Like most of her books, What About Will was written in verse. This writing style makes it so easy to fly through her books, which is probably why I read this entire book in like.....4 hours.
What About Will is the story of two brothers, Will and Trace. The story is told through Trace's point of view and details Will's downward spiral. Trace tries not to upset Will because he knows his anger is related to the traumatic brain injury he suffered while playing football. But Trace misses the brother he used to have. He wants to help, even if he is only 12.
Trace notices Will becoming more and more withdrawn everyday. He tries to tell his overworked dad and absentee mom, but they both brush it off as high school stress. At one point, Trace's mom tells him she's sure he'll go through this phase one day too. But Trace knows deep down that this is different.
What I love about Ellen Hopkins is that even in this middle grade novel, she refuses to shy away from tough topics. This book deals with absentee parents, prison, addiction, and even rehab. Kids today need books like this because there's a good chance someone in your class is going through the same things. Hopkins knows that first hand and regularly writes about things going on in her life. The kids she's raising are all familiar with these topics because they're living it.
Looking for other books by Ellen Hopkins?
Middle-Grade Fiction:
YA Fiction:
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Anthologies:
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