Mayday

by Karen Harrington

Key Features Description Twelve-year-old Wayne Kovok lives in a world of after. After his uncle in the army was killed overseas. After Wayne and his mother survived a plane crash while coming back from the funeral. After he lost his voice.Wayne has always used his love of facts to communicate ("More people die each year from shaking a vending machine than from shark attacks."). Without his voice, how will he wow the prettiest girl in school? How will he stand up to his drill-sergeant grandfather? And how will he share his hopes with his deadbeat dad? It's not until Wayne loses his voice completely, however, that he realizes how much he doesn't... Show More Twelve-year-old Wayne Kovok lives in a world of after. After his uncle in the army was killed overseas. After Wayne and his mother survived a plane crash while coming back from the funeral. After he lost his voice.Wayne has always used his love of facts to communicate ("More people die each year from shaking a vending machine than from shark attacks."). Without his voice, how will he wow the prettiest girl in school? How will he stand up to his drill-sergeant grandfather? And how will he share his hopes with his deadbeat dad? It's not until Wayne loses his voice completely, however, that he realizes how much he doesn't say.Filled with Karen Harrington's signature heart and humor, Mayday tackles an unforgettable journey of family and friendship. Product Details Item #: NTS811700 9781338117004 Paperback Book 352 Realistic Fiction 5 - 8 Lexile® 590L Guided Reading GR Level W DRA 60 ACR 4.2 Key Features Item #: NTS811700 9781338117004 Paperback Book 352 Realistic Fiction 5 - 8 Lexile® 590L Guided Reading GR Level W DRA 60 ACR 4.2

Genres: Realistic Fiction, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Fiction, Family, Childrens, Coming Of Age

344 pages, Paperback

First published May 24, 2016

About the author

Karen Harrington is an author and former speechwriter. Her books include SURE SIGNS OF CRAZY (2013), COURAGE FOR BEGINNERS (2014) and MAYDAY (2016) all from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Her books have appeared on nine state reading lists.

Sure Signs of Crazy was also a Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the year, a 2014 Notable Children’s Book selection from the Children’s Literature Assembly and a 2014 Bank Street Children’s Book Committee Best Book of the Year.

Karen lives in Dallas, TX with her family, where she enjoys reading, writing, cooking and long walks with her rescue dog, Sam.

Visit her:

Karenharringtonbooks.com
@KA_Harrington

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarenHarring...

Reviews

[Harper Averitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the book Mayday. With all the troubles that Wayne had going on in his, life he seemed to always push through it, which is very inspiring to me. I liked how the book showed how one person could have a voice without really having one at all. Overall I really think this book is worth reading, and I recommend to everyone.

[Polly Holyoke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Karen Harrington’s novel Mayday is one of the warmest and most touching middle grade novels I’ve read in years. It’s the story of Wayne Kovok, a boy trying to come to terms with his bewildering world after his beloved uncle is killed overseas. When Wayne and his mom survive a terrifying plane crash on the way home from the funeral, Wayne is forced to contemplate the question of how and why he survived when so many others perished in the crash.

Wayne is an irresistible young hero confronted by a daunting array of challenges. Thanks to an errant cellphone text, he knows that Sandy Showalter, the girlfriend of his dreams, wants to dump him. His deadbeat dad constantly humiliates and disappoints Wayne, and his stern grandfather frequently intimidates him. Wayne has always used interesting facts to communicate with people, but injuries from the crash steal his voice and his tried and true way of getting along in life. As he tries to find new ways to cope, I found myself rooting for quirky, brave Wayne and wanting him to win out.

Warning: this book IS going to make you cry. I think I started bawling about half way through the novel, and I didn’t stop until its very satisfying ending. I truly loved the intimate, sweet world Harrington creates peopled with such real characters. The author clearly loves language and images, and her prose is marvelous. This quiet, beautiful story stole my heart.

[| Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a sweet book. It was written very well with a good plot (it was a little slow at times though).

