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The Best Worst Thing
A simply told, deeply riveting and perceptive debut novel that strikes a universal chord by exploring what it's like to be a 10 year-old who doesn't feel ready to grow up and leave childhood behind.
Maggie is worried.
She's starting middle school, and she suddenly sees injustice and danger everywhere--in her history textbook, on the playground, in her neighborhood, on the news. How can anyone be safe when there's a murderer on the loose, a bully about to get a gun for his twelfth birthday, rabbits being held captive for who-knows-what next door, and an older sister being mysteriously consumed by adolescence? Maggie doesn't like any of it, so she devises intricate ways of controlling her own world--and a larger, more dangerous plan for protecting everyone else.
Here is a simply told, deeply felt, and perceptive novel about learning to let go of what you cannot control, from an exciting new talent.
Maggie is worried.
She's starting middle school, and she suddenly sees injustice and danger everywhere--in her history textbook, on the playground, in her neighborhood, on the news. How can anyone be safe when there's a murderer on the loose, a bully about to get a gun for his twelfth birthday, rabbits being held captive for who-knows-what next door, and an older sister being mysteriously consumed by adolescence? Maggie doesn't like any of it, so she devises intricate ways of controlling her own world--and a larger, more dangerous plan for protecting everyone else.
Here is a simply told, deeply felt, and perceptive novel about learning to let go of what you cannot control, from an exciting new talent.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published June 7, 2016
22 people are currently reading
511 people want to read
About the author
Kathleen Lane
15 books31 followersKathleen Lane lives in Portland, Oregon, where she writes, teaches, and cohosts the art and literary event series SHARE.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 124 reviews
April 27, 2016
Maggie is starting middle school. She's also the middle daughter in a family with changing dynamics.
This wonderful book unfolds through the eyes and heart of a young, sensitive girl whose anxiety propels her, eventually, to undertake an act of bravery.
Maggie's voice is on point, honest, and authentic. The rushing thoughts, the preoccupation with death, the need to respond to events in an increasingly complex world - all of the particular traits of a young girl facing a new world.
This is the type of middle grade book I wished for as a ten, eleven, twelve-year-old. It's got a Beverly Cleary vibe with a backdrop of contemporary realism. Kathleen Lane is a master storyteller.
This wonderful book unfolds through the eyes and heart of a young, sensitive girl whose anxiety propels her, eventually, to undertake an act of bravery.
Maggie's voice is on point, honest, and authentic. The rushing thoughts, the preoccupation with death, the need to respond to events in an increasingly complex world - all of the particular traits of a young girl facing a new world.
This is the type of middle grade book I wished for as a ten, eleven, twelve-year-old. It's got a Beverly Cleary vibe with a backdrop of contemporary realism. Kathleen Lane is a master storyteller.
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July 10, 2016I didn't finish this book. I found the narrator's constant worrying very exhausting to read. I might have had a little too much in common with her and might have gone through years of therapy to stop! :)
February 19, 2016
I received an ARC from the publisher via work, with no obligation to leave a personal review.
So, I expected to love this book, because I usually fare well when I foray into middle grade, and I really am passionate about the value of a solid middle grade book. That age is so impressionable, and while many trending YA books are fun to read, I don't know that anyone will still care about the vast majority of them ten, or even five, years from now. But a great middle grade novel, that can be forever.
I had also heard good things and read some very excited reviews. And, well--it's certainly a quick read, and engaging enough, but it wasn't what I expected. The description had me hoping for a spunky heroine--a bit of a control freak, yes, but ultimately one who is passionate about justice. Instead, we have a heroine who does accurately read like a young just-starting-middle-school student, but whose predominant trait is anxiety.
There are some brief snapshots of real life middle school, family worries, and figuring out true friends that do feel real. And the ending was nice. But overall, it just didn't wow me in any way. It's not even that it's too quiet--it is, but quiet books sometimes really take me in and I'm wowed. I think the combination of the very stream of consciousness writing, with the sparsely developed story, just made me feel like there wasn't much substance.
Not bad, but not memorable, either.
So, I expected to love this book, because I usually fare well when I foray into middle grade, and I really am passionate about the value of a solid middle grade book. That age is so impressionable, and while many trending YA books are fun to read, I don't know that anyone will still care about the vast majority of them ten, or even five, years from now. But a great middle grade novel, that can be forever.
I had also heard good things and read some very excited reviews. And, well--it's certainly a quick read, and engaging enough, but it wasn't what I expected. The description had me hoping for a spunky heroine--a bit of a control freak, yes, but ultimately one who is passionate about justice. Instead, we have a heroine who does accurately read like a young just-starting-middle-school student, but whose predominant trait is anxiety.
