on twitter @stewfoster1.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
July 27, 2018
I had to get into the story a little, as it is very different from what I usually read, but it was such a moving story! I love how there are two perspectives and we get to see the story through Dan’s eyes, who has some serious anger issues and misses his brother a lot. And through Alex, who struggles with OCD. It is so hard to imagine what life must be like for Alex, and I think it is very well portrayed in the book. Also, I loved the Alex Rider and Star Wars references! This makes the story so real!
June 23, 2023
Some books you read a few pages or some chapters and park it for the day. Other books, you get so into the story that you just keep turning the pages and lose track of time. This book is the latter. This is about a bully and his victim (who also suffers from OCD) and their points of view on their respective lives at school. I really enjoyed it. It was at a very good pace and you get a good sense of school and home life of both characters. It's so well written that both bully and his victim got under my skin.
April 13, 2021
it sure must be nice living your life without being attached to a Middle-Grade book about a boy with OCD and his bully and their journey to friendship,,, can't say i relate-
(third reread so far. this book has a special place in my heart and i love it so much.)
(third reread so far. this book has a special place in my heart and i love it so much.)
December 20, 2019
It was good I guess but it was slightly boring in some parts
September 27, 2020
"It's like all my problems are jumbled up in my head and my heart at the same time, but, every time I think of opening my mouth and telling someone, it;s like someone else takes over and shouts." - Dan, Page 287
^ Honestly that is a mood.
All The Things That Could Go Wrong is a very important coming of age story about how we treat people and how we don't really know what they are going through. That being said, I am clearly not of the age range for this book, and a lot of things did frustrate me.
I found the unwillingness to tell an adult about the bullying (from Alex) particularly frustrating. Being a Mum myself I always encourage open communication, and fine it so frustrating to hear that a situation cannot be communicated because XYZ may happen. Then again, I am not a 12 year old with social anxiety, I am a 27 year old with social anxiety and a very strong opinion.
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.
All in all, this is a very important novel, but I was a bit old upon first reading it to really appreciate everything All The Things That Could Go Wrong had to offer.
^ Honestly that is a mood.
All The Things That Could Go Wrong is a very important coming of age story about how we treat people and how we don't really know what they are going through. That being said, I am clearly not of the age range for this book, and a lot of things did frustrate me.
I found the unwillingness to tell an adult about the bullying (from Alex) particularly frustrating. Being a Mum myself I always encourage open communication, and fine it so frustrating to hear that a situation cannot be communicated because XYZ may happen. Then again, I am not a 12 year old with social anxiety, I am a 27 year old with social anxiety and a very strong opinion.
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.
All in all, this is a very important novel, but I was a bit old upon first reading it to really appreciate everything All The Things That Could Go Wrong had to offer.
January 6, 2018
I thought this book was pretty good. I've decided on rating it 3.5 stars. When I compare this book to amazing, 4-5 star reads, it just doesn't measure. However, that doesn't mean it's a terrible book. I thoroughly enjoyed this and would recommend it to others.
The friendships in this book were raw; you can really see how much these characters cared for each other and their connection. I'm not going to reveal too much as it'll ruin your initial thoughts on this.
We also get an insight into living with OCD. One of our main characters, Alex, lives with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Becuase I personally do not have this disorder, I can't determine how accurate this representation is. I do know that not everyone would have the same experiences as this character in the book; everyone is different and therefore, have different associations with OCD.
Overall, I did quite like this book and would encourage you to read it!
The friendships in this book were raw; you can really see how much these characters cared for each other and their connection. I'm not going to reveal too much as it'll ruin your initial thoughts on this.
We also get an insight into living with OCD. One of our main characters, Alex, lives with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Becuase I personally do not have this disorder, I can't determine how accurate this representation is. I do know that not everyone would have the same experiences as this character in the book; everyone is different and therefore, have different associations with OCD.
Overall, I did quite like this book and would encourage you to read it!
Read
September 6, 2018This is such an important story. It's easy to have compassion for Alex, but this also helps the reader have compassion for Dan. Yes, he's a jerk. But there's so much going on with his life that it's easy to understand why he's so awful. (Also, he gets better and I'm a huge fan of personal growth.)
But Alex's story is still the better (and more heartbreaking) one. I can't imagine having OCD and just seeing how Alex knew how disordered his thoughts were and he knew things weren't the way he perceived them. Even so, he was still powerless to stop obsessing about things.
This book would be a great tool to help young readers cultivate empathy. It could help people understand exactly why Alex is so unusual and also why Dan is so mean a lot of the time.
Recommended.
But Alex's story is still the better (and more heartbreaking) one. I can't imagine having OCD and just seeing how Alex knew how disordered his thoughts were and he knew things weren't the way he perceived them. Even so, he was still powerless to stop obsessing about things.
