WORSER by Jennifer Ziegler
ABOUT THE BOOK