There are some brief snapshots of real life middle school, family worries, and figuring out true friends that do feel real. And the ending was nice. But overall, it just didn't wow me in any way. It's not even that it's too quiet--it is, but quiet books sometimes really take me in and I'm wowed. I think the combination of the very stream of consciousness writing, with the sparsely developed story, just made me feel like there wasn't much substance.
Not bad, but not memorable, either.
September 9, 2016
Do you remember what it's like, what it's really like, to be this age? Because author Kathleen Lane does. She writes about what is REALLY going on in a child's mind at this hard in-between age. This is exactly the kind of book middle-graders need to know is out there and accessible to them.
Maggie's anxieties are so real and flawlessly observed, they help us remember how challenging this transition time can be for kids. The Best Worst Thing creates such a rich, full inner and outer life for its main character, it does the most wonderful thing: it inspires empathy - for the children around us, and for the child we once were too.
Oh, how I wish this book had existed when I was Maggie's age. I would have felt so much less alone, less weird, less crazy. I would have felt like somebody understood me, and that all the scary things I was thinking were actually perfectly okay. At that age, there is almost nothing more powerful.
The Best Worst Thing is constructed with simple, envy-inducing sentences, finely-crafted detail and a spot-on compelling voice. Because of Lane's craftsmanship, the novel ends up being both a beautiful work of literary fiction for adults, and an essential book to put into the hands of any child, especially, I'd argue, young girls.
Hope can look a lot of different ways. And for me, this book nailed exactly the kind of hope I was looking for, and couldn't find, when I was in middle school. I'm thrilled to know the book is out there now.
Maggie's anxieties are so real and flawlessly observed, they help us remember how challenging this transition time can be for kids. The Best Worst Thing creates such a rich, full inner and outer life for its main character, it does the most wonderful thing: it inspires empathy - for the children around us, and for the child we once were too.
Oh, how I wish this book had existed when I was Maggie's age. I would have felt so much less alone, less weird, less crazy. I would have felt like somebody understood me, and that all the scary things I was thinking were actually perfectly okay. At that age, there is almost nothing more powerful.
The Best Worst Thing is constructed with simple, envy-inducing sentences, finely-crafted detail and a spot-on compelling voice. Because of Lane's craftsmanship, the novel ends up being both a beautiful work of literary fiction for adults, and an essential book to put into the hands of any child, especially, I'd argue, young girls.
Hope can look a lot of different ways. And for me, this book nailed exactly the kind of hope I was looking for, and couldn't find, when I was in middle school. I'm thrilled to know the book is out there now.
October 3, 2016
"I feel like the world is about to end and I'm the only one who knows it. I'm the only one who can save us."
Maggie has secret routines to keep everyone and everything safe. When there is a robbery up the street and the suspect is at large she has a litany that she goes through to keep her family safe. When Mr. Gullick seems uncaring about the baby rabbits he is raising, Maggie jumps into action to help them. And then there's Gordy: "Mom told us one time that when people act big it's because they feel small. I think that might be how it is with Gordy." He says he has a gun ... he says he's shot a deer ... he threatens Maggie, so she jumps into her routine. This is how she deals with the dangers and injustices in the world.
And sometimes the world is just plain confusing. For example, why is her older sister Tana so mean sometimes? and other times she's fine? Why is Maggie's best friend Hailey choosing to hang out with the popular girls instead of Maggie? Is it because Maggie won't wear make up? Or is there something else going on? "As long as you aren't the est of something, like the shortest or tallest or fattest, it's okay, nobody even looks at you." And why is Gordy sleeping outside every night?
Maggie has secret routines to keep everyone and everything safe. When there is a robbery up the street and the suspect is at large she has a litany that she goes through to keep her family safe. When Mr. Gullick seems uncaring about the baby rabbits he is raising, Maggie jumps into action to help them. And then there's Gordy: "Mom told us one time that when people act big it's because they feel small. I think that might be how it is with Gordy." He says he has a gun ... he says he's shot a deer ... he threatens Maggie, so she jumps into her routine. This is how she deals with the dangers and injustices in the world.
And sometimes the world is just plain confusing. For example, why is her older sister Tana so mean sometimes? and other times she's fine? Why is Maggie's best friend Hailey choosing to hang out with the popular girls instead of Maggie? Is it because Maggie won't wear make up? Or is there something else going on? "As long as you aren't the est of something, like the shortest or tallest or fattest, it's okay, nobody even looks at you." And why is Gordy sleeping outside every night?
February 10, 2016
This was a very hard book to read because of the realistic and stream of consciousness style of presenting Maggie's thoughts. I found my heart beating faster as I read through all of Maggie's checks and re-checks.
