Trouble

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Teens face violence, racism on a road trip to redemption.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

Find out more

Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

Find out more

Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

Not yet rated

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this book will encourage teens to think about racism and what its effects can be. The central event is a gruesome accident in which a boy's arm is torn off, and from which he eventually dies.  There is racial bullying, name-calling, and other violence -- but teens will be moved by the story here as three teen boys seek understanding and redemption.

  • May spark some passionate discussions about the roots of racism -- what has changed and what the world is like today.
  • Three teen boys unknowingly seek understanding and redemption after a terrible tragedy ignites racial tensions.
  • Henry is a relatable character. He decides to climb the mountain to prove he's a man -- and because his brother had challenged him to do it before he died. But through this journey he is able to come of age in a different way, by coming into a greater understanding of the person he really wants to be.
  • A gruesome car accident in which a boy's arm is torn off; another boy is shot; arson; four boys beat another unconscious; a boy is cut with a broken glass bottle; several fist fights. A dog is beaten and starved. A mention of rape.

What's the story?

When Henry's older brother Franklin is killed in a car accident, Henry decides to go ahead with their planned trip to climb Mt. Katahdin. Along the way Henry -- accompanied by his best friend, his dog, and his brother's accused killer, a Cambodian refugee -- learns more about Franklin's real nature, the fateful accident, the wider world, and himself.


Is it any good?

 

There are horror stories that involve werewolves, vampires, and other monsters of myth and fantasy, creatures that crawl out of overwrought imaginations and nighttime fears. And then there are the horror stories that involve the ordinary, everyday ways that human beings treat and mistreat one another. The first type can be fun, if you have a taste for that sort of thing. The second, especially in the hands of a master, is simply horrific; the kind of thing that, while you are reading it or thinking about it, makes it hard to breathe, or swallow, or see clearly through unshed tears.

And that's just the first half of what is really two stories in one novel. The second half, considerably lighter than the first, though not without its own horrors, is the road trip of three teen boys, each of them unknowingly seeking understanding and redemption. As in his previous novels, Schmidt throws a lot of complexity and subplots in here, and this time not all of them are a comfortable fit or lead anywhere. But all are fascinating, and each, such as a crew race or the discovery of the wreckage of a slave ship, has metaphorical resonance with the main story. Schmidt has emerged as a writer of rare power who spins emotionally and intellectually complex tales in a gorgeously literary style that makes every scene, every setting, every passing breeze, spring vividly and completely to life.


Sign Up Message
Sign up for our weekly newsletter
Each week we send a customized newsletter to our parent and teen subscribers. Parents can customize their settings to receive recommendations and parent tips based on their kids’ ages. Teens receive a version just for them with the latest reviews and top picks for movies, video games, apps, music, books, and more.
Please enter an email address.
Please check your email address for possible typos.
Sorry, you must be 13 or older to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Sign me up!

What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about this book's theme. Do the tensions between the Cambodians and white people seem authentic? How do they compare to the racial tensions that exist in your own school or community?

  • Readers who have finished Schmidt's The Wednesday Wars might want to compare and contrast the two books. How would you describe the author's writing style?


This review was written by Matt Berman
Teen, 14 years old
October 31, 2010
 
This book is sooo good, everyone should read it of all ages.
I think the book tTrouble by Gary Schmidt sends a positive message, not a negative message. This book teaches about racial issues. This teaches kids that you should never treat each other unfailry. It also teaches that just because someone is different from you, doesn't mean that you can't be friends. I have no clue why some of you give it the ratings you do because of beer and rape and violence, because your children are going to learn about it one day. It's best they learn about it in a fiction book. And heck, many of them already know about alot of the stuff in the book, but they just don't tell you. Take it from me, a girl who just turned 13. This book is perfect for anyone who wants a good book to read. No matter what the age.

Flag as inappropriate 
Parent of 14 year old
April 9, 2008
 
A really great book for discussing racism
The racism in this book is apalling and makes for a great discussion with kids - for both blatant racism and more subtle racism, like what goes on in the school in this story. The anguished question from the Father in this story about whether his dead son would have become a good man is also a thought provoking discussion point - especially for older teens.

Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 15 years old
May 16, 2012
 
Respect
I think that this is a really good book. I think this because i have friends who have had, what goes on throughout the book, happen to them. It's sad at time's when i know they are gone from school, and it is because of their arm. But i really like this book because it inspires me. It inspires me by making me thank for what i have and hope for the best that the others do not.

Flag as inappropriate 

This review was written by Matt Berman
Author:Gary D. Schmidt
Book type:Fiction
Genre:Family Life
Publisher:Clarion Books
Publication date:April 21, 2008
Number of pages:297
Hardcover price:$16.00
Publisher's recommended age(s):12 - 12

This review was written by Matt Berman
 

Review It

Share your review with others

Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.
About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

Great alternatives handpicked by our editors

 

vote now

Will you read Trouble?


Already read it? What do you think?

 

Been There? Tell us about it