[Laurel · Rating 5 out of 5]

True book lovers have a few absolutes, should you take the time to talk to them. Some prefer reading electronically, others will never give up their paper volumes. You may find those who love the smell of books, the texture of the paper, drinking tea or coffee whilst reading and listening to the rain. We're a pretty tried and true bunch when it comes to our habits. Which is why I have a few automatic five star criteria. If a book can keep me reading it for an entire sitting. I may look up to find that day has gone to night, so engrossing was the writing. It gets a five star. If a book makes my throat well up and ache as tears roll uncontrollably down my face because I have connected so deeply with the characters, it gets a five star. Mayday achieved both. You may read other reviews which nitpick at things. Perhaps someone will dislike this or that. Hogwash. This author has the stuff, the deep down grasp of whatever makes us true human beings and not just paper cut out characters. She knows us to the raw inner depths. And it's a helluva book because of it. I'm buying all the rest of her stuff. You should head out to the book store and start with Mayday. Set aside some time.

[Melody Bremen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow.
This book deserves five stars for this line alone:
On a scale from one to awkward, we were off the charts.
I think I just found a new favorite author.

[Nancy Cavanaugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A MG story with a main character young readers will love!

[Thea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wayne. He's the boy who's uncle dies while fighting for our country. He's the boy who went with his mom on the plane ride back from the funeral. He's the boy who got in the plane crash. He's the boy who lost his voice-literally. He's the boy who's grandpa comes to live with him. Wayne's life has been completely ruined. His grandpa-who used to be a general for the army-is always trying to get Wayne to be something and someone he's not. His mom is constantly sad. And himself, he just happened to kind-of-sorta-dating the most popular girl in school, but with his voice gone for 3-6 months is driving them apart. To make matters worse his parents are divorced but when he sees his dad, he acts childish and his mom and grandpa are always getting into fights with his dad. Wayne's dad is also being mean to Wayne. But the worst is while Wayne was on the plane as it crashed the wind was more powerful than him. His uncles burial flag was gone. Now Wayne must find a way to get the flag back, stand up to his dad and grandpa, and find his voice. With Wayne's voice gone he hasn't realized how much he needs and used it.
When I read Mayday I felt happy, sad, angry, and all sorts. What I liked about Mayday was that it really showed how one person could have a voice without really having one at all. It really showed you what it wold feel like to be a person in a plane crash and needing to stand up to people. What I disliked was that the dad was really irresponsible. I also disliked the ending. (Don't worry, no spoilers!)
Overall I thought the book Mayday was very good.
I would read this book if you like tragedies or if you you like the book Wonder .

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://pussreboots.com/blog/2017/comm...

Pluses:
The NTSB bits were the most interesting.
The search for the flag was also interesting.
Having a medical reason for Wayne to lose his voice was good.
Wayne's facts are interesting but there are too many.

Minuses:
Grandpa is a dick
Dad is an abusive dick (the doofus thing is act)
True story — if I have to read that phrase one more time I will chuck this book out a window.

A better (and nonfiction) book about recovery from a plane crash is Lost Cat: A True Story of Love, Desperation, and GPS Technology by Caroline Paul

[Henry Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book for boys (and girls should find it impossible to put down, too) that tells the tale of the some of the things young Wayne Kovak loses – his voice, a flag, almost his life – neatly balanced at the end by what he gains as a result of his trials. There’s a harrowing plane crash and some equally harrowing middle school challenges, related with enough humor and genuine emotion to keep even a jaded reader turning the pages. As I read, I kept seeing Robert Duvall as Wayne’s granddad. (Whoever gets the role, I fully expect there to be a movie.)

[Leslie Bryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. What a complex and heartfelt story about Wayne, a plane crash survivor who loses, and subsequently finds, his voice. Mayday is about that familiar time in our lives when we decide who we want to be. How do we face our family’s expectations, our self doubts, and our ambitions all at once? Loved it.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book with lots of heart! I loved The characters and the storyline. Although it's a young adult book, I think it's great for all ages.