Maggie worries. A lot. About everything. And these worries are much more than the usual starting middle school worries. She worries that horrible things are going to happen to her family. She needs to keep everyone safe by performing certain rituals such as repeating everything twice, making sure she only has an even number of items, and holding her breath for a specific amount of seconds. If she makes any mistakes she must start over. She has a nightly routine of checking every door and window in the house, plus under and behind furniture. Maggie doesn't like being scared all of the time and she doesn't like feeling out of control. As she re-examines her fears, she begins to make a plan to save at least one thing that is important to her. For introspective readers, grades 4 & up.
ARC provided by publisher.
Maggie worries. A lot. About everything. And these worries are much more than the usual starting middle school worries. She worries that horrible things are going to happen to her family. She needs to keep everyone safe by performing certain rituals such as repeating everything twice, making sure she only has an even number of items, and holding her breath for a specific amount of seconds. If she makes any mistakes she must start over. She has a nightly routine of checking every door and window in the house, plus under and behind furniture. Maggie doesn't like being scared all of the time and she doesn't like feeling out of control. As she re-examines her fears, she begins to make a plan to save at least one thing that is important to her. For introspective readers, grades 4 & up.
ARC provided by publisher.
January 30, 2017
I'm not sure how I feel about this book. I did not enjoy being trapped in Maggie's head. Her anxiety was overwhelming. But maybe that's the point. And likely a middle school student reading this book would have a totally different viewpoint than me. I'd be curious to compare notes with a young reader.
September 8, 2017
This is about a girl named Maggie who has an older sister named Tana, a younger sister named Polly, and a dad who almost never comes home. Maggie has just started middle school and does get worried about a lot of things. There is a murderer in her neighborhood, her friend doesn't play with her anymore, and she has lots of other problems. Whenever she gets worried, she counts. but one day she decides to save rabbits before someone gets a gun the day after. The rabbits are going to be killed by her neighbor to eat and Maggie tries to save them. But..... something unexpected happens.
June 29, 2022
I think that this book really captured a certain view into a child's life. As an Oregonian, I also think that Lane captured the weather of the Willamette valley perfectly. This book was very relatable, especially with a worry some younger brother, but I just don't think it really stood out in any way, and to be honest it was a little boring.
August 27, 2017
When eleven-year-old Thyme Owens’ little brother, Val, is accepted into a new cancer drug trial, it’s just the second chance that he needs. But it also means the Owens family has to move to New York, thousands of miles away from Thyme’s best friend and everything she knows and loves. The island of Manhattan doesn’t exactly inspire new beginnings, but Thyme tries to embrace the change for what it is: temporary.
After Val’s treatment shows real promise and Mr. Owens accepts a full-time position in the city, Thyme has to face the frightening possibility that the move to New York is permanent. Thyme loves her brother, and knows the trial could save his life—she’d give anything for him to be well—but she still wants to go home, although the guilt of not wanting to stay is agonizing. She finds herself even more mixed up when her heart feels the tug of new friends, a first crush, and even a crotchety neighbor and his sweet whistling bird. All Thyme can do is count the minutes, the hours, and days, and hope time can bring both a miracle for Val and a way back home.
After Val’s treatment shows real promise and Mr. Owens accepts a full-time position in the city, Thyme has to face the frightening possibility that the move to New York is permanent. Thyme loves her brother, and knows the trial could save his life—she’d give anything for him to be well—but she still wants to go home, although the guilt of not wanting to stay is agonizing. She finds herself even more mixed up when her heart feels the tug of new friends, a first crush, and even a crotchety neighbor and his sweet whistling bird. All Thyme can do is count the minutes, the hours, and days, and hope time can bring both a miracle for Val and a way back home.
July 8, 2016
Maggie is starting middle school and is getting more and more worried. She has rules to live by that keep the people she loves safe, but there is much more to worry about than that. There is the murderer who was loose in their neighborhood after shooting someone at a local mini mart. There is the boy at school who is going to get a gun for his birthday. There are the rabbits next door owned by a man who doesn’t seem to really love them. Plus there are issues in her own family with a teen sister who is pulling away from Maggie and her little sister and a father growing more and more distant too. Maggie starts to plan new ways to protect her family from danger as her fears mount, but it’s all too much for one person to try to control.
Lane has written an incredible novel for middle grades, particularly as a debut author. She captures the intoxication of danger, the thrill of fear, and then what happens when it becomes more than that, toxic and dark. She shows the problems with fear and worries, the way they mount and the intricate ways that children have of coping in a world where nothing seems firm and solid for them, not even their families. As Maggie copes with OCD tendencies, she is also courageous and caring, striving to control the uncontrollable around her.
