Where do I even begin with this one? To be honest, I didn’t have very high hopes going into the book—this has one of the worst covers I’ve seen in a good while, and that did nothing to make me excited about reading the story. But once I got into it, though, wow. What a book!

This book deals with some very hard themes: Racism, grief, and having to learn to forgive and work through things when difficulties come our way, to name a few. Henry’s family weren’t particularly close, so that was an interesting element to track as the book progressed. This also had a fascinating thread of history woven through (I’d love to know if it has any basis in real history or not!), as well as being a rich story of growth and healing.

It’s hard to know what to say and what not to because so much feels like spoilers. I will say that I found Chay’s story heart-wrenching, and I loved Henry’s friend (even though he had a sad backstory). This book is about friendship, learning to support each other, grieving, and so much more. It was realistic, heartbreaking, and hopeful. I loved it, and am looking forward to reading other Gary D. Schmidt books—after reading three of his books over the last year, he’s become one of my new favorite authors. ( )

Trouble is about forgiveness, grief and racism. ( )

Trouble is about forgiveness, grief and racism. ( )

Henry Smith and his family lead a very easy life - his brother is an excellent sportsman, his sister is smart and well-liked, and he is a leader on his crew team. All that changes when trouble finds them. Henry's brother is the victim in a hit and run accident, and the driver is an immigrant from the other side of the city. As Henry's brother lies comatose in the hospital, the entire town goes into an uproar over the accident and the immigrant population. It is all Henry can do to keep his own head above water...

This story felt too disjointed at the beginning and too put together at the end. Each loose thread was tied together despite the fact that they seemed to be ridiculously random. I had a difficult time enjoying the story because I just kept thinking "why do I care about that?" I also think that some of the connections were too random because I assumed them before they were announced - why else would they be in the book? ( )

Gary Schmidt is one of my 'Go to' authors when I'm looking for a book to read together as a family. He brings up real-life issues with characters that I end up loving and his books are always good for starting a discussion. Trouble did not disappoint as far as bringing up some hot topics - slavery, immigration, racism, lying to save a friend. But as much as I enjoyed all of the issues, there was almost too much thrown into this book, which finally detracted from a concise cohesive story. Will I read another of his books - absolutely! Still a great book, but not one of his best. ( )