Worst-Case Collin

by Rebecca Caprara, Mark Sanderlin (Narrator)

"This lyrical title captures the vulnerability of a tween dealing with many challenges …"—School Library Journal, starred review

The worst is yet to come.

Twelve-year-old Collin is always prepared for something to go wrong. Ever since he lost his mom in a car accident, he's filled his journal with careful research on how to survive any avalanches, riptides, even halitosis. Too bad there's no guidebook on what to do when your dad starts hoarding.

Determined to hide his increasingly messy home life from his friends, Collin navigates middle school alongside the hilarious and clueless Liam, and Georgia, Collin's maybe-crush. Can Collin learn to be vulnerable around those he loves, even when he can't control every possible scenario?

Genres: Middle Grade, Poetry, Realistic Fiction, Mental Health, Novel In Verse, Fiction, Death

Audible Audio

First published September 28, 2021

About the author

Rebecca Caprara graduated from Cornell University and practiced architecture before shifting her focus from bricks to books. She writes stories for readers of all ages and loves experimenting with narrative forms and new genres. Her work ranges from poetry and picture books to middle grade and young adult novels.

Reviews

[Rajani LaRocca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this middle grade novel in verse about 6th grader Collin, who is anxious about possible "worst-case scenarios" after the death of his mother in a car accident two years earlier. Collin has an orange notebook where he writes about all the steps to survive many potential calamities, including avalanches, riptides, and Gila monsters. None of this is that helpful in dealing with the school bully, who targets him almost daily. He's also contending with his brilliant but eccentric father's worsening hoarding problem, but he can't tell anyone else about it out of fear that he'll lose the only parent he has. With the help of his two best friends, Collin finds a way to be honest with those he loves most, address problems, and look forward to the best things that life has to offer. Free verse and concrete poetry combine to create a funny and emotionally satisfying novel that will be enjoyed by kid and adult readers alike.

[Milton Public Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome novel in verse about a kid named Collin who, since his mother's death, always prepares for the worst. But no planning can prepare him for his father's stockpiling compulsion or The Hoard.

Find it today: https://ent.sharelibraries.info/clien...

Jayme A. / Milton Public Library #CheckOutMPL

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

First sentence: I used to dream about normal stuff like making the swim team, acing my social studies quiz, getting revenge on Liam for pranking me all the time. These days my main goal is to prevent disaster from striking again. Or, at the very least, to be better prepared. Which is harder than it sounds when you're in middle school and calamities of various sorts occur daily.

Premise/plot: Collin, our twelve-year-old protagonist, is a worrier carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. It wasn't always like this. There was a Before. But he's been living in the After for almost two years now. Life without his mom is barely life. Collin has some great friends--Liam and Georgia--who are clueless about the secrets he's been keeping from them. There's a good reason he hasn't invited them inside his house--ever, ever, ever. But keeping secrets and hiding out can only take you so far...

Worst-Case Collin is a coming of age novel--with a school setting, with a strong theme of friendship--written in verse. It's also what you might call a problem novel. (That is one reason why I am reviewing it here at Becky's Book Reviews instead of Young Readers.)

My thoughts: I have many thoughts. On the one hand, WHAT A STORY. I loved meeting Collin and his friends, Liam and Georgia. I thought his two friends continually offered a ray of hope and happiness. Collin and the reader needed that hope. (I also thought Liam's mom was superb!!! It was so nice to see a good parenting role model.) On the other hand, IT IS HEAVY AND INTENSE. I think it is good heavy and good intense. But also potentially triggering--depending on the reader's home environment.

Collin is juggling many, many, many emotions: sadness, worry, fear, frustration, anger, regret, bitterness, anxiety, hopelessness, grief, and SHAME. Collin only has a tiny amount of places where he feels safe. On the one hand, he wants to tell someone--anyone--what is going on at home and how things are different since his mom died. On the other hand, he fears what might happen if anyone ever learns the truth. He struggles daily with this dilemma. Can I go on living like this? Will it ever get better?

[Allie Groppo]

If I have to read this for work, then I am going to count it for my Goodreads challenge...

[Christie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worst-Case Collin is a novel-in-verse middle grade story about what happens to a boy and his father in the aftermath of a car accident that kills his mother. Because of the way her accident occurred, Collin lives his life trying to be prepared for as many possible dangerous circumstances one might encounter by carrying around and studying an orange book full of "what to do if XYZ happens" scenarios. The survival advice for such circumstances is interspersed throughout the novel and helps to demonstrate some of the worries in particular on Collin's mind. While Collin attempts to gain control in this manner, he has little control over what is going on at home. His father is no longer letting go of anything, is collecting everything, and is filling their house with stuff (stench and filth included). How long can this go on?