Lane captures the real world with honesty here. Rabbits are sold for meat. Children are sometimes not cared for. Marriages have problems. Sisters withdraw. It is all there in this book, but there is more too. There are loving parents, helpful neighbors, friends, apple trees and baby rabbits. So not all is dark and dreary, there is light too and hope here. If only one can see it for the worries.
A bright new voice in children’s literature, this debut novel is delicious and rich. Appropriate for ages 9-12.
Lane has written an incredible novel for middle grades, particularly as a debut author. She captures the intoxication of danger, the thrill of fear, and then what happens when it becomes more than that, toxic and dark. She shows the problems with fear and worries, the way they mount and the intricate ways that children have of coping in a world where nothing seems firm and solid for them, not even their families. As Maggie copes with OCD tendencies, she is also courageous and caring, striving to control the uncontrollable around her.
Lane captures the real world with honesty here. Rabbits are sold for meat. Children are sometimes not cared for. Marriages have problems. Sisters withdraw. It is all there in this book, but there is more too. There are loving parents, helpful neighbors, friends, apple trees and baby rabbits. So not all is dark and dreary, there is light too and hope here. If only one can see it for the worries.
A bright new voice in children’s literature, this debut novel is delicious and rich. Appropriate for ages 9-12.
June 2, 2016
As the mom of young girls who are avid readers, I’m always looking for meaningful books that will interest them. This honest story of a young girl navigating the transition from childhood to adolescence is one I’ll definitely be sharing with my girls.
Maggie Alder is an anxious child, with worries ranging from death (her own and her family’s) to the fate of a neighbor’s pet rabbits, and after a clerk is shot and killed at a store near her home, her anxiety grows even bigger.
Overwhelmed by her fears, the social complexities of middle school, her increasingly moody teenage sister and distant father, Maggie’s coping mechanisms begin to spiral into the realm of OCD.
While the sometimes obsessive stream-of-consciousness inside Maggie’s head can be a little jarring at first, the writing is often poetic, and Maggie’s quirky inner dialogue actually made me laugh out loud more than a few times.
I think young adolescents will relate to Maggie even if their anxieties aren’t as intense as hers. Her struggles aren’t unusual and will resonate with both kids and their parents. But, I don’t know of another middle reader book that addresses them so honestly – and so hopefully.
Rather than shutting down in the face of her fears, Maggie bravely accepts the loss of a friend who leaves her to join a new social circle, and opens herself up to new friendships with unexpected people. She even devises an elaborate plan of action to save the neighbors rabbits – and in the aftermath begins letting go of her fears and developing the more mature outlook that will guide her into the next phase of her life.
Maggie Alder is an anxious child, with worries ranging from death (her own and her family’s) to the fate of a neighbor’s pet rabbits, and after a clerk is shot and killed at a store near her home, her anxiety grows even bigger.
Overwhelmed by her fears, the social complexities of middle school, her increasingly moody teenage sister and distant father, Maggie’s coping mechanisms begin to spiral into the realm of OCD.
While the sometimes obsessive stream-of-consciousness inside Maggie’s head can be a little jarring at first, the writing is often poetic, and Maggie’s quirky inner dialogue actually made me laugh out loud more than a few times.
I think young adolescents will relate to Maggie even if their anxieties aren’t as intense as hers. Her struggles aren’t unusual and will resonate with both kids and their parents. But, I don’t know of another middle reader book that addresses them so honestly – and so hopefully.
Rather than shutting down in the face of her fears, Maggie bravely accepts the loss of a friend who leaves her to join a new social circle, and opens herself up to new friendships with unexpected people. She even devises an elaborate plan of action to save the neighbors rabbits – and in the aftermath begins letting go of her fears and developing the more mature outlook that will guide her into the next phase of her life.
October 26, 2016
I picked up an ARC of this little book because the cover art is gorgeous.
And I'll be honest, I was halfway through it before I started enjoying it.
But once I got into it, the ending snuck up on me.
Our narrator Maggie is a young girl who some might consider "totally weird," and it's implied that she has OCD or some sort of anxiety disorder. With a mom struggling to keep the family together, a dad who's rarely home, her older sister Tana in the throes of puberty, and her younger sister Polly feeding off of these worries, Maggie often feels caught in a web of unhappiness and sad-smiles. On top of that, her bully is getting a gun for his birthday, the rabbits next door are going to be killed for their meat, and her comfy niche at school is tested as she starts middle school. Maggie must step up to meet her insecurities and fears, and fight them head-on.
