Misbehaving in Maine: 30 Half-Learned Lessons

by Dan Williams

343 pages, Paperback

Published July 23, 2025

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Reviews

[Erika]

I want to be a kid again. in a million ways that's a lie, but for those shining few reasons that are so magical and mysterious I do. this book made me laugh and grimace and remember as if these memory-stories were my own.

Dan's writing is just GOOD. it's easy to glide through, not stumbling over the language. you're just wrapped in the thoughts and non-thoughts of young dan. It makes so much sense even though you never heard words strung together that way. The writing isn't just the means to tell a story, it's a beautifully ordered craft.

I don't have a better word for the experience of reading this book other than delight. this book is a delight to read, through and through. it's delightful.

[Zachary]

I went into this book expecting to love it--but I was not prepared for the depth of that love. I thought it would be funny, interesting, a bit zany. It was all of those things, of course, but also so much more. There was not a single story in here that I couldn't relate to, that didn't express something profound and deeply felt, describing a thought you've always thought but never put into words. I was prepared to have fun with this book. I was not prepared for that fun to also come loaded with heartache and longing and triumph and beauty and everything else. I laughed out loud with this book, I cried, and I felt connected, to Dan, and to everyone that he knew and loves and loved. That's an accomplishment, and that's what this book is--through and through.

[Natalyn]

When one of your favorite college professors writes a book, you read that book. Even if the book causes you to almost fall off of your elliptical. You read every page, because, much like his class, you know every second of this book will be a complete surprise.

“Misbehaving in Maine” is one of those books that will stick with you. Yes, because of the shock value (who knew boys growing up in Maine are feral?), but also because of the simple childhood nostalgia and universal truths of growing up.

This book was a 5 star read. Dan Williams crafts the world through the lens of childhood that makes this book impossible to put down. You’ll laugh, you’ll want to look away sometimes, but in the end you’ll recall your own childhood stories that are worth remembering, too.

Thanks to danielwilliams6098 for the gifted copy!

[Rachel George]

Such a refreshing read that perfectly captures the childhood mindset. Bonus: Williams’s writing is hilarious and will have you laughing out loud. Could not recommend this book more - five stars, A+++