MMGM- This Could All Go Bad

After Labor Day is still the new year for me, even when school starts in August. 

To celebrate, I'm reviewing the best middle grade book I have ever read and talking to its author. I read this during a personally lackluster summer, which included many books that were just... sad. Sad in that all the middle grade parents continued to die, and also sad that publishing doesn't seem to understand what tweens want to read. Mac Barnett said things, and I'm not going to opine. It's not the middle grade literature is bad. It's that it doesn't always align with what kids want to read. Life lessons are okay. But authors shouldn't be writing what is "in their heart" so they can process their own emotions. They should be thinking, like Jean Craighead George did when she wrote My Side of the Mountain, about what kids like to read. 

That's certainly what Mr. Hall was thinking. I'm going to try to write a sensible review, but this absolutely blew my socks off. I bought five copies. This is the book my students want, AND it made me (and an 80 year old friend of mine!) cry, so teachers and librarians will be okay with it. If anything ever deserved a Newbery Award, it is this book. 

Happy New Year!

Hall, Spencer. This Could All Go Bad.

May 19, 2026 by Bloomsbury 

Public Library Copy

Jensen Chapman isn't looking forward to his 8th grade graduation, mainly because he managed to get a black eye in dodgeball right in front of his crush, Leslie Chen. When his two best friends, Cooper and Maleek, show up at his window in the middle of the night on the day before the ceremony, he thinks that they have taken leave of their senses when they want him to sneak out with them. Maleek has an ongoing dare challenge going on with Priya, and announces that the boys have four hours to complete three dares to finally end the competition. Jensen is frequently worried about things, getting sucked into Doom Spirals, and his friends know this. They have always been supportive, but Jensen worries that they will tire of him when they start Groveland High School, but it's when he finds out that Leslie working on Priya's dares with her that he agrees to take part. Perhaps he can redeem himself a little bit, and maybe even work on his plan to talk to her, since they seemed to connect while seatmates on a school trip. The first dare is to ride a skateboard down Clay's Mill Hill, and after much internal struggle, Jensen throws caution to the wind and kneepads on his legs and takes off down the hill. He barely survives when the front truck comes loose, but Leslie sends a virtual fist bump, which bouys his spirits. Jensen is worried when the group stops and picks up a "rando" friend of Maleek's from soccer, Hugo. Hugo has a broken leg, but this doesn't stop the group from roping a wagon behind a bike and taking off. The second challenge is to free a caged animal, which the boys manage to do in the funniest middle grade scene ever written, involving ferrets, several levels of bullies, and a red slushie. The third challenge is more serious, and involves getting into the middle school through a propped open window and finding a way to humiliate Assistant Principal Awford. The boys think that sitting on a Whoopee cushion on stage at graduation would be appropriate, since Awford (aka "Awful") likes to humiliate kids. Even Leslie has fallen prey to this when he took her deck of cards on the school trip, claiming she was causing a disturbance. Jensen decides he doesn't want anyone to feel humiliation, and the boys agree with him, although this doesn't stop them from breaking into Awford's office and getting Leslie's cards back. They also get mixed up with the lock down at the high school across the street, chased by teachers, and have to ask Jensen's sister Mandy for help. With just minutes to go before the 4 a.m. deadline, the boys agree to just... give up the challenge. Maleek has to post on social media that Priya is the winner, but the boys get to hang out at her house playing video games, so it's not all bad. Jensen even talks to Leslie, who feels bad about Jensen's black eye, thinking she caused it! It's a sweet scene that is interrupted by dogs, and the boys end up fleeing the house at 5 a.m. After Cooper and Maleek drop a bombshell, Jensen calls Mandy to take him home. She gets him, drops the boys off, and offers some advice. Jensen manages to make it to graduation and make his peace with his friends. An epilogue gives us a glimpse of Jensen's homeroom at Groveland High School, and it looks like high school will be okay. 

Don't want to give away some of the twists and turns! 

Strengths: This might have to be in list format, so other authors can consult it. These are things that made this book great. 

**Characters- Jensen is realistically worried, but in a way that most people are. Over the course of the book, he realizes that it's stopping him from having fun, and he is proud of himself for stepping outside his comfort zone. Maleek is a solid character who is masterminding events, and the boys don't hesitate to call him out on his relationship with Priya, which they think he should make healthier by stopping the competition. Cooper is a theater kid who says several times he isn't interested romantically in anyone, and who brings a flair to the proceedings. Hugo is thrust into a friend group and holds his own, and at the end of the book becomes an awesome friend for Jensen. Leslie is fantastic; no wonder Jensen is smitten. Mandy is a great big sister, and BOTH OF JENSEN'S PARENT ARE ALIVE. And wonderfully, wonderfully annoying. 