Lane has a way with metaphors that allows the audience to extricate deeper meaning from parallels. It's quite admirable, and the ending was happy without being unbelievably so. The writing allows you to slip into the eyes of Maggie effortlessly, to know when she'll enjoy or dislike something before even reading her reaction.
However, the pacing was slow and trying for the first chapters of the book, and I didn't think it set an appropriate tone for the novel in its entirety. If you can get through the first half of the book, you'll be happy you did.
I would recommend this to any children who experience anxiety, or anyone who wants a quick, heartful read from a different perspective.
And I'll be honest, I was halfway through it before I started enjoying it.
But once I got into it, the ending snuck up on me.
Our narrator Maggie is a young girl who some might consider "totally weird," and it's implied that she has OCD or some sort of anxiety disorder. With a mom struggling to keep the family together, a dad who's rarely home, her older sister Tana in the throes of puberty, and her younger sister Polly feeding off of these worries, Maggie often feels caught in a web of unhappiness and sad-smiles. On top of that, her bully is getting a gun for his birthday, the rabbits next door are going to be killed for their meat, and her comfy niche at school is tested as she starts middle school. Maggie must step up to meet her insecurities and fears, and fight them head-on.
Lane has a way with metaphors that allows the audience to extricate deeper meaning from parallels. It's quite admirable, and the ending was happy without being unbelievably so. The writing allows you to slip into the eyes of Maggie effortlessly, to know when she'll enjoy or dislike something before even reading her reaction.
However, the pacing was slow and trying for the first chapters of the book, and I didn't think it set an appropriate tone for the novel in its entirety. If you can get through the first half of the book, you'll be happy you did.
I would recommend this to any children who experience anxiety, or anyone who wants a quick, heartful read from a different perspective.
June 24, 2016
I enjoyed this book. Maggie is starting middle school. She is dealing with normal things: social hierarchy at a new school, friends who are interested in make up and clothes, her siblings (one younger, one older), the tension between her parents, etc. But at the same time she has extreme anxiety. A murderer has been spotted in the neighborhood, and she's convinced he's going to come and kill her family. A boy in her class who lives two houses over is rumored to be getting a gun for his 12th birthday, so she imagines him as the killer. It was very interesting to see her anxiety play out as if these things really happen. Maggie has to repeat mantras (almost like prayers) in her head each night to keep bad things from happening.
There is not a whole lot of plot. The book just chronicles the day to day happenings. But I was kind of fascinated with this insight into an anxious mind. I really loved all of the true-to-age bits, such as the notes being passed at school and her best friend starting to wear lipstick. It was a very honest and real depiction of that awkward age. I think it would be a very relate-able read for kids in middle school.
http://www.momsradius.com/2016/06/boo...
There is not a whole lot of plot. The book just chronicles the day to day happenings. But I was kind of fascinated with this insight into an anxious mind. I really loved all of the true-to-age bits, such as the notes being passed at school and her best friend starting to wear lipstick. It was a very honest and real depiction of that awkward age. I think it would be a very relate-able read for kids in middle school.
http://www.momsradius.com/2016/06/boo...
May 12, 2016
I was in love with Maggie, the smart, curious, beautifully-neurotic narrator of Kathleen Lane's debut middle reader, from page one. With her infectious voice and unique way of looking at the world, she's a girl I find completely engaging as an adult reader and would have felt such a kinship with as a child. Lane seems to understand perfectly just how full of anxiety, and equally full of wonder, the world is when you're Maggie's age. And she presents this world to us in a voice that's breathless and funny and real, a voice I'd want to read even if the story she was telling was the instructions on putting together a bookshelf. But instead we get bullies, bunnies, a killer on the loose—OK, it's hard to explain. It's not your run of the mill story. It's so much more intricate and layered and smart. It's a smart story for smart kids—and smart adults as well. Seriously, the writing is so full of nuance that it's a delight for any adult reader who was ever a kid.
August 17, 2016
The opening chapter of this book is so clever and good. It grabs you right away and puts you into the head of Maggie, an anxious girl who is just starting middle school. Maggie's voice is so true to how I remember myself at that age and how confusing it was to be at that stage in life where you are a little reluctant to grow up and leave childhood behind. Kathleen's prose is spare and beautiful and she really makes you feel what it's like to be anxious about starting a new school, anxious about your parents, and worried about so many other things that you just don't have any control over. Maggie has developed ways of dealing with her anxiety that ring very true. I really enjoyed this book (my first YA book in a very long time) and will definitely be giving it to the middle schoolers in my life.
December 11, 2016
Maggie just started middle school--and if that wasn't tough enough, she also struggles with extreme anxiety and some OCD tendencies. After a murder is committed in her neighborhood and she discovers something disturbing about her neighbor, these issues become even more extreme. It was frustrating that Maggie's family didn't seem to notice her struggles...they all just seemed annoyed by it. Her repeating mantras often interrupted the narrative, much like they interrupted Maggie's every day life.
