Here Comes Trouble

by Kate Hattemer

Soren Skaar is a notorious prankster. After his partner-in-pranking-crime moves away, Soren's ready to leave his life of causing trouble behind. But when his hipster Brooklynite cousin comes to "study abroad" with his family in small-town Minnesota, Soren's plans for reform fall by the wayside.

Soon all Soren can see are opportunities to prank, and his shenanigans have done nothing to win over his cousin. It isn't long before he's in over his head, and Soren can't help but wonder who he'll be if he loses this part of himself. Can he give up his life as a jokester, or is the joke on him?

Genres: Middle Grade, Humor, Childrens, Realistic Fiction, Family, Friendship

320 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2018

Reviews

[A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars, rounded up.

I realize this is a relatively new release, but I'm kind of surprised it doesn't have more reviews. I picked this one up for a contest Hattemer's agent was offering (preorder two books his clients wrote, be entered into a drawing for a query critique). Didn't win, but I got two new books out of it, so in a way, everyone who entered was a winner.

I was immediately drawn to the teaser on this one, since I'm a former Minnesotan myself. There's something wonderfully wholesome about the culture, especially in small towns. Minnesotans are welcoming, hardy people (kind of have to be, given how gosh-durn cold it gets for half the year). Add in a culture clash of a hipster Brooklynite sixth grader, and I would've requested this from my library anyway, most likely.

There's a lot to like about Hattemer's writing. The characters are fully realized, and main character Soren's arc felt genuine. I think kids will really respond to the prankster aspect (not my thing, personally, but it is a cute trait, and the cast of secondary characters more than maintained my interest). Although there isn't any actual hint in the text of this, I got a 'budding queer boy' vibe from Soren's visiting cousin, Flynn (sequel from his perspective as a tween, maybe, please?). That may be more due to Soren's reactions than anything. The way Soren treats Flynn is in line with a pouty tween upset about having to deal with someone whose interests completely differ from his own. But outcomes associated with Soren's actions (and Flynn's behaviors in response to them) reminded me starkly of my own childhood, bullied for being different growing up. Whether or not anyone else interprets that storyline in the same light, it certainly struck a chord on my end.

The only thing that had me lowering my rating a bit was the narrative voice. Although it is humorous, it reads a bit older than a sixth grader to me. That was something I couldn't shake throughout the first three-quarters of the story. I'm not sure if I acclimated by the end, or the narrative shifted in some subtle way (maybe it was the ample talk of cockroaches that did it). Either way, this initially was difficult to get into because I kept analyzing Soren's voice rather than getting into the story (obviously not that difficult though, considering I finished this in the span of 24 hours).

Anyway, that's a minor quibble. HERE COMES TROUBLE is a fun, fast read that I suspect kids will appreciate. Bless Twitter and the agents on it who tip me off to books I wouldn't otherwise have heard about.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here Comes Trouble by Kate Hattemer, 309 pages, Alfred A. Knopf (Random House), 2018, $17.

Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: G; Violence G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Soren Skaar’s life has changed. His best friend and pranking partner, a girl named Alex, has moved before he begins 6th grade. If that weren’t bad enough, his cousin, Flynn comes to spend the school year with him. Flynn is nothing like Alex. Flynn is hip and serious about school, whereas Soren is only concerned with pranking. As Soren tries to find ways to prank without Alex, he makes some interesting allies but puts other relationships at risk.

At over 300 pages, this book felt long. I also struggled with the pranking. No one seemed to have a real problem with it. As a middle school teacher I would have to find a job elsewhere than Soren’s school. I would have liked to see Flynn’s character explored more in depth. He seemed to have some serious issues that were glossed over. This book was a fun premise that left me wanting more character growth.

Michelle in the Middle, Teacher
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2019...

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

After his best friend Alex moves away from their small town of Camelot, prankster Soren Skaar feels unsettled. After all, what's the point of pulling off pranks when there's no one to share them with? Although he has high hopes that his cousin, Flynn, who hails from Brooklyn and is staying with the Skaars for the next year, will join him, that isn't the case. Instead, Flynn turns out to be a serious student, a good speller, and a talented athlete. He's almost too good to be true, even behaving politely to Soren's parents and teachers. When a prank involving Soren's sister Ruth's piglet and the spelling bee goes awry, any possibilities for a relationship between the two boys evaporates. I enjoyed watching Soren struggle with his identity since it mirrors the experiences many youngsters have when they decide to change their ways or become someone different. It isn't easy to make such a drastic change. After all, if he isn't pulling pranks on others, who is he? Readers will smile at the uneasy partnership between Flynn and Soren during their science fair project and all the drama with their two cockroaches and Martha, the family's rooster. In the end readers will realize that the leopard can change some of his spots, but maybe not all of them. And why would he want to? While I didn't enjoy this book as much as its intended younger audience of middle graders would, I still found plenty of passages that entertained me and consider it a solid read aloud choice with humor, some life lessons, and complicated situations and emotions.

[Suzanne Dix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Soren Skaar is a master prankster. His exploits in his Minnesota elementary school are legendary. Soren is at the top of his game and then the unthinkable happens. His partner-in-crime and best friend Alex moves away at the same time that Soren’s New York City cousin Flynn comes to live with Soren’s family for a year. Completely adrift without Alex, Soren starts the school year in a funk, only made worse when Flynn becomes instantly well-liked and popular. Even Soren’s two-year old tyrant of a brother Ivan loves Flynn. While video chatting with Alex and reliving past glories, Alex suggests that Soren find a new pranking partner. Soren’s neighbors and classmates, triplet girls, are quickly enlisted and the practical jokes are once again underway. Mix in hilarious dialogue among the Skaar parents, Ivan the Terrible’s epic outbursts, Soren’s sassy sister Ruth and her min pig Jim Bob and a homicidal rooster named Martha and you have all the makings for a middle grade book full of humor and heart. Through it all Soren learns that pranking has its time and place and that sometimes playing it straight can be more rewarding than a roomful of laughs.

[Kaelya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here Comes Trouble tells the story and exploits of a 6th grade, small town Minnesotan prankster and his hipster cousin who comes to stay.
The writing is accessible and fun, the premise of pranks and culture-clash is inviting for 4-6th graders and the short chapters make this 300+ page book an easy read for reluctant readers (particularly attractive to boy readers, with the male protagonists and pranking theme).

[Jenna Andersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

as big as this book was it was great and also is good for readers who want a challenge.

[Clifford.S · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Liked the book. It is a humor book and I really enjoy reading humor books a lot. It wasn't boring either.

[Gavin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book Here Comes Trouble by Kate Hattemer is a realistic fiction genre and is not part of a series. A 6th grader, named Soren Skaar, is a known prankster at school and at home. After his best friend Alex who he did pranks with has moved away, he thought about leaving that part of his life behind and becoming a reformed prankster. He tried to, but when his cousin Flynn came to town and started staying with his family he continued with his pranks and thought he would have his cousin prank with him. But he didn't want anything to do with them. So he thought there was something wrong with him and he was losing his touch. Soren and his cousin were very different. Flynn was popular and fit in at school and Soren wasn't as popular and thought he would replace his best friend, but he didn't. I rated this book 8 out of 10 because this book was funny and made me laugh.

If you like the Better Nate Than Never series than you would enjoy this book.