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wayne Dalton starts the book as a 7th grader with the socialization skills of a 7-year old, only instead of blurting dinosaur factoids or the hit points of obscure Pokemon move combinations, he interjects his awkward moments with random trivia. To his credit, he does mix up the subjects. (Side note, as a librarian/parent always reminding students to properly cite their sources, it would have been helpful for the author to have included an index of the titles she used for his numerous facts, as a quick lesson in evaluating sources.) As one would expect, he's relegated to the table of middle school misfits, who seem genuinely kind, and appreciative of his G-Rated brand of trourette syndrome. Several reviews have called him sweet. No, he is not sweet. He is pitiful. Within the first few pages the reader is given a glimpse of the damage caused by his father's psychological abuse. Wayne is not sweet, he is trapped within himself, afraid to be honest about his feelings and the motivators in his life. His attempt to fill the void with the sound of his own voice is sad.

Spoilers***
His sad increases with the death of his Uncle Reed, killed in line of duty. The reader is introduced to his unyielding, caricature of a retired drill Sargent of a grandfather (aside--if honorifics like incessant "Sirs" targeting the one male while no reciprocal respect is paid the ladies bothers you, this story will make your teeth hurt). His mother is theatrically overshadowed by her father. Their collective EQ hovered somewhere between the common sense challenged to arrogantly judgemental and insensitive to the point of compassion-less. Your uncle just died. Don't you dare cry! (paraphrasing). Yes, it's ridiculous machismo and a truly savvy reader might infer the grandfather wasn't callously invalidating his 7th grade grandson's fresh sorrow, but rather trying to suppress his own close-the-surface tears. Most probably won't pick up on that until the end.

On their return trip to recover the military flag dressed on Uncle Reed's coffin, the airplane carrying Wayne and his mother crashes. Great depiction of the mid-flight disaster. Not so great depiction of the mother being an absolute idiot and unbuckling to grab her brother's patriotic death shroud. Obviously, people react emotionally, automatically in such circumstances. But really. I have to agree with the Flee (his father), dumb move and disrespectful of the life you're on this planet to protect, Mom.

Wayne wakes with the indelible mark of a Loser across his face and neck. Good news-he lived! Bad news--he's got a slight injury to his neck that requires him to hush, learn to listen, and to use his voice for the power of good, ie to actually connect with human beings in meaningful, honest ways that preserve his own integrity and develop some much needed socialization skills.

I did like Wayne. I did not like the adults in the book. Obviously the father was a turd. But I did not care for his mother, either. The grandfather's illness forced him three or four paces outside his comfort zone. I wasn't impressed by his character growth, but by the end I reluctantly came to sympathize with him and stop wishing him a fiery afterlife. The mother had no arc. She started with zero EQ and a low IQ to boot, and ended with a son who can now take care of her. Feel free to cringe. I did. There's a great German word, fremdschämen, which loosely translates to being embarrassed for strangers when they do really stupid stuff. I felt serious fremdschämen when she didn't get her son PSYCHIATRIC HELP FOR BEING IN A PLANE CRASH! I felt it again when she never sat her son down and told him to STOP FEELING GUILTY ABOUT LETTING GO OF THE FLAG! It is just a stupid bunch of inanimate molecules! It's not alive. And you don't believe you let it go? Really? She really annoyed me.

That said, lots of material to get under a book club's skin for juicy discussion!

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

MIDDLE GRADE FICTION
Karen Harrington
Mayday
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 978-0-316-29801-8, hardcover (also available as an ebook), 352 pgs, $16.99
May 24, 2016

Twelve-year-old Wayne Kovok is an anxious seventh-grader who uses facts (Did you know that chickens can run up to nine miles an hour?) to protect himself from awkward silences and uncomfortable emotions. “A fact is like a shield,” Wayne says, “You can hide behind it. Then you can make a run for it if you need to. Or make someone laugh so that they aren’t laughing at you. Or distract your mom if she is sad.” Wayne’s life is pretty normal—Spanish homework and does Sandy Showalter really like me?—until his Uncle Reed is killed in action in Iraq.

