What About Will

August 2, 2021
In effective verse, Hopkins (Closer to Nowhere) tells an honest and moving portrait of a family in flux as they navigate newfound emotional and physical distance. In Las Vegas, 12-year-old STEM geek and baseball pitcher Trace Reynolds, who is of Puerto Rican and French descent, has always been close to his brother Will, but 17 months after Will experiences a traumatic brain injury during a football game, which results in cranial nerve damage and a facial tic, Trace feels overlooked and unheard. Their parents have divorced following the incident, the siblings’ mother has embarked on an endless tour with her band, and their father is focused on work and a new relationship. When 17-year-old Will begins acting uncharacteristically, showing symptoms of depression and uncontrollable anger after his injury, only Trace seems to notice his stealing money, lying, and, most concerningly, suddenly taking new pills. Will’s affirming friendships, like that with teammate Catalina Sánchez, who is intimately familiar with the impact of substance abuse, highlight the importance of community support when navigating trauma and addiction. Hopkins tenderly portrays a younger brother learning to advocate for himself and those he loves by speaking up and asking for help. Ages 10–up. Agent: Laura Rennert, Andrea Brown Literary.

September 1, 2021
Grades 5-8 Trace and Will are inseparable brothers-- that is, until the incident at the football game. Soon after the incident, Will stops playing the sports he once loved and begins to go down a harmful path while pushing away the ones closest to him. Twelve-year-old Trace must now juggle school, baseball, and his parents' separation, all while covering for Will. But with every lie Trace must tell for his brother, the more worried he becomes for him. Trace realizes that to save his brother, he must confide in someone and ask for help, even if it means further hurting his family with the truth. Writing in her recognizable free-verse style, Hopkins conveys the raw and realistic emotions of a broken family. The book covers multiple tough subjects, such as divorce and addiction, in a manner that is digestible for a younger audience. What about Will is a story about family, love, loss, hope, and understanding that you don't have to go through hardships alone.

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September 15, 2021
What can a good kid do when his big brother starts being a problem? Twelve-year-old Trace Reynolds, who is White and Puerto Rican, wants to get noticed for the right reasons: good grades, Little League, pulling weeds for Mr. Cobb next door. Seventeen-year-old Will used to be the best brother, but now he's so angry. He's played football since he was a little kid and has been tackled plenty; when he gets horrifically hurt in a JV game, it's just one too many head injuries. It's been a year and a half since Will's traumatic brain injury, and he's got a hair-trigger temper. He has chronic headaches, depression, and muscle spasms that prevent him from smiling. Trace knows it's rotten for Will, but still, why did his awesome brother have to give up all his cool friends? Now he argues with their dad, hangs out with losers--and steals Trace's stuff. At least Trace has a friend in Catalina S�nchez, the new girl on Little League. Her dad's a retired major leaguer, and she has sibling problems too. Observations from Trace frame Cat as praiseworthy by virtue of her not being like the other girls, a mindset that conveys misogynistic overtones. The fears of stable, straight-arrow athlete Trace are clarified in lovely sparks of concrete poetry among Hopkins' free verse, as he learns to tell adults when he sees his beloved brother acting dangerously. Compassionate optimism for a boy who can't control the chaos around him. (author's note) (Verse novel. 9-13)

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Starred review from October 22, 2021

Gr 5 Up-Twelve-year-old Trace's family is shattered when beloved older brother Will suffers a traumatic brain injury during a high school football game. His parents divorce and his mother leaves town, while his father works constantly. Will, struggling with pain and depression, takes up with a rough crowd and starts stealing from Trace. Hopkins's heartrending novel in verse evocatively conveys Trace's attempts to call attention to Will's dangerous behavior and his yearning to "fix" his broken family. Standout supporting characters include Mr. Cobb, Trace's Vietnam veteran neighbor, and Catalina, a new girl on his baseball team. They help Trace come to terms with how he can-or cannot-help those closest to him. Details of Will's struggle with opioid addiction provide warning signs that readers can use in their own lives. The verse format suits Trace's first-person narrative; its brevity cuts to the heart of Trace's raw feelings of isolation and powerlessness. Trace is described as having his Puerto Rican father's "curly brown hair and speckled eyes," while Will has "sun-toasted skin and black hair." VERDICT A realistic, emotionally charged portrait of a family divided and their fragile steps toward a shared future. Recommended for middle grade collections.-Marybeth Kozikowski, Sachem P.L., Holbrook, NY

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