This book would be a great tool to help young readers cultivate empathy. It could help people understand exactly why Alex is so unusual and also why Dan is so mean a lot of the time.
Recommended.
August 20, 2017
2.5 stars
This was a very hard one rate. On the one hand I loved the OCD/anxiety rep but for the majority of the book I was bored.
Nothing against this book. I just thought it was a bit too juvenile for my tastes. Saying that, I do wish they had more middle grade like this when I was growing up.
This was a very hard one rate. On the one hand I loved the OCD/anxiety rep but for the majority of the book I was bored.
Nothing against this book. I just thought it was a bit too juvenile for my tastes. Saying that, I do wish they had more middle grade like this when I was growing up.
September 24, 2017
A nice read for younger teens. Those who liked 'Wonder' should also like this.
December 18, 2019
Real friends will always find a way to be together no matter how they started.
January 23, 2019
I found this a good portrayal of an unlikely friendship and a bullying situation. I have read other stories about bullying and it's interesting to see how different authors tackle the subject of bullying at school. I thought Foster did a good job of trying to show the two sides of the situation, of both the bully and the bullied, and give them both some depth.
In 'All the Things that Could Go Wrong', Alex has an extreme OCD personality. I could relate to some OCD traits and I thought this part was written really well. He is picked on, relentlessly. Dan is one of the bullies.
We get to see Dan's side of the story, though, and we do end up feeling for Dan too. Dan has issues and he has reasons - or so he thinks - for bullying.
I don't see this as encouraging bullying but realising a truth that even bullies are humans. They don't necessarily bully 'just because we're bad so that's why'. Most bullies don't go round thinking 'Better bully someone today because I'm the bad guy and that's what I do!'. They have their reasons, whether we like them or not. This made for a realistic and interesting story, and two characters that I could engage with.
The story resolved a little simplistically and predictably but it was still good.
I also cringed a bit at Dan's and Alex's parents. I liked how they were described but I could imagine how annoying it would be, having your parents constantly tell you how good it would be to be friends with people you just don't want to be friends with. Even if that really ended up being a 'good thing' in the book, I kept thinking those parents should not be patting themselves on the back, they should back off!
Now that I've read this story, I also want to know how to build a raft.
In 'All the Things that Could Go Wrong', Alex has an extreme OCD personality. I could relate to some OCD traits and I thought this part was written really well. He is picked on, relentlessly. Dan is one of the bullies.
We get to see Dan's side of the story, though, and we do end up feeling for Dan too. Dan has issues and he has reasons - or so he thinks - for bullying.
I don't see this as encouraging bullying but realising a truth that even bullies are humans. They don't necessarily bully 'just because we're bad so that's why'. Most bullies don't go round thinking 'Better bully someone today because I'm the bad guy and that's what I do!'. They have their reasons, whether we like them or not. This made for a realistic and interesting story, and two characters that I could engage with.
The story resolved a little simplistically and predictably but it was still good.
I also cringed a bit at Dan's and Alex's parents. I liked how they were described but I could imagine how annoying it would be, having your parents constantly tell you how good it would be to be friends with people you just don't want to be friends with. Even if that really ended up being a 'good thing' in the book, I kept thinking those parents should not be patting themselves on the back, they should back off!
Now that I've read this story, I also want to know how to build a raft.
July 18, 2019
Alex has OCD, and is being bullied by Dan, who is desperately missing his brother (he's been sent to a young offenders institution). What will happen when their parents force them to work together to build a raft?
This is an absorbing, easy to read story, and will appeal to fans of Wonder. It really captures the misery of OCD and the loneliness of being a bully's victim.
You end up having a lot of sympathy for Dan, and he does eventually realise what he is doing and feel remorse. But I couldn't help feeling that the real bully was Sophie, the leader of Dan's gang, and we didn't get to understand what motivated her.
This is an absorbing, easy to read story, and will appeal to fans of Wonder. It really captures the misery of OCD and the loneliness of being a bully's victim.
You end up having a lot of sympathy for Dan, and he does eventually realise what he is doing and feel remorse. But I couldn't help feeling that the real bully was Sophie, the leader of Dan's gang, and we didn't get to understand what motivated her.
October 13, 2018
Alex has OCD and worries about nearly everything. Dan has a big worry but is doing his best to block it out. And Alex is being bullied - by Dan and his friends. So when their mums decide it would be a good idea if they spent some time together, working on Dan's raft, it can't turn out well. Can it?
A neat story, well told, but I spent so much time feeling just a bit annoyed with both the main characters. "Just go and talk to somebody about it!" I'd mutter. And, "For goodness sake, just say something!". Perhaps this was the intention. If so, it worked well, but made me a little tetchy, and I don't like feeling tetchy.
A neat story, well told, but I spent so much time feeling just a bit annoyed with both the main characters. "Just go and talk to somebody about it!" I'd mutter. And, "For goodness sake, just say something!". Perhaps this was the intention. If so, it worked well, but made me a little tetchy, and I don't like feeling tetchy.