**Pacing-- The sweet spot for middle grade is to have a lot of running around, then a bit of chatting. Ride a skateboard down a hill, then worry about high school. Defeat bullies with attack ferrets, talk about relationships. Ask older sister about flirting tips after a frenzied lam in a golf cart. I also have to admire Hall's tenacity. I really thought the book would end with Leslie and Jensen kissing, but no. There was still more to come. I was irritated a bit at first, but then so surprised and happy with the continuation of the story. 

**Funny lines-- Hall's attempts at stand up comedy are evident. There are tons of hysterically funny throwaway lines, the kind that Jordan Sonnenblick does so well. I didn't write them all down, but they did make me snort audibly, which to me is the sign of excellent writing. Also, the scene at Furballs Convenience Store with Bennet the Buttmunch and ferrets K-Ci and JoJo is the funniest piece of writing EVER. 

**Universal appeal-- Everyone has a little anxiety in middle school, but most people manage to have some heroic moments as well. The liminal space between 8th grade and high school is packed with emotions. Crushes at that age will lead the best of us to make rash decisions, but the high of having our crush give us the least bit of attention... whew. Deftly portrayed. Also, who doesn't like to read about kids sneaking out of the house and doing stupid things in the middle of the night? 

**Heartfelt philosophical lessons for the Newbery Committe-- I was in slow, leaky tears for the last third for this book. Maleek and Cooper's bombshell slapped me upside the head so hard, and I could not stop crying. Mandy, who is off to college, has a line that should be embroidered on a pillow: "Every good thing in life is to be held loosely." I'm crying now, just thinking about it. All of the emotions were carefully on point; Maleek and Cooper are careful about Jensen's Doom Spirals, Jensen doesn't want to humiliate the principal, the pranks are as circumspect as they can be, Leslie and Jensen have common interests, Mandy talks about consent, and Hugo is a big help to Jensen. There are appropriate apologies, consideration of other's feelings, and, well, I'm fairly certain that the school golf cart didn't come to any harm. 

The cover is perfect as well, since it won't date badly, the way illustrations tend to. 
Weaknesses: The only other book that Hall has written is a YA title, and I have to hunt that down RIGHT NOW. It's horrible that this one was not on my radar before it was published, which makes me think somewhat violent thoughts about the publisher and publicity team.
What I really think: If you read only one middle grade book this year, read this one. Perfect for fans of Jordan Sonnenblick, John David Anderson's 2016 Ms. Bixby's Last Day (the last book that made me cry), or Ross' The Amazing Beef Squad. If you're a school librarian, just buy five copies and hand them to every 8th grade boy you have. I've already e mailed the mother of a reluctant reader who was in my advisory group named Jensen, recommending the book to him! 

Many thanks to Mr. Hall for taking the time to do this interview, and for sending along his middle school picture! 

Interview:

1. Who were you as a middle grade reader? What were some books you enjoyed?

In many ways, I feel like my middle school self was a much different reader than my adult self. Like many kids in the 90’s, I loved the Goosebumps series, which served as a bit of a gateway to horror. I remember being blown away when I read my first Edgar Allan Poe stories in middle school because they felt so scandalous. I was like, “You’re allowed to write stuff like this?” I also first discovered the Redwall series around that age, so I read quite a few of those books. I say I was a different reader back then because I don’t really feel much of a pull to horror or fantasy books these days, but I’m grateful that those stories helped get me into reading. 

Superhero comics were also huge for me, which is probably why I have a bit of an itch to write a graphic novel someday.

2. So few middle grade books feature male friendships. Jensen’s relationship with Maleek and Cooper is realistically nuanced, and a really good, supportive example for readers. Did you base these friendships on your own? 

I was lucky enough to have some great friends during my middle school years. I feel like that’s the time in my life where I was first beginning to discover who I was and what I cared about, and I look back fondly on those years as a time when I could be open and genuine with my friends. In my adult years, I’ve certainly recognized the importance of male friendship. They say there’s a male loneliness epidemic, and I think a lot of that is because men are so often not great at reaching out and doing the work of fostering ongoing, supportive relationships, so I wanted to write a book that showcases how great friendships among young men can look.

3. Jensen’s crush on Leslie was also well portrayed. How big a role do you think romance has in the lives of most middle school students? 

Well it’s been a long time since I’ve been in middle school, so it’s hard for me to say how things may have changed over the past several decades, but crushes were definitely a big part of my middle school experience. That was the time when I first started to really notice who I was attracted to, and I have very vivid memories of school dances and those anxious feelings of first crushes. It was fun to go back and explore that time again with this book.

4. Adults forget how annoying family can be when we are tweens, even if we love them. Why did you decide to keep Jensen’s parents alive, but make them so deliciously annoying? 