As Wayne and his mother are flying home from Arlington National Cemetery with Uncle Reed’s burial flag (“There was a waiting list for the honored dead,” Wayne observes. “That might be one of the saddest facts I’d ever heard.”), an unseasonal storm forces their plane into an emergency landing. Author Karen Harrington’s imagery is vivid as the plane begins to fall. Wayne’s mother has been cradling Uncle Reed’s burial flag when a hole is ripped in the side of the plane and the flag “unfurled and sailed up into the fuselage like a patriotic kite.” Wayne and his mother survive but many passengers do not. Wayne leaves the hospital with one eyebrow, a large “L”-shaped (“the sign of a loser”) wound stitched together across his face, and a throat injury. The boy who uses his voice to protect, distract, and fill, now has none.

Harrington’s characters are diverse and genuine. There’s Grandpa, a retired army drill sergeant, who moves in with Wayne and his mom to help out during their recovery, quoting Napoleon and issuing commands. Wayne’s mother, who loves Jane Austen movie adaptations and has named their dog Mr. Darcy, shaves off an eyebrow “in solidarity.” Denny, Wayne’s new friend from voice therapy, is preparing for his bar mitzvah, which means he has to read a portion of the Torah aloud to the congregation at their synagogue, which is unfortunate because Denny stutters. But, boy, can he sing—think Mel Tillis.

Mayday is the story of how Wayne learns to deal with unavoidable silences and difficult emotions while his vocal cords heal, making decisions and realizing his own agency, and learning “the economy of the shrug.” Wayne’s first-person narrative is by turns funny and sweet, anguished and melancholy, but always smart and perceptive. The plot is simple, though it deals deftly and sensitively with some of the toughest issues a family can face and Wayne sometimes feels like “the rope in a tug of war. The rope never wins. It just gets pulled.” The pace moves along at a good clip, guaranteed to retain the attention of younger readers.

Mayday compares favorably with the classics from Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume. “I just needed the flag to be found,” Wayne reflects, “Grandpa to move back to his house, my face and neck to heal, my dad to stop messing with me, and Mom to keep smiling and make spaghetti every Tuesday.”

Originally published in Lone Star Literary Life.

[Munro's Kids · Rating 2 out of 5]

There's a base competence to this one that makes it more of a 2.5, but I just couldn't bring myself to round it up to a 3. The story itself is of a pretty typical bent - ordinary kid deals with and overcomes sad circumstances (think Lost in the Sun, or The Thing About Jellyfish or this author's previous work Sure Signs of Crazy) - it's adequate, but not exactly special.

The thing that makes it stand out I guess is the family's ties to the american military. The main character, Wayne's, uncle dies in Iraq and his grandfather - a former military man - comes to stay with him and his mother after they get into a plane crash on the way back from the funeral. The grandfather is obsessed with the military and with american patriotism in a really uncomfortable way, and while part of the arc of the book is his "softening" towards the main character, there's also an admiration for him and his values that is just tough to take. Wayne's mother is thrilled to be able to dedicate a whole wall of their house to photographs of previous generations of military men in their family, which is dubbed the "wall of honour" (although she herself doesn't seem to feel obliged to join the army despite the fact that her father had expectations of both his son and his grandson to do the same.)

This detail is consistent with the not outright sexist but nevertheless kind of reductive gender relations in the book. There is nothing malicious about it, and it's not like the female characters aren't treated like people, but it definitely rankles to have a child be told to look after his mother instead of the other way around or for the hardware store to be considered the perfect place to find miserable girls - little things, but they stand out against the blandness of the rest of the book.
-Angela

[Kim Bongiorno · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty much everyone knows that they need to put the following books on their Middle Grader’s bookshelf: Wonder by R.J. Palacio, Smile by Raina Telgemeier, and Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling. Now you have one more.
12yo Wayne has always filled silences (pauses! breaths!) by rattling off strange facts rather than talk about the things he knows he eventually needs to. When he and his mom survive a plane crash on the way back from his uncle’s funeral, he loses his voice, but – lucky for us – we get to hear his every thought, whether or not he writes them on his trusty notepad for those around him to read. As Wayne navigates his way through the After, a space in which everything is different from his face to his friendships to who lives in his home, the author has a way of peeling the reader raw with a sentence, making everything clear and hopeful or brutally honest, so we can’t help but hear the messages we need to. I saw myself in Wayne, his mom, and other characters in this book, which made me laugh out loud and choke back tears. I read a library copy, then went online and bought a copy for my own bookshelf to ensure my kids both have a chance to read and re-read this one, whenever they need another dose of Wayne’s remarkable voice.