June 17, 2020
as my rating said.... it was OK
October 5, 2022
It’s so similar to me, I enjoyed reading it x
March 28, 2025
Really enjoyed this book , makes you think twice about people with ocd - it’s an addiction that simply takes over your life. Also talks about bullying and how both sides are made to feel.
August 22, 2025
A book about fear, and some of the ways it cripples the bullied...and the bully. Excellent for teen boys, the consequences of cruelty are shown eloquently if obliquely.
December 5, 2018
Good middle-grade story of bullying and mental health in middle school boys. The ending was predictable, but the characters were compelling.
October 28, 2018
I enjoy Foster's books for their reality and their male perspective, which is often lacking in YA (or at least, the YA I tend to read).
July 28, 2018
I read other reviews before I read this book. I was hoping that it would move me as it did others. I was really hoping to jump on the "this should be mandatory middle grade reading" bandwagon. Sadly, the book did neither for me. I'll explain:
The tag line for this is book is "there are two sides to every story." I thought this would involve some sort of revelation on behalf of both characters and while there was a slight change in perception, it wasn't a POW! Whoa! kind of moment. It sort of came as a meh and didn't really come to resolution.
My biggest problem with this book is that the bullying goes on for FAR TOO LONG. I feel like the bad guys take so long to get caught and punished that the author felt to me like they were almost encouraging bullying. I am sure that is not the case but this book felt like a list of suggestions for bullies and wanna-be bullies and no one stood up to them. Heck, even the "good kid" in the bully group is mean nearly the entire length of the book. I wanted to like this book like others did but instead I wound up getting angrier and angrier that this evil girl and her cronies are picking on these kids and NO ONE DOES ANYTHING. It's like everyone that goes to this school has their head in the sand about kids' behavior and it frustrates me to no end. It is not so much I wanted Alex to stand up for himself because truthfully I don't think it would have made much difference but he never told anyone these kids picked on him because he feared being branded a tattle-tale. So instead he suffers with this disorder of the mind and then has to deal with these jerk kids on top of it. The whole thing just drove me nuts.
There are much better books where kids with disabilities and other problems stand up for themselves and show the world they matter. I would recommend seeking out some of those books as mandatory reading instead of this one.
The tag line for this is book is "there are two sides to every story." I thought this would involve some sort of revelation on behalf of both characters and while there was a slight change in perception, it wasn't a POW! Whoa! kind of moment. It sort of came as a meh and didn't really come to resolution.
My biggest problem with this book is that the bullying goes on for FAR TOO LONG. I feel like the bad guys take so long to get caught and punished that the author felt to me like they were almost encouraging bullying. I am sure that is not the case but this book felt like a list of suggestions for bullies and wanna-be bullies and no one stood up to them. Heck, even the "good kid" in the bully group is mean nearly the entire length of the book. I wanted to like this book like others did but instead I wound up getting angrier and angrier that this evil girl and her cronies are picking on these kids and NO ONE DOES ANYTHING. It's like everyone that goes to this school has their head in the sand about kids' behavior and it frustrates me to no end. It is not so much I wanted Alex to stand up for himself because truthfully I don't think it would have made much difference but he never told anyone these kids picked on him because he feared being branded a tattle-tale. So instead he suffers with this disorder of the mind and then has to deal with these jerk kids on top of it. The whole thing just drove me nuts.
There are much better books where kids with disabilities and other problems stand up for themselves and show the world they matter. I would recommend seeking out some of those books as mandatory reading instead of this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 24, 2018
When two classmates, the bully and his target, are stuck working on project together I'm sure you can guess the eventual outcome. Expected result aside, this is a highly readable book about two British seventh grade boys. The story telling volleys back and forth between the two, each narrating their interactions from their personal points of view. Alex, is nearly crippled by severe OCD. His obsession with cleanliness and glove-clad hands make him an obvious target of much ridicule. Dan, the class bully, distraught over his older brother's absence due to a felony charge, frequently bubbles over in anger. His focus becomes building the raft as per his brother's instructions. When the boys' mothers decide it might be nice for the pair to collaborate on the project the close proximity dramatically alters both children's lives.
A good pick, especially for boys, which is refreshing as the majority of the realistic novels written for this age group feature female main characters.
A good pick, especially for boys, which is refreshing as the majority of the realistic novels written for this age group feature female main characters.
September 18, 2024
from the very moment my sister told me about this book, i knew i needed to read it. definitely loved it from beginning to end. i did have a crying moment when dan was running and running. years of little me searching for my specific symptoms online, trying to find answers or someone else that had similar symptoms. i wish little me had found this book when it was published, i could’ve felt seen and heard by these two characters. alex with his ocd and dan with his pent up anger. i was upset with dan because he was pushing his anger out through bullying but in the end, i understood. i had that anger and i threw it out on my siblings rather than outside strangers but still, it’s anger that builds up and we all find different ways to let it out.
