mswatson's Reviews (552)

I hated the idea of Dead Wednesday, the "holiday" upon which the book is based. I'm sure it's from my personal experiences with these types of manipulative events that adults place on young kids, but I struggled to get through the first half of the book.

I also hated the second half of the book. I loved Spinelli's works previously but just disliked this story. Worm was unlikable (but relatable to us shy kiddos...). I hated that he ended up being the hero.

The author gives an appropriate warning at the beginning of the book. There is graphic sex and harassment descriptions throughout the book, so I wouldn't recommend it to my middle schoolers, but it does tell a powerful story about harassment and power especially for young people when race, language, and socio-economic status are factors.