It was heartbreaking to watch Maggie struggle.
Nobody's behind the shower curtain or in our closet or under our beds. I'm up my bunk saying the things that will keep us all from dying and keep the baby bunnies safe when someone knocks on the front door.
A short, touching story--but powerful, too.
It was heartbreaking to watch Maggie struggle.
Nobody's behind the shower curtain or in our closet or under our beds. I'm up my bunk saying the things that will keep us all from dying and keep the baby bunnies safe when someone knocks on the front door.
A short, touching story--but powerful, too.
August 27, 2016
This book is beautiful, sweet, scary, unsettling. It's true. That's what I love about the way Kathleen Lane writes. Every story, just like this one, strikes me as so deeply true.
The novel is compelling, wonderfully written. Characters are engaging. I love the way you can be with the protagonist and still not know if you're experiencing "real" or 'dream." And in a way it doesn't even matter. Because the reader is pretty much just swept up into the experience of this 11-year old amazingness of a human being.
I have an almost 11-year old son. And I get to see him now. Like this. In ways that are just as I thought and in ways that I'd rather not think about. But isn't it something when a book does that?
Do yourself a favor and read this.
The novel is compelling, wonderfully written. Characters are engaging. I love the way you can be with the protagonist and still not know if you're experiencing "real" or 'dream." And in a way it doesn't even matter. Because the reader is pretty much just swept up into the experience of this 11-year old amazingness of a human being.
I have an almost 11-year old son. And I get to see him now. Like this. In ways that are just as I thought and in ways that I'd rather not think about. But isn't it something when a book does that?
Do yourself a favor and read this.
August 2, 2016
Sentence by sentence, one of the best books I've ever read. Written in beautifully pared down prose, Kathleen Lane's sentences underline the continual anxiety the narrator Maggie experiences. A local criminal is loose which acts as a springboard for the rest of the story. The rest of the story is the mystery of the larger world awaiting her. The tension, the anxiety, it's all there on every page.
Sure it's labeled as a middle year reader, because that's the age of the narrator, but who wouldn't fall in love with a character as well drawn and complex as Maggie?
The heart in this book is huge.
Sure it's labeled as a middle year reader, because that's the age of the narrator, but who wouldn't fall in love with a character as well drawn and complex as Maggie?
The heart in this book is huge.
August 31, 2016
*** 1/2
Took me a while to get into Maggie's voice and I found her anxiety to cause me anxiety. Is this really for a middle grade reader? It's well-written but I think a more mature reader would do better with it. I had hoped to give this to my 10yo niece when I'm done but I think it would just compound the anxieties she already feels and not reduce them. Once I got into a groove with this I liked it a lot and I'm looking forward to seeing what Lane writes next but as much as I wanted to love this one (and DID like it), it missed the mark for me.
Took me a while to get into Maggie's voice and I found her anxiety to cause me anxiety. Is this really for a middle grade reader? It's well-written but I think a more mature reader would do better with it. I had hoped to give this to my 10yo niece when I'm done but I think it would just compound the anxieties she already feels and not reduce them. Once I got into a groove with this I liked it a lot and I'm looking forward to seeing what Lane writes next but as much as I wanted to love this one (and DID like it), it missed the mark for me.
March 23, 2016
Kathleen Lane so accurately captures the reeling mind of an anxious child in her main character, Maggie. From the obsessive ruminating to the daily rituals designed to control, Maggie's story is a much needed exploration of the anxious mind of a middle grader that many will relate with and find an emotional connection. I can't wait to share this one with others!
November 8, 2016
Word of advice, read this book slowly. 11 year old Maggie has so much anxiety and obsessions that it can be hard to follow her obsessed and anxious thoughts.
October 5, 2018
I respected The Best Worst Thing by Kathleen Lane but I thought that it had no originality and had a similar concept to any other book. Maggie is starting middle school just after a murderer shot someone up the street. Also, she hears that her neighbor Gordy Morgan is getting a gun for his birthday, which is weeks away. To add on, she finds out that something could happen to the bunnies behind her house. Then when Maggie starts school her friends start changing and she doesn’t feel safe anymore. She becomes very conscientious about following her specific daily routine throughout the book.