March 6, 2018
3.5 rounded up. full review to come when I'm not supposed to be asleep
February 3, 2022
It was hard for me to get into the story in the beginning, but afterwards I couldn’t stop reading until I’ve finished the book. So moving ,I’ve even cried a bit !
July 4, 2018
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.
I really loved both Alex and Dan, despite Dan being the bully. Don't get me wrong, I did find myself getting rather angry at what he was doing, but because it's told from the Bully's perspective as well as the victim, you really get an insight into what's going on in his life, which made me feel conflicted about Dan, in a good way, since one second I would be so angry at him and everything he's doing to Alex, and the next I would be feeling sorry for him. But Dan really does grow as a character and it's probably one of my new favourite character growths I've read about.
And Alex, poor little Alex, bless him. You really get a sense of his struggles and being able to access the thoughts in his head was so important which is why it's such a good book to have included both the victim's and the bully's perspective.
The actual plot line of Alex helping Dan with the raft took about one third of the book to get to, however, I really felt like that first third really helped to build the characters up and their relationships with each other, and show the extent of the bullying before diving in to Alex helping with the raft. It was definitely not boring in any way and I think it was rather important it was done this way.
This book is set in year seven so the characters are on the younger side, but I feel like this book can be appreciated by all ages. It does mention Game of Thrones in at one point, nothing in depth, but simply stating the TV show, and personally, I'm not sure I would have really known too much about adult TV shows when I was that age (though I could be wrong), which I'm presuming is the target audience (though I could be completely wrong here as well), but now, slightly older than what I presume is the target audience I feel like that mention really added to the characters and who they are, which is why I feel it can be appreciated by older readers.
I feel this is the right time to mention this book had so many references. One that really stood out to me was the Horrible Histories reference, which I fully appreciated. I'm not a huge fan of Star Wars, but if you are then, you 're in for a treat, since this book is practical filled with Stars Wars (though not to an extent where it's boring to those who don't like Star Wars. I didn't necessarily understand some parts of it, but it didn't drag on, if you get what I mean) since Alex (and Dan) are Stars Wars fans.
One thing I really liked about this book was how it portrayed the bullying, and how one can feel like their trapped. Of course, if you're being bullied, you should tell someone, but this book really shows how it's not as easy as it seems, and that simply saying those words and trying to get help sometimes doesn't feel possible, which is another reason it was so hard to read in that sense. You really want Alex to get the help and you watch him struggle with it, but he just can't do it.
Another thing I really liked was how Dan was being influenced by another person to bully Alex. It just shows that bullying someone can be a type of peer pressure. I'd never really thought about it that way before since I think I'm always thinking more about the victims experience, but there's definitely the bully's side to the story too. I mean, I've always known that a bully often has their own problems in their life, but as a peer pressure as well, it's just something I've never thought of that much.
It also shows how hard it is to step in and stop someone else being bullied. I won't go into too much depth here, but there were several occasions where Alex could have stepped in to help someone else from the bullying, but because you were inside Alex's head, you really got the sense of how it isn't that easy. It just feels like there was so many different factors to this bullying and they were all so well rounded up, like everything slotted together so well.
I really loved how this book ended. I'm not going to say too much here, other than I was satisfied.
So, would I recommend?
Yes, for sure. There was something so special about this book, and while it was painful to read, everything Foster wrote worked so well.
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.
I really loved both Alex and Dan, despite Dan being the bully. Don't get me wrong, I did find myself getting rather angry at what he was doing, but because it's told from the Bully's perspective as well as the victim, you really get an insight into what's going on in his life, which made me feel conflicted about Dan, in a good way, since one second I would be so angry at him and everything he's doing to Alex, and the next I would be feeling sorry for him. But Dan really does grow as a character and it's probably one of my new favourite character growths I've read about.
And Alex, poor little Alex, bless him. You really get a sense of his struggles and being able to access the thoughts in his head was so important which is why it's such a good book to have included both the victim's and the bully's perspective.
The actual plot line of Alex helping Dan with the raft took about one third of the book to get to, however, I really felt like that first third really helped to build the characters up and their relationships with each other, and show the extent of the bullying before diving in to Alex helping with the raft. It was definitely not boring in any way and I think it was rather important it was done this way.
This book is set in year seven so the characters are on the younger side, but I feel like this book can be appreciated by all ages. It does mention Game of Thrones in at one point, nothing in depth, but simply stating the TV show, and personally, I'm not sure I would have really known too much about adult TV shows when I was that age (though I could be wrong), which I'm presuming is the target audience (though I could be completely wrong here as well), but now, slightly older than what I presume is the target audience I feel like that mention really added to the characters and who they are, which is why I feel it can be appreciated by older readers.