Rebecca Caprara takes the reader into the mind of Collin, to help understand what he was thinking and feeling with beautiful poetic lines. Mom's presence and importance to Collin is not only clearly felt, but the snippets of his memories of her and some of the things she did and said interweave throughout the story in a way that honors how special she is and how much her presence is missed.

This heart-filled story will keep readers engaged and empathetic, reminding us that we often don't know the whole story of what others are experiencing in their lives.

#LitReviewCrew

[Cassie Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Collin has a plan for every worst case scenario you could possibly think of. He keeps all these plans in a little orange notebook. Following Collin, Liam, and Georgia’s life after the loss of Collin’s mom, Collin faces the worst case scenario of his life he didn’t even imagine. Collin’s mom died tragically in a car accident and was the glue that held his family together. Now his dad, a highly intelligent mathematician, struggles with grief in a way that is a lot more common than talked about. Collin’s dad starts collecting, everything. Collin knows it’s not okay, but would telling his best friends also take them away too, and then would child services take away his dad. He would lose everything.
📙
This is a wonderful novel in verse exploring grief in multiple ways. I also love how it shines a light on how every single person has something, a secret so to speak, that separates them from the rest - even your best friends. I can’t wait to share this story with my students.
Recommended 4th and up.
📙

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Collin is reeling from a world of grief. His mother, who kept the family together and smiling, died in a car accident. He misses her ‘smooch attacks’, her humor, and her love. His dad is consumed with grief, too…as his hoarding addiction gets out of control.

Collin keeps an orange notebook that details what to do in different disasters. It is his therapy since he couldn’t save his mom. Fortunately for Collin he has two great friends, Liam and Georgia, who keep him grounded. Yet, he is disappointed and disheartened that he can’t invite them over to the hoarding house. His secret is buried deep. He doesn’t know who he can trust and turn to with this heavy problem.

With summer approaching, Liam and Georgia may go off in different directions which leaves Collin disoriented. How will he escape the piles of trash that are suffocating him. Then, another tragedy strikes and the secret is exposed.

Worst-Case Collin is a quick read, but packed with emotion and issues that need facing. Tons of discussion topics to rifle through…a important book to place in the right hands.

[Christine Indorf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actually a 4.5!

Collin lost his mother and his father is a hoarder after his wife died. Collin doesn't know how to handle it but to hide it from his friends. When a accident happens can his father get help and Collin not see all the worst case problems in his life? Excellent book for adults and middle grade alike. Highly recommend!!

[Alice Visser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Collin’s mum died two years ago in a car accident, and since then he carries around a bright-orange notebook with instructions for what to do in case of various emergencies. His dad is a brilliant mathematician, but struggles with his emotions and with basic parental responsibilities – he just keeps adding more and more stuff in the house and doesn’t realise how ‘the blob’ impacts Collin. Collin has wonderful friends: Liam, who is always joking and usually in trouble, and whose mum is deeply empathetic; and Georgia, a talented diver who like Liam is fiercely protective of Collin. But he also has to face Before & After, bullies, and the deep shame of what is happening to the house and his life due to his father’s hoarding.

This is a beautifully written book which explores themes linked to grief, compulsive hoarding disorder, neglect and mental illness – but it also has lighter moments, interesting survival strategies (linked to the narrative) and heartwarming friendships.

It is also a verse novel. I’m a big fan of verse novels because of their emotional potency, but also because they appeal to reluctant and struggling readers; I have seen students’ attitudes to reading transformed through verse novels – often the first book they have finished in years. Here is an example from Worst-Case Collin of how just a few words can carry a punch:

2 is a prime number.
2 is the number of years
that have passed since Before became After.
2 is the number of cars
that collided on the bridge.
2 is the number of states separated by the river that runs under the
bridge.
2 is the number of minutes
it took emergency responders to break the window.
2 is too many.
2 is the number of people
left in our home now that Mom is gone.
2 is not enough.

I recommend this poignant, deeply empathetic, accessible verse novel to middle grade students and up – it is perfect for the Year 7 & 8 students I work with, and it will be a popular addition to our library.

[bohemianrhapsodyreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a story about a boy. Something bad happened to the boy. His mother died. After that, he found a way to process his emotions. He decided to plan for every bad event that could ever happen. His dad also found his own way to cope with his emotions by hoarding things around the house, which is not good. All the while the boy has to navigate middle school.

I love how relatable this book is to children who have had something bad happen in their life and they have to find a way to cope with it. I relate to this book because I also thought that if I could plan for every bad event, then I would be prepared when something bad happened. But that doesn’t help. It’s good to be prepared, but it’s not good to think that something bad is always going to happen. Do you think that the way the boy and the dad are coping with their emotions due to the loss of the boys mother is positive or negative?

Read more in the book to find out!

I just reviewed Worst-Case Collin by Rebecca Caprara. #WorstCaseCollin #NetGalley

[Victoria Whipple · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little, middle grade novel in verse covers lots of challenging concepts that are tied together beautifully. Since Collin’s mother died in a car crash, he has carried around a worst-case scenario notebook in which he keeps instructions for surviving any number of situations. (The notebook’s entries are interspersed between chapters). His father’s grief takes another form, obsessing about work and “stuff” leaving Collin to feel even more alone. There are also the middle school bullies adding to his misery. Despite everything he’s dealing with, he has some great friends who stick by him. Caprara has done an incredible job of showing grief and resilience in the poems that tell Collin’s story. Highly recommended, gr. 4+

[rohini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worst case collin was a heartbreaking lyrical story written in verse. I really enjoyed reading it and I thought that the writing style really elevated the plot as well.

The plot follows Collin who keeps a worst case scenario notebook since his mother died. He faces the impact of hoarding due to his dad and learns to step up against his bully. The story is well thought out and handles topics sensitively whilst providing a meaningful message.

The writing was great and so was the characters. I loved Liam and Georgia and their supporting nature! Overall this was a brilliant read and I would recommend it!

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the E-arc!

[MrsHughesReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a digital ARC of this book. This poignant and beautifully crafted novel in verse took me by surprise. Collin's story is heart-wrenching at times, but balanced with hope, resilience, and true friendship. The poems are written in a variety of forms, and Collin's disaster handbook chapters are sprinkled throughout, making this an engaging read. The author also handles hoarding disorder sensitively and honestly. I suspect this book will spur many meaningful conversations in our classroom. Highly recommend.

[Erin Cashman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worst-Case Collin is a poignant and beautifully written novel in verse. Readers will root for Collin from the very first page, as he deals with grief, his father's hoarding problem, and his own tendency to imagine the worst. But the novel is also hopeful, uplifting, and utterly engaging. I highly recommend it!

[Ella Rowan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very special story written with exquisite poetry. Characters feel so real you ache and cheer for them. The sort of richly layered book that has award potential.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh wow. This book was good. Like, really really good. After being really disenchanted with most of the Mark Twain nominees for this upcoming school year, I fell in love with Collin and his story. Told in free verse, which is one of my favorite formats, especially for MG novels, this story is really something special. A best-case scenario, if you will.

Collin is a 12 year old kid grieving his mother who passed away two years ago and living with a distant father. While Collin’s father’s grief is displayed through severe hoarding tendencies, Collin copes by compiling a worst-case scenario handbook in which he documents the ways in which to survive various emergencies. These tips are sprinkled throughout the text and can be read as a metaphor for the previous or upcoming chapter, highlighting how Collin’s everyday life feels fraught with danger.

Thankfully, Collin has some really great people in his life, including his two best friends, their parents, and a caring teacher. Unfortunately, Collin spends most of the book trying to hide his troubles from those who love him. I don’t want to spoil the ending, but I absolutely loved how the book focused on the need for external help in situations. Circumstances don’t magically get better without hard work and resources, and this story illuminates that fact for children.

Not only is the story beautiful, but the writing and even the formatting of the text is meaningful and powerful. I recommend this for children and adults and am really looking forward to sharing this book with my students in the fall! Grades 3+

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Novel in verse.
After Collin’s mom died in a freak car accident, his anxiety spiraled He became obsessed with how to handle emergencies or worst case scenarios, earning the nickname “Worst Case Collin” from his best friends, Liam and Georgia. But his dad’s reaction was much worse: he became a hoarder. His dad buys all kinds of random crap from stores and charity shops and piles it up everywhere in their house. He also is depressed and distracted, forgetting to grocery shop or do laundry. Collin is too embarrassed and scared to tell anyone about his home life, and does his best to hide everything from his friends or anyone else who could help.