[Kerri · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me by the great and powerful Larose Mutumbo! I can see why she liked it. And I did too. Finally. At the end. That doesn't mean it wasn't great. I just found it to be a bit sad. Don't get me wrong. I love sad books. But with this one it seemed like nothing would go right for Wayne. However, I found myself crying through the end this morning over my eggs and bacon. So, thanks, Larose. Thanks for the recommendation. And thanks for making me cry. :)

[Nova Syzygy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plane crash, lost American flag, bizarre romance (Was there one? I don't know.), and a kid named Wayne (or something similar) are just about the only things I remember about this book, even though I read it twice. Once again, I read this during my rereading phase.

Another great review from me. Woo!

[Abigail Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the most part, this is a very sweet and slightly sad read. I think it makes very good points about how people process trauma differently and the importance of not taking people for granted.

I did get a little bit bored three-fourths of the way through. I'm not sure why except the storyline didn't move super fast.

Overall, a bittersweet, at times funny, easy read.

[Rachel Hogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

For more of my reviews, go to www.litlaughlearn.com

Mayday is a realistic fiction that takes place in Texas. Wayne Kovoc is a spouter of facts. He does it to avoid awkward silences, to make his mom feel better about her romantic situation (aka deadbeat ex-Dad), and to impress his kind-of girlfriend. He also asks the question “why” a lot, which his Uncle Reed, back from the army, says is a useless and trouble-making question. It will only plague you, he says.

Wayne is also a runner, just like his dad, but different. Wayne likes to run because it feels good and he can think and get away from his problems for a bit. His dad runs to be a winner and rub it in other people’s faces. His dad runs away from spending time with Wayne. He runs away from responsibilities. He doesn’t show up.

Wayne’s grandfather, Uncle Reed’s father, is also in the picture. He pops in a lot when Reed is in town and bosses Wayne around because he is a wimpy Kovov and not a brave Dalton. Basically, Wayne feels like a useless errand runner for his grumpy grandpa who tells him he has to work on not being soft so he can be in the army.

Everyone is always telling Wayne what to be. Future army officer. Future track star. Has to sign up for swim camp. Tortured by watching Jane Austen and Jane Austen like movies with his mother. But things start to change after the plane crash.

The whole book is written from what Wayne’s life was before the plane crash and what it is like after. Uncle Reed dies after re-enlisting (for the third time) and on the plane ride home from the funeral, Wayne and his mother are in a crash and some of the only people who survive. Grandpa moves in to help take care of Wayne’s mom and essentially babysit him.

This is the After and Wayne has to deal with it. What happens during this time is the real story. This is a slow moving, thoughtful, spare, dryly humorous and authentic look at life and death and the spoken word and what is all means. What is the real meaning of a hero. Who cares about “why” anymore? It’s a plagued word.

This book will be popular with future Gary Schmidt readers and kids who like to ask the question “why.” I didn’t initially want to read this book. Yes, I saved it on my Goodreads because it looked interesting. I picked 4 books for realistic fiction for my YS book group to pick from. And every kid picked Mayday (I didn’t think they would; it’s kind of fun to be surprised by them all the time). Even from the first sentence, I thought, this is going to be a great book and have some great things to talk about. And it didn’t disappoint. Although, I think I will never fly in a plane again.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full disclosure, if you took into account ONLY the last half of this book, it would have been 5 stars for me. The first part dragged a bit though and it took a while to warm up to the voice/style of the main character Wayne.

Wayne Kovok's life is now split into BEFORE and AFTER. Before his uncle died and he was one of the few survivors of a plane crash. After the accident and the loss of his voice. Wayne once used random factoids to fill the silence of his life, but now he lives in silence. Without his voice to help him, how will he deal with his Uncle Reed's death? His mother's recovery? His grandfather's problems? His scarred face and rocky relationship with his father?

This is a heartwarming story of what happens when you have to find yourself and confront all of the bewildering aspects of life and humanity. Highly recommend.