I feel this is the right time to mention this book had so many references. One that really stood out to me was the Horrible Histories reference, which I fully appreciated. I'm not a huge fan of Star Wars, but if you are then, you 're in for a treat, since this book is practical filled with Stars Wars (though not to an extent where it's boring to those who don't like Star Wars. I didn't necessarily understand some parts of it, but it didn't drag on, if you get what I mean) since Alex (and Dan) are Stars Wars fans.
One thing I really liked about this book was how it portrayed the bullying, and how one can feel like their trapped. Of course, if you're being bullied, you should tell someone, but this book really shows how it's not as easy as it seems, and that simply saying those words and trying to get help sometimes doesn't feel possible, which is another reason it was so hard to read in that sense. You really want Alex to get the help and you watch him struggle with it, but he just can't do it.
Another thing I really liked was how Dan was being influenced by another person to bully Alex. It just shows that bullying someone can be a type of peer pressure. I'd never really thought about it that way before since I think I'm always thinking more about the victims experience, but there's definitely the bully's side to the story too. I mean, I've always known that a bully often has their own problems in their life, but as a peer pressure as well, it's just something I've never thought of that much.
It also shows how hard it is to step in and stop someone else being bullied. I won't go into too much depth here, but there were several occasions where Alex could have stepped in to help someone else from the bullying, but because you were inside Alex's head, you really got the sense of how it isn't that easy. It just feels like there was so many different factors to this bullying and they were all so well rounded up, like everything slotted together so well.
I really loved how this book ended. I'm not going to say too much here, other than I was satisfied.
So, would I recommend?
Yes, for sure. There was something so special about this book, and while it was painful to read, everything Foster wrote worked so well.
March 22, 2019
This is a darling little story that I knocked out within a day about a complicated friendship between two boys.
Alex has contamination OCD which is so debilitating that he is often unable to leave the house. Immediately, I warmed to him and resonated with him completely. The writer does a fantastic portrayal of what it’s like to live with such a crippling mental illness by highlighting the awful thoughts that go through Alex’s head on the daily. I found this incredible. What’s more is that despite his illness, Alex is completely his own person with hopes and dreams and hobbies and a life which I thought was remarkable. A lot of writers often make the mistake of allowing their characters to become their illness. Alex has OCD, he is not OCD.
Our second protagonist in which we split perspective with is Dan. Dan is angry; angry that his brother left him; angry that his parents won’t stop fighting but most of all: angry at the world. Why can’t he stop bullying Alex? Why can’t his brother come home? Why does everything have to be so unfair?
Consequently, Dan’s aggression and annoyance is taken out on the vulnerable target in his year group: Alex.
With a simple twist of fate and the two boys are thrust together to work on a project, it seems inevitably doomed. The victim and the bully? Disastrous. Or is it?
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.
Alex’s relationship with his parents was quite unique too and was amazing to see. Having a child with OCD mustn’t be easy and to see how the mother and father both react to Alex’s disease was fascinating to me. They contrast in their responses but I think this added to the authenticity and highlights the complexities of OCD.
Dan on the other hand, has a very different set of circumstances. His brother has been taken away from him for reasons he’s not ready to admit, his parent’s marriage is decaying and he’s all alone. This broke my heart and I was rooting for him throughout the novel.
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.
All the relationships as a whole felt very unique and distinct and I really enjoyed them.
This novel was heart-warning and brilliant. Although quite slow~paced, I managed to read this within a day and truly loved it.
If you are struggling with OCD or bullying, be aware that these are subjects handled within the book. Alex’s thoughts felt very real and honestly scared me so consider if you’re in the position to read this.
Other than that, I would recommend this book to everyone because the characters were imperfectly perfect, the story was precious and I absolutely adored it.
Love, Lucy x
Alex has contamination OCD which is so debilitating that he is often unable to leave the house. Immediately, I warmed to him and resonated with him completely. The writer does a fantastic portrayal of what it’s like to live with such a crippling mental illness by highlighting the awful thoughts that go through Alex’s head on the daily. I found this incredible. What’s more is that despite his illness, Alex is completely his own person with hopes and dreams and hobbies and a life which I thought was remarkable. A lot of writers often make the mistake of allowing their characters to become their illness. Alex has OCD, he is not OCD.
Our second protagonist in which we split perspective with is Dan. Dan is angry; angry that his brother left him; angry that his parents won’t stop fighting but most of all: angry at the world. Why can’t he stop bullying Alex? Why can’t his brother come home? Why does everything have to be so unfair?
Consequently, Dan’s aggression and annoyance is taken out on the vulnerable target in his year group: Alex.
With a simple twist of fate and the two boys are thrust together to work on a project, it seems inevitably doomed. The victim and the bully? Disastrous. Or is it?
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.