A tough read, but with a good resolution. Audiobook was good. Recommend.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. Every time I read a novel in verse I'm reminded that I love them and wonder why I am not reading more. I like this this one touched on grief but also on how hard it is to struggle with something that you don't feel like you can share with your friends ..whether from fear or shame of whatever.

I do think this was a bit too long and it dragged a bit...got repetitive. That's what keeps it from being a 5 star for me...but I really did enjoy it overall and would read it again.

[Kadi P · Rating 5 out of 5]

A poignant story, beautifully written and thoughtfully crafted. The form and word choices were utilised for full impact and impactful they were. It interestingly explored themes of grief and loss, mental health, friendship, first love, bullying and more: a testament to the integrity and depth of this book.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starting off the new year with a lovely little book in verse. I love the way "worst case scenario" pages from Collin's journal move the plot along, and I love how Collin's friends support him. This book is sweet and honest, ending happily but without sugar-coating issues like compulsive hoarding disorder and grief.

[Elisabeth Hays · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the death of his mother, Collin finds himself struggling in a world where his father loses his ability to cope. Collin has always feared and prepared for the worst case scenario, but he can’t plan for the time that his friends find out the secret to his families dysfunctional home. At the height of Collin’s conflict, Caprara is able to convey the anxiety that someone in Collin’s situation would face.

[Tamsyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the variety of poetic forms Rebecca Caprara used in this novel-in-verse, as well as the very sympathetic Collin, for whom I became increasingly worried. This story explores an uncommon topic in middle grade literature: hoarding. After the death of his mother, Collin's father -- never good at day-to-day childcare or household tasks -- starts accumulating more and more unnecessary junk that he refuses to part with and which takes over their home. Collin's room is the only "safe" space in his house. He doesn't know how to talk about this with his two best friends, and this puts him into a difficult place of lying to his friends. Interspersed throughout the book are chapters that give tips for negotiating various threatening situations (from avalanches to piranhas to halitosis), missing his mother (and the way his father used to be), and trying to preserve the family he has left. Great story told in an excellent format. An author I will be following.

[Kristy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
.
I picked this up purely for the title. It started out funny, but then took a serious turn into grief and death and hoarding that I did not expect.
.
Told in verse, the writing is haunting and beautiful.
.
I'd recommend this, just know that you won't find it full of laughs.

[Kelly Neal · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ This was a fantastic upper elementary read. Written all in free verse. Deals with some tough subjects in a very gentle way. Think best friend, Liam, stole the show. He was a fantastic character. Another Mark Twain nominee to check off✔️

[Sandra Stedge · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m actually bumping this to 4.5 because I just couldn’t put it down. Poor Collin stuck in his hoarding house, hiding his life and sadness from his two very good friends. And in verse!

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Not only is it an NCTE Notable Verse Novel but the main character pulls you in and won't let go. My heart ached and swelled for Collin. I loved his friends and how much they cared about him. Most of all I loved the poetry. Stunning imagery that helps you visualize everything in Collin's world. I could quote this book all day long.

[Dara Yoder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love verse novels so I had a special spot in my heart for this one right away! But I LOVED Collin and felt for him from page one! A great mix of characters, feelings, and events! My middle school kids will love this book! #bookposse

[Cassie Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read and reviewed for grad school Children's Lit class

[Kendal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dude. Was not expecting to cry at work while reading this. What a great book 😭

[Lauren Geier · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Worst-Case Collin” by Rebecca Caprara hits the shelves today and I’m confident many of you will fall in love with this middle grade book as I have! Collin’s Mom died a few years ago and while his friends have helped him manage his grief journey and his snowballing anxiety, his Dad is really struggling. In fact, Collin feels as though he is the adult and pulling his Dad along most days. Additionally, Collin is hiding a secret about his Dad. Since his Mom died, Collin’s Dad’s compulsive hoarding has gotten much worse and Collin fears the consequences of anyone finding out just how bad.

I appreciated the author’s tenderness as she introduced multifaceted characters dealing with real emotions and real diagnostic issues without losing sight that the characters also have strengths, weaknesses, and interests that have nothing to do with their emotional functioning. Without spoiling the storyline or ending, I do wish to acknowledge that I appreciate when authors write a satisfying ending without making all hardships faced by the characters throughout the book disappear. I admire that the ending doesn’t gloss over the challenges Collin’s Dad will face down the road as compulsive hoarding is often treatment-resistant but instead leans into insight building and the process of therapeutic intervention.