I think that this work of realistic fiction has no originality, especially with a title like The Best Worst Thing. This is because it is about a 11 year old girl who is anxious, the same as lots of other books. But on the other hand, the beginning was distinct and I felt like it was something I had never read before. The first line was, “It’s the night we’re going to get murdered so we’re sleeping on the living room floor.” Though as I got to the middle I got annoyed because several chapters were repetitive, the exact same thoughts. This lead to me noticing that I didn’t want to read it as much and the pace decreased. I think that if it had more originality than I would have liked it more. With that being said there was a lot going on all at once: family problems, starting middle school, murderer, and saving the bunnies. This made it hard to follow and didn’t have much emotional appeal to me. The book didn’t make me cry, have nightmares, or fall in love with the characters. It also appeared to me that Maggie acted way younger than she actually was, which made it hard to connect with her. In a realistic fiction book I want to connect with the protagonist and in this book I couldn’t.
I read this book right after I started 6th grade in the Middle School. I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone who is nervous or scared about Middle School because Maggie shares her inner thoughts and experiences about middle school and they are not all positive. Furthermore, this goes for anyone who gets scared easily because there is a murderer who does kill someone. As a matter of fact, I think that the story is complex and I don’t recommend it for younger readers. This is because, it involves deeper context and more advanced vocabulary like injustice. I believe that boys or girls would like this book but, because it is about a girl I think that a girl would more likely enjoy this. For all of these reasons, I think that The Best Worst Thing deserves 2 stars.
September 25, 2021
I just expected something very different from this book. When the synopsis said "injustices" I thought this was going to be about racism and feminism and the likes, something meaningful, instead this book is just about a very anxious 10-year old. And I hate kids.
I could relate to her anxiety, losing friends and being afraid of what people will think of you, but I found it absolutely exhausting and off-putting to be in the mind of a child who doesn't know anything. It makes sense, it makes sense that she is so scared about stupid stuff, that she doesn't know anything, doesn't see how bad this one kid has it, how her mom is making her older sister hate her body, so really the book did nothing wrong, but I really didn't like it. Like I said, I hate kids, so this may have been my own fault, but then again I think the synopsis is very misleading.
I think it's very sad that no one is helping her even though she obviously has some serious anxiety and maybe even OCD issues (which everyone is ignoring because she's just "odd"), it's very sad that no one cares about how their mom's constant dieting is affecting the oldest daughter and how everyone assumes it's because of her being a hormonal teenager, it's very sad how the mom is blamed for the father's absence, it's very sad how the anxiety of the youngest daughter is ignored and only her coping mechanisms reprimanded, it's very sad how apparently no one cares that this one kid is being, at best, neglected, it's very sad that the MC's reaction to being told about Martin Luther King Jr. is "at least I'm not black so no one is looking at me while we talk about this". None of this is addressed, however. It's just for me to read and understand while the MC doesn't, but at least she seems to magically heal at the end of the story even though only one of the issues that she was worried about (and that the rest of us are worrying about) is solved.
I'm sure this has some merit to a lot of people out there, the rating isn't that bad after all, but for me this wasn't what I wanted and expected from the synopsis and I didn't really get anything out of this.
I could relate to her anxiety, losing friends and being afraid of what people will think of you, but I found it absolutely exhausting and off-putting to be in the mind of a child who doesn't know anything. It makes sense, it makes sense that she is so scared about stupid stuff, that she doesn't know anything, doesn't see how bad this one kid has it, how her mom is making her older sister hate her body, so really the book did nothing wrong, but I really didn't like it. Like I said, I hate kids, so this may have been my own fault, but then again I think the synopsis is very misleading.
I think it's very sad that no one is helping her even though she obviously has some serious anxiety and maybe even OCD issues (which everyone is ignoring because she's just "odd"), it's very sad that no one cares about how their mom's constant dieting is affecting the oldest daughter and how everyone assumes it's because of her being a hormonal teenager, it's very sad how the mom is blamed for the father's absence, it's very sad how the anxiety of the youngest daughter is ignored and only her coping mechanisms reprimanded, it's very sad how apparently no one cares that this one kid is being, at best, neglected, it's very sad that the MC's reaction to being told about Martin Luther King Jr. is "at least I'm not black so no one is looking at me while we talk about this". None of this is addressed, however. It's just for me to read and understand while the MC doesn't, but at least she seems to magically heal at the end of the story even though only one of the issues that she was worried about (and that the rest of us are worrying about) is solved.
I'm sure this has some merit to a lot of people out there, the rating isn't that bad after all, but for me this wasn't what I wanted and expected from the synopsis and I didn't really get anything out of this.
November 24, 2016
Note: ARC received via Amazon Vine.