Alex’s relationship with his parents was quite unique too and was amazing to see. Having a child with OCD mustn’t be easy and to see how the mother and father both react to Alex’s disease was fascinating to me. They contrast in their responses but I think this added to the authenticity and highlights the complexities of OCD.
Dan on the other hand, has a very different set of circumstances. His brother has been taken away from him for reasons he’s not ready to admit, his parent’s marriage is decaying and he’s all alone. This broke my heart and I was rooting for him throughout the novel.
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.
All the relationships as a whole felt very unique and distinct and I really enjoyed them.
This novel was heart-warning and brilliant. Although quite slow~paced, I managed to read this within a day and truly loved it.
If you are struggling with OCD or bullying, be aware that these are subjects handled within the book. Alex’s thoughts felt very real and honestly scared me so consider if you’re in the position to read this.
Other than that, I would recommend this book to everyone because the characters were imperfectly perfect, the story was precious and I absolutely adored it.
Love, Lucy x
February 16, 2018
Meet Alex, a teenager who struggles with OCD. In fact, he struggles to leave the house. All around him are germs that must be cleaned. The worst place to be is school. Even the route there is a treacherous journey which involves navigating cracks in pavements, dog mess and other people. Even worse, waiting at the end is Dan.
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.
As the story unravels, so do the boys’ personalities. It soon becomes clear that Dan isn’t just a stereotypical bully. We learn more about his inner feelings and soon begin to empathize with him. He may have a hard exterior, but underneath there is a boy crying out for help. Add to this the fact that Dan has to juggle different personalities when in different company and you end up with a highly complex character. If I’m honest, I found myself preferring Dan as a character due to that depth of personality.
That’s not to say there is anything wrong with the portrayal of Alex. In fact, Stewart Foster has depicted Alex’s struggles skillfully. By writing in the first person, the reader is invited into Alex’s confused mind. We see his internal struggle laid bare, realizing how debilitating his condition can be. It is a highly accomplished piece of characterisation.
Another masterstroke is Foster’s decision to alternate viewpoints every chapter. This not only progresses the plot, but also allows us to see every situation that arises from the protagonist and antagonist viewpoints. The real skill is that each viewpoint is balanced. Each character is given an equal airing allowing the reader to develop emotions towards each. Pretty quickly I found I was routing for both Dan and Alex, but is very different ways.
Now that the profile of mental health has been raised, it is important that books like All The Things That Could Go Wrong are published. It gives children a clear understanding as to what others go through and helps break the long-standing stereotypes. It also dispels many beliefs about bullies and challenges the reader to look behind the outward projection of a person. In this vein it very similar to Goldfish Boy which I recently reviewed.
I have heard criticism of the plot with some saying that not much happens. This completely misses the point of the book. This was never meant to be an action-packed thriller. It is a book which challenges the reader to empathise with two opposing characters and to watch them find their place in the world. It is definitely a book that I will be recommending to my class.
www.mrdaviesreads.co.uk
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.
As the story unravels, so do the boys’ personalities. It soon becomes clear that Dan isn’t just a stereotypical bully. We learn more about his inner feelings and soon begin to empathize with him. He may have a hard exterior, but underneath there is a boy crying out for help. Add to this the fact that Dan has to juggle different personalities when in different company and you end up with a highly complex character. If I’m honest, I found myself preferring Dan as a character due to that depth of personality.
That’s not to say there is anything wrong with the portrayal of Alex. In fact, Stewart Foster has depicted Alex’s struggles skillfully. By writing in the first person, the reader is invited into Alex’s confused mind. We see his internal struggle laid bare, realizing how debilitating his condition can be. It is a highly accomplished piece of characterisation.
Another masterstroke is Foster’s decision to alternate viewpoints every chapter. This not only progresses the plot, but also allows us to see every situation that arises from the protagonist and antagonist viewpoints. The real skill is that each viewpoint is balanced. Each character is given an equal airing allowing the reader to develop emotions towards each. Pretty quickly I found I was routing for both Dan and Alex, but is very different ways.
Now that the profile of mental health has been raised, it is important that books like All The Things That Could Go Wrong are published. It gives children a clear understanding as to what others go through and helps break the long-standing stereotypes. It also dispels many beliefs about bullies and challenges the reader to look behind the outward projection of a person. In this vein it very similar to Goldfish Boy which I recently reviewed.
I have heard criticism of the plot with some saying that not much happens. This completely misses the point of the book. This was never meant to be an action-packed thriller. It is a book which challenges the reader to empathise with two opposing characters and to watch them find their place in the world. It is definitely a book that I will be recommending to my class.
www.mrdaviesreads.co.uk
September 22, 2018
Alex is being bullied and he doesn’t know what to do. He struggles anyway because of his serious OCD condition, and has sworn to the bullies that he won’t tell anyone what they’re doing to him. If he does, they say they’ll kill him.
