All the Things That Could Go Wrong

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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. Edward Bloom is certainly larger than life, as are his fantastic tales. Reading them through the heart of William will take you through a series of emotions and even disbelief - I mean, he did claim to tame a giant, right? Some stories are wild, bright, fun and full of awe. Some are not. But every single tale is shared beautifully. 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.

All The Things That Could Go Wrong | Book by Stewart Foster All The Things That Could Go Wrong | Book by Stewart Foster

The two boys’ mums are old friends and unaware of the issues at school between Alex and Dan. Much to the dislike of both boys, the mums arrange for the pair to spend time together at the weekends building a raft. As time goes by with the boys working together on the raft, a new empathy begins to develop and their relationship begins to grow, albeit shaped by a mixture of tension, confusion and developing compassion. I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a relaxing and easy read, which is something that I needed. Throughout the story, I felt sorry for Alex. He was getting bullied to the point where he was scared to report to any adults around. Then, as I learned more about Dan and what happened to his brother, Ben, I started to understand his aggressive attitude. 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. 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?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.

all the things that could go wrong (Deluxe) - Album by Johnny all the things that could go wrong (Deluxe) - Album by Johnny

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. 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.

Stewart Foster Press Reviews

I follow him into a tunnel where tiny silver fish swim beside us as we walk. I blow out my cheeks and I think I hear Mr Francis do the same or it might be the sound of air bubbling in the tanks. I try to listen to what he says, but it’s hard not to laugh when the pufferfish make him look like he’s got elephant ears. Mr Francis lifts up his hand and shows me three fingers. Ok, now that that's off my chest, how about the rest of this book? We are off to a grand start, right? It must be good, right? I stop at the end of the aisle where Elliott Gibbs is standing on his own, looking at a map of the oceans. See that big fat one.’ He pointed at a large yellow fish swimming on its own. ‘Well, it used to be a little fish, but then it started to eat all the other fish and it got big and strong. That’s what you’ve got do.’