I love that this is a middle grade novel written in verse. I think it is a valuable introduction to verse and provides a great look into Collins life and hardships. The fact that he has to deal with real world issues really makes him relatable and liked.

Collin’s mum died two years ago in a car accident, and since then he carries around a bright-orange notebook with instructions for what to do in case of various emergencies. His dad is a brilliant mathematician, but struggles with his emotions and with basic parental responsibilities – he just keeps adding more and more stuff in the house and doesn’t realise how ‘the blob’ impacts Collin. Collin has wonderful friends: Liam, who is always joking and usually in trouble, and whose mum is deeply empathetic; and Georgia, a talented diver who like Liam is fiercely protective of Collin. But he also has to face Before & After, bullies, and the deep shame of what is happening to the house and his life due to his father’s hoarding.

This is a beautifully written book which explores themes linked to grief, compulsive hoarding disorder, neglect and mental illness – but it also has lighter moments, interesting survival strategies (linked to the narrative) and heartwarming friendships.

It is also a verse novel. I’m a big fan of verse novels because of their emotional potency, but also because they appeal to reluctant and struggling readers; I have seen students’ attitudes to reading transformed through verse novels – often the first book they have finished in years. Here is an example from Worst-Case Collin of how just a few words can carry a punch:

2 is a prime number.
2 is the number of years
that have passed since Before became After.
2 is the number of cars
that collided on the bridge.
2 is the number of states separated by the river that runs under the
bridge.
2 is the number of minutes
it took emergency responders to break the window.
2 is too many.
2 is the number of people
left in our home now that Mom is gone.
2 is not enough.

I recommend this poignant, deeply empathetic, accessible verse novel to middle grade students and up – it is perfect for the Year 7 & 8 students I work with, and it will be a popular addition to our library.

First class worrier, 12 year old Collin, grieves the death of his mother while his math-genius father retreats into isolation and hoarding. Told in verse, including some concrete poems, and interspersed with pages from his disaster survival notebook, the story follows Collin as he navigates middle school, faces bullying, learns to trust his two friends, experiences his first crush, and comes to understand his dad’s mental disorder as well as his own anxiety issues. Lyrical, poignant, inventive and thoroughly engaging.

When I heard the book was set in Arizona, I jumped to read it! And then I fell deep into the book. It is so good, although your heart is going to ache. As a teacher, I continue to wonder what my students are dealing with at home. I hope nothing like what Collin is living with, but I have a feeling this is more common than we would assume.

Worst-Case Collin is an emotional story about grieving. Collin has had to experience more than most at his age. He lost his mom in a tragically and unexpectedly. Collin and his dad have had to cope with her loss in different ways. Collin has a book where he records what to do in worst-case scenarios. His dad is coping with the loss by hoarding. This novel in verse book packs an emotional punch. We get to know so much about Collin - his hopes, worries, and thoughts. This story will lead to wonderful conversations about grief, anxiety, and OCD. I would recommend this story to others.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Collin has a lot on his plate. He already had some anxiety but then his mother died in a car accident and he began to worry about disasters all the time. He carries around a worst case scenario handbook. On top of that, his brilliant mathematician professor father is a hoarder. Collin struggles to survive and keep this secret until it becomes too big. At times, heartbreaking, this story in free verse gives real insight into the life of a child of a hoarder. Also a beautiful story about the power of friendship and speaking out.

I enjoyed this book and think my students will also. Love that it is wrote in verse. My students have been loving reading books wrote in verse so this will be a hit!

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC of Worst-Case Collin by Rebecca Caprara. I was intrigued by this book in verse from beginning to end. Collin, a 12-year old whose mother died in a fluke car crash two years ago, believes in being prepared for any type of catastrophe including avalanches (despite living in the desert). He keeps a special notebook of potential catastrophes and how to survive them, which he also memorizes, realizing he won't be able to reference his notebook if a real catastrophe arises.

Collin's father, a genius mathematician, deals with his grief differently, by becoming a hoarder. Collin struggles with how to deal with this and how to hide it from his two best friends, Liam and Georgia. Additionally, there is a class bully, Tyson, who causes a lot of pain for Collin.

I was fascinated with the in-depth look at the hoarding disorder the father has and how it affected Collin, as well as the anxiety disorder Collin has. I hope this book opens up conversations about mental health as they are so needed in this world. I highly recommend this book.

Worst-Case Collin is a story told by verse which covers various topics such as mental health and grief. Ever since his mother died, Collin carries a worst-case scenario handbook in which he writes instructions to follow in different situations like how to be prepared for a typhoon or being stuck on a riptide, these instructions are entwined with the poems. Collin’s father, instead, has developed a compulsive hoarding disorder which I think is handled in a good form.

Throughout the story we are able to see how Collin feels everything, going from missing his mother to being angry with his father and the situation they are living in. He only has a few safe spaces where he goes to avoid being in his home, he also wants to do something to make things better but is scared of what might happen to him if he does seek for help.

He has two friends, Liam and Georgia, whom I think are the best and always stand out every time Collin needs help, I really liked their friendship. Also, Liam’s mom was so sweet to Collin, she was making sure he knew he could turn to her to ask for help.

I also liked how the author portrayed Collin’s father disorder, saying that it wasn’t something that could be solved overnight and that he still needed help to recover.

Finally, one of the things I enjoyed the most about this book, was how I could empathize with Collin and all the things he was feeling, I think the author made a good job at showing Collin’s emotions.

This was an interesting book. I liked the way the pages were not full of words, it helps struggling readers not to feel so overwhelmed. The book itself was interesting with Collin’s take on each page plus some of his worst case scenario tips. This book may be good for kids that are also struggling to read about another child who it going through his own struggles.

A book about a subject matter that is not all that common: hoarding. Narrated from a young boys point of view, we see the impact a life-changing event can have on a seemingly good family dynamic. The first person perspective enables us to see the internal battle Collin faces between coping with a life spiralling out of control and the need to protect the weakening family ties he has left with his father. Not only does Collin have to deal with the tragedies he faces in his home life, he also has to cope with school pressures, most notably the fact he is being bullied. The most ironic part of the book is the title. “Worst Case Collin” is constantly preparing for situations that will probably never occur, without actually realising that the worst case has, and is, already happening....