[Kathy Blodgett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVED this book!!! I brought home several new books to read this summer that are "to be added to the classroom library"; each seemingly interesting, entertaining, or maybe even questionable. After starting 4 "grown up" books and not getting hooked by any, I started this one and was completely hooked by page 7! True story! (To coin a familiar phrase from the novel.) I cannot wait to read that first chapter out loud to my students and hook them too!
The back of the book "hook" seemingly gives the story away; but the real story is within the character(s). So well written!! I will definitely be looking for more from this author.

[Angela Couse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Karen Harrington is fantastic at writing about kids living in tough situations in a sensitive way. In Mayday, Wayne is a self-described who using his encyclopedic knowledge of facts to cope with his difficult and demeaning grandfather, his uninterested girlfriend and absentee dad. If that wasn't bad enough for a 12-year old, Wayne's uncle, a soldier dies fighting overseas. On the way home from the funeral, Wayne and his mother survive a plane crash, but Wayne's facial bruises, scars, stitches and the swelling in his neck means he can't talk or use his facts a coping mechanism. This is a great character-driven story about family, loss, survival, and strength.

[Hailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wayne Covok survived a really bad plane crash. He couldnt talk but it didn't keep him from following his dreams. He is a determined 7th grader and a really smart kid. He never runs out of facts. His uncle dies of cancer and his dad/the flee is abusive to Wayne. Without his voice can Wayne survive in this new world? It doesnt take long for Wayne to relieze how much he doesn't say, and how much he needs to be said of.This was a educational and exciting book and i was so sad when i finished. I hope whoever reads this book feels the same way about it as i did.

[Leah Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! While it is classified as juvenile lit, I found it quite enjoyable even though I am long passed my "juvenile" stage. It is so easy to relate to the young boy as he deals with the normal issues of growing up and wanting to fit in, surviving a plane crash but losing both his voice and the burial flag of his uncle, and family relationships. And having part of the story take place in my hometown of Jefferson, TX makes it that much more special.

[Melia · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the book Mayday Wayne Kovok demonstrates the character strength persistence because while coming home for his uncles funeral the plane crashed and he survived but he slowly learns that life without your voice is hard how will he talk to his soon to be maybe girlfriend. Wayne demonstrates persistence because he learns how to communication and overcome his lose of speech and along his persistent journey Wayne learns there are other forms of communication then just your voice.

[Jpaulson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mayday is heartfelt, disastrous, and easy to read for anyone from 5th-8th grade. Wayne is having the worst year a kid could possibly have... his uncle died in the war, his plane goes down and loses his uncle's military burial flag, he has lost his voice, he's got a giant l- shaped scar in his face, his grandpa has moved in, and his dad is a deadbeat! That is a lot to take in a short amount of time, but Wayne muddles through and finds a new friend and a loving Grandpa who help him through the hard times.

[Jeannie T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! Talk about a quick read and a great way to discuss resiliency with middle school students. The main character, Wayne, made be laugh with all of his wonderful facts about the world. His honesty about being a boy in middle school was genuine. The book tackles military service, grief, cancer, identity, divorce and resiliency. It is perfect for all middle school age students and excellent choice for book clubs.

[Morgan Redd · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put this book down! Reading from middle schooler Wayne's POV was brilliant and quirky and refreshing. I also really enjoyed Wayne's endless amount of facts that were sprinkled throughout the story, I learned things I didn't know. The resilience of this character is heart warming and inspiring.

I'm looking forward to reading more books by Karen Harrington.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.8 Stars Surprisingly poignant and touching...about so much more than just a boy trying to find his authentic voice and his cantankerous grandpa who helps him find it. Expect the unexpected and your eyes cannot help but swell with tears.

[Rissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book in middle school it was the first book I enjoyed reading and couldn’t put down now that I’ve reread after all these years I realize the book is about appreciating the storm before the rainbow. The book may be about a plane crash but there’s more life to this book than just how Wayne survived he bonded with his grandpa and his dad who he didn’t have a good relationship with at all he made real friends and learned how to be okay with awkwardness instead of scared it