Thank you Walker Books for this book in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis:

Worse Things follows the lives of three main characters: Blake, an Aussie Rules football player who suffers a devastating injury; Jolene, a hockey player who hates the game and is grieving over the recent death of her father; and Amed, a soccer-loving, non-English speaking orphan who feels like an outsider since arriving in Australia after being raised in a refugee camp.

Review:

Worse Things was a really quick emotional read told in verse. It wasn’t what I expected but it did make it worthwhile! In Worse Things we focus on three kids who are struggling with feeling alone and the heaviness of life that is placed upon them.

Amed is fairly new to Australia after being raised in a refugee camp and now living with his aunt. The language barrier is making it hard for Amed to make friends and reach out to people, so he sits back and hopes for people to approach him.

Jolene is playing hockey even though she really despises the sport. Her mother is a control freak who constantly forced Jolene to play hockey.

Blake breaks his arm while playing football and now that he has been sidelined he feels as though his friends have forgotten about him and without football he has lost his identity.

You can find yourself feeling pity for the children as you get to know them and you began to think if you were nearby would you offer help?

While you live through the emotions of these kids’ lives, I thought there would have been a little bit more depth to the book and to their stories, but I suppose that is the downside to a verse told story.

Rating: 4/5

Publisher: Walker Books

ISBN: 9781760651657