The bullies have attempted to dunk his head down the toilet, called him names, thrown his schoolbooks in a puddle, thrown his trainers over a telephone wire, left him in an empty cave in the middle of nowhere, and spat on him. Alex is terrified and spends his days trying to avoid them, but knows they’ll get him again tomorrow.
Alex’s OCD has been getting increasingly worse, meaning that it’s hard for him to leave the house in the morning even without the bullies waiting for him at school.
One of the tormentors, a teenage boy called Dan, begins to feel guilty about what he’s been doing to Alex. Ever since he became friends with Sophie, he’s tried to impress her by doing unspeakable things to the weakest target in the school. But now he steps into Alex’s shoes and thinks about the horrible position he’s in.
Then the boys’ mums arrange for Alex to help Dan with a raft he was building with his brother. Ever since Ben went to prison, Dan has had angry outbursts and spends all his time in a lonely cave by the seafront, working on Shooting Star. The last thing he wants (and the last thing Alex wants) is for “that weird kid at school” to come and mess it up for him.
But Dan is angry, and misses his brother. He soon realises that Alex isn’t all that bad. He can impersonate Yoda, C-3PO and R2-D2. However weird he is, he’s actually pretty cool.
Only thing is, Dan still wants—needs—to fit in with the other bullies at school. He can’t show Sophie that he doesn’t think Alex is a wimp after all…
Whenever we read a book about bullying, we always like the victim and hate the bully. That’s that. But I found it interesting how in this book, Dan begins to repent what he’s been doing to Alex. I think it is also clever of Foster to make each chapter alternatre between Dan’s and Alex’s points of view (almost like a diary of each put together). This means we get to know both of them individually; we know that Dan begins to feel guilty, but he doesn’t want to show Sophie and the Georges that. And we know how much he misses his big brother, Ben, and how excited he gets when he’s told he can go and see him. And we know in depth about how Alex feels when his OCD begins to get the better of him, and when being bullied mingles with that.
Overall, I thought this book was very sad at times, but also exciting and fun at others. I am looking forward to reading Foster’s other books, The Bubble Boy and We Used to be Kings.
The bullies have attempted to dunk his head down the toilet, called him names, thrown his schoolbooks in a puddle, thrown his trainers over a telephone wire, left him in an empty cave in the middle of nowhere, and spat on him. Alex is terrified and spends his days trying to avoid them, but knows they’ll get him again tomorrow.
Alex’s OCD has been getting increasingly worse, meaning that it’s hard for him to leave the house in the morning even without the bullies waiting for him at school.
One of the tormentors, a teenage boy called Dan, begins to feel guilty about what he’s been doing to Alex. Ever since he became friends with Sophie, he’s tried to impress her by doing unspeakable things to the weakest target in the school. But now he steps into Alex’s shoes and thinks about the horrible position he’s in.
Then the boys’ mums arrange for Alex to help Dan with a raft he was building with his brother. Ever since Ben went to prison, Dan has had angry outbursts and spends all his time in a lonely cave by the seafront, working on Shooting Star. The last thing he wants (and the last thing Alex wants) is for “that weird kid at school” to come and mess it up for him.
But Dan is angry, and misses his brother. He soon realises that Alex isn’t all that bad. He can impersonate Yoda, C-3PO and R2-D2. However weird he is, he’s actually pretty cool.
Only thing is, Dan still wants—needs—to fit in with the other bullies at school. He can’t show Sophie that he doesn’t think Alex is a wimp after all…
Whenever we read a book about bullying, we always like the victim and hate the bully. That’s that. But I found it interesting how in this book, Dan begins to repent what he’s been doing to Alex. I think it is also clever of Foster to make each chapter alternatre between Dan’s and Alex’s points of view (almost like a diary of each put together). This means we get to know both of them individually; we know that Dan begins to feel guilty, but he doesn’t want to show Sophie and the Georges that. And we know how much he misses his big brother, Ben, and how excited he gets when he’s told he can go and see him. And we know in depth about how Alex feels when his OCD begins to get the better of him, and when being bullied mingles with that.
Overall, I thought this book was very sad at times, but also exciting and fun at others. I am looking forward to reading Foster’s other books, The Bubble Boy and We Used to be Kings.
August 12, 2018
Foster, Stewart. All the Things that Could Go Wrong. Little, Brown BYR 2018.
Alex has OCD which is seriously affecting his ability to do his schoolwork and interact with his classmates. Dan's older brother has been incarcerated, and Dan's so angry about this that he attacks and bullies Alex. The two boys are forced to spend time together when their moms, who are friends, decide they could each use a friend.
Let's start with the characters before moving into a traditional review. Alex has OCD, but he is not on any medication or seeing a therapist with any regularity. His parents worry about the expense of a therapist, which is understandable, but Alex's OCD is problematic, causing him to be frequently late for school and damaging his hands and his school supplies from multiple washings. It also appears that his teachers are indifferent or ignorant of his condition.