The Best Worst Thing is the type of book that doesn't quite have a happy ending but also sort of doesn't end. Kathleen Lane's book does, however, reflect a bit of what it's like to be entering middle school and have anxiety issues. Maggie's world is fairly small with lots of little things going on and a few big ones, too. The writing is more stream of consciousness in feel than I would have liked which makes the overarching story feel directionless at times. Really, I would call this a coming-of-age slice of life story for the middle grade set. It's not going to be for everyone. The sense I got from it, in the end, is that among all the scary stuff there's lots of good stuff and you can't be afraid to put yourself out on a limb once in a while. I could have done with a less open-ended feel, though, so if you like your books to have a resolute conclusion, maybe look elsewhere.
The Best Worst Thing is the type of book that doesn't quite have a happy ending but also sort of doesn't end. Kathleen Lane's book does, however, reflect a bit of what it's like to be entering middle school and have anxiety issues. Maggie's world is fairly small with lots of little things going on and a few big ones, too. The writing is more stream of consciousness in feel than I would have liked which makes the overarching story feel directionless at times. Really, I would call this a coming-of-age slice of life story for the middle grade set. It's not going to be for everyone. The sense I got from it, in the end, is that among all the scary stuff there's lots of good stuff and you can't be afraid to put yourself out on a limb once in a while. I could have done with a less open-ended feel, though, so if you like your books to have a resolute conclusion, maybe look elsewhere.
October 7, 2020
An interesting novel told from the first person perspective of Maggie, a girl about to enter middle school. Maggie’s thoughts and anxieties are the narrative, which is doled out in in small spurts. Maggie is worried about a murderer in the neighborhood, changes in friendships, the boy next door, her neighbor’s rabbits, and family dynamics. She doesn’t understand what is going on and longs for the times she played with her sisters— one older and one younger. All of this is happening and middle school too.
The narrative is so different that it took me awhile to get used to, but as I did, I fell back 40 years into my own middle school experience—the anxieties and the fun. I think the novel perfectly captures the feeling of what it is like to be on the brink of growing up, before you even comprehend or really begin to worry about the changes in store.
The narrative is so different that it took me awhile to get used to, but as I did, I fell back 40 years into my own middle school experience—the anxieties and the fun. I think the novel perfectly captures the feeling of what it is like to be on the brink of growing up, before you even comprehend or really begin to worry about the changes in store.
August 30, 2017
Quick read, stream of consciousness writing. Middle grade book.
The contrast between this book and "some kind of happiness" (which I also read this weekend) is HUGE, though the narrators/main characters in the two books are only a year apart in age. This book's star, Maggie, is worried about everything and has a number of rituals she does as part of her coping. As a character, Maggie reads really young to me.
There are some interesting moments/reflections in terms of Maggie's friendships with other characters, but otherwise there isn't a lot of depth in the book.
I'd recommend skipping this one—I didn't get much out of it.
The contrast between this book and "some kind of happiness" (which I also read this weekend) is HUGE, though the narrators/main characters in the two books are only a year apart in age. This book's star, Maggie, is worried about everything and has a number of rituals she does as part of her coping. As a character, Maggie reads really young to me.
There are some interesting moments/reflections in terms of Maggie's friendships with other characters, but otherwise there isn't a lot of depth in the book.
I'd recommend skipping this one—I didn't get much out of it.
November 10, 2017
I really enjoyed this book. It was a very quick read. The main problem I have with this book is that it left a lot of questions unanswered at the end. Like what was the deal with Maggie's Dad? And, personally, I would like to know more about Gordy. Recommend to middle grade students who enjoyed Hidden by Helen Frost.
Questions to ask students
What number did Maggie count to?
60
What did Maggie write on the apple she threw to Gordy?
TO EAT
What "mean" thing did Maggie write in the note about Cynthia?
She likes rabbits
What did Polly do when she was nervous?
Chewed on her hair
Questions to ask students
What number did Maggie count to?
60
What did Maggie write on the apple she threw to Gordy?
TO EAT
What "mean" thing did Maggie write in the note about Cynthia?
She likes rabbits
What did Polly do when she was nervous?
Chewed on her hair
April 4, 2020
Maggie is authentic, spirited and transforming. As the middle daughter she has to learn to let go of childhood and carefully navigate middle school. Friendships change, attitudes change and feelings get hurt. Maggie although still friends with her childhood bestie Kelsey, has realized they are becoming very different. I found a very powerful statement on page 55 "Kelsey's acting pretty. Before it was just how she looked, now it's like her personality." Many young girls will certainly recognize this exchange.
December 24, 2016
Maggie is 11 and anxious about pretty much everything. She's just beginning middle school and finding it a bit confusing to navigate friendship when some girls are growing up faster than others and the whole mean girls thing is starting. Its a glimpse at that age, no super easy "everything's suddenly perfect" ending and a good look into the mind of a child trying to cope in the only way she knows.
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