I was fortunate enough to be raised in a household with two parents who love each other and loved me well, so I feel like sidestepping the dead parent YA trope and keeping the parents alive and happy in my books sort of comes naturally to me. With this book, you see so little of the parents that I really wanted their personalities to shine through in the little glimpses you do get. As I was writing, I also realized that I’m getting to the point where the parents in the YA novels I’m writing realistically wouldn’t be much older than me, so it’s fun to imagine how I might annoy a teen if I was raising one.

5. You manage to work a ton of information about healthy relationships into the book without it becoming preachy. Why did you choose to include these discussions?

The heart of this book is the friendship between the boys. Unfortunately, around the ages of thirteen and fourteen is where we’re seeing boys start to get sucked into this toxic masculinity space online, where weird influencers are pushing regressive ideas about what it means to be a man, and how we should approach dating and treat each other. I really wanted this book to fight against that current. I wanted to write a story about boys who are thoughtful and caring, while still being goofy and fun-loving and (occasionally) immature. To me, it felt important to show young men that they can bond with each other and build relationships with the opposite sex in a way that isn’t selfish and doesn’t devalue anyone else.

6. Sneaking out at night has a huge appeal, even for readers who usually follow the rules. What would you say to adult gatekeepers who might not like the fact that the boys took such risks?

 I think a huge part of growing up is learning to recognize the consequences of our own actions. While it’s perfectly natural to want to keep kids swaddled and safe, at a certain point we have to let them step from the nest and learn to fly as their failing. This book is about a kid who has always been perfectly content in the nest and now he’s getting shoved out and that terrifies him. We know that young people aren’t always going to make the best decisions (as opposed to us adults who always make very thoughtful and reasonable choices, of course!), so I think one of the best things we can do is foster an environment where teens can fail safely. That’s what it's like for Jensen in this book, while he is making some bold and sometimes dangerous decisions, he’s still doing it in an environment where he’s insulated by the love and support of his friends, his sister, and his parents.

7. Authors seem insistent on writing what’s in their hearts, which is usually sad. What are some of the challenges of writing comedy? 

Ha! Yes, my heart is full of sadness as well, it’s just not what seems to come out when I write! Honestly, I think one of the challenges is just trying to figure out what’s funny. As you know, authors read their manuscript dozens of times before it actually gets published. Reading over the same thing so often, you start to wonder, “Is this even funny? Does this land?” That’s why it’s important to have other writers around you to bounce ideas off of, so they can provide a fresh perspective. I also think writing comedy is a muscle that require training. Creating jokes from nothing isn’t easy, so there’s a real discipline in learning how to craft and structure them. Writers are taught how to pull books apart and learn the beats that make the story work, and if you want to write comedy you have to learn how to do that with jokes, too.

8. There are some serious issues in the book. Why did you decide to include Jensen’s “doom spirals”, and show him as able to work through them? 

I was not the bravest kid growing up. Taking risks was not something that came naturally to me, and I think there are a lot of kids/teens who are that way. There’s nothing inherently wrong with being risk-averse, but as I’ve grown up I’ve made the same discovery that Jensen makes in this book – so many great things in life lie just on the other side of fear, we just have to find the courage to step into it. I chose to include the scenes of Jensen fighting with his dread to show readers it’s not some light switch. You don’t wake up and suddenly decide to be brave one day. Courage is a muscle that requires training to build. It’s work, and progress isn’t linear. Sometimes you backslide or fail. The important thing is to know that you can always try again.

9. Are you a “plotter” or a “pantser”? Did you give a lot of thought to the brilliant pacing in your book, or did it just evolve naturally?

I’m 100% a pantser (even though I usually wish I wasn’t!). I like to say that some authors have a lighthouse, where they can see the full story from beginning to end with this powerful, guiding light, whereas I have a flashlight, where I’m lucky to just find the next step most of the time. With this particular story, I think the fact that it takes place almost entirely in a single night helps with the pacing. With every hour, the night grows darker and boys find themselves farther from home, so the tension builds. Also, I owe a huge shout out to my editor, Alex Borbolla, who is a great plotter and has a keen eye for figuring out how to inject tension.

10. You’ve written a young adult book as well; what’s next for you? My feelings wouldn’t be hurt if we saw the further adventures of Jensen and Hugo! 

I love writing stories for and about teens, so hopefully more work to come! I think my publisher likes me in this space – funny stories aimed at younger teen boys, and we’ve had some productive conversations about how to keep doing that. At my book launch, someone pitched that since TCAGB is about four friends on the eve of their eighth-grade graduation it would be fun to write a sequel where we see them going out on the eve of their high school graduation, which I also think would be really fun.