Dan is set up as a secondary protagonist, and the reader is supposed to sympathize with him because his older brother is in juvenile detention for stealing a car and robbing a store. Dan bullies Alex because Dan hangs out with bullies at school, bullies who aren't really friends to him, either. While Dan is a fully fleshed-out character in this story, the other bullies - the Georges and Sophia - are just random evil flat characters.
The whole point of this book is clearly to make a person feel empathy for a bully and to understand that bullies have back stories and things going on in their lives that cause them to bully. However, the worst of the lot - Sophia - is not given a story. All we ever see her do is instigate trouble with Dan, with Alex, and with others.
All in all, this is an easy enough story to read, although I think that since Alex's OCD was diagnosed it would have been more realistic for him to have some more support for it, and the story's very didactic feel may turn off the very readers it was intended for. The two main characters are well-rounded, but all of the rest fade into the background, which only adds to the didactic feel of this story.
Recommended for: middle grade
Red Flags: lots of bullying - Alex has his head stuck in a toilet, for example, which is horrifying for a neurotypical person but traumatic for a person with OCD
Overall Rating: 3/5 stars
Read Instead: You Go First, The Losers Club, Absolutely Almost
Alex has OCD which is seriously affecting his ability to do his schoolwork and interact with his classmates. Dan's older brother has been incarcerated, and Dan's so angry about this that he attacks and bullies Alex. The two boys are forced to spend time together when their moms, who are friends, decide they could each use a friend.
Let's start with the characters before moving into a traditional review. Alex has OCD, but he is not on any medication or seeing a therapist with any regularity. His parents worry about the expense of a therapist, which is understandable, but Alex's OCD is problematic, causing him to be frequently late for school and damaging his hands and his school supplies from multiple washings. It also appears that his teachers are indifferent or ignorant of his condition.
Dan is set up as a secondary protagonist, and the reader is supposed to sympathize with him because his older brother is in juvenile detention for stealing a car and robbing a store. Dan bullies Alex because Dan hangs out with bullies at school, bullies who aren't really friends to him, either. While Dan is a fully fleshed-out character in this story, the other bullies - the Georges and Sophia - are just random evil flat characters.
The whole point of this book is clearly to make a person feel empathy for a bully and to understand that bullies have back stories and things going on in their lives that cause them to bully. However, the worst of the lot - Sophia - is not given a story. All we ever see her do is instigate trouble with Dan, with Alex, and with others.
All in all, this is an easy enough story to read, although I think that since Alex's OCD was diagnosed it would have been more realistic for him to have some more support for it, and the story's very didactic feel may turn off the very readers it was intended for. The two main characters are well-rounded, but all of the rest fade into the background, which only adds to the didactic feel of this story.
Recommended for: middle grade
Red Flags: lots of bullying - Alex has his head stuck in a toilet, for example, which is horrifying for a neurotypical person but traumatic for a person with OCD
Overall Rating: 3/5 stars
Read Instead: You Go First, The Losers Club, Absolutely Almost
July 14, 2022
All the Things That Could Go WrongStewart Foster
Being an adult was probably the most thing we desired when we were in our pre-teen years. Of all the reasons that can give rise to that thought, the most common one is perhaps how hard life we had to live as a pre-teenager. Social relationships, school, bullying, personal struggles, and all of the expectations from the adults that we have to meet are several things that take up a massive portion during that period of our lives.
This book tells the story of the lives of two teenage boys named Alex and Dan and a series of life tragedies that surround them in their pre-teen years. Alex, who is the first child in his family, suffers from acute OCD and becomes a victim of bullying from a group of other children at school. And Dan, who loses his brother in some crime scheme and has to live in an imperfect family happens to be part of the bullies' conditions--are the problem scenarios introduced in this book.
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.
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.
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.
Overall this is a classic story with classic writing, but still good in showing a warmth that is successfully conveyed in an attractive way through the perspective of teenagers that are not patronizing.
Being an adult was probably the most thing we desired when we were in our pre-teen years. Of all the reasons that can give rise to that thought, the most common one is perhaps how hard life we had to live as a pre-teenager. Social relationships, school, bullying, personal struggles, and all of the expectations from the adults that we have to meet are several things that take up a massive portion during that period of our lives.
This book tells the story of the lives of two teenage boys named Alex and Dan and a series of life tragedies that surround them in their pre-teen years. Alex, who is the first child in his family, suffers from acute OCD and becomes a victim of bullying from a group of other children at school. And Dan, who loses his brother in some crime scheme and has to live in an imperfect family happens to be part of the bullies' conditions--are the problem scenarios introduced in this book.
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.
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.
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.
Overall this is a classic story with classic writing, but still good in showing a warmth that is successfully conveyed in an attractive way through the perspective of teenagers that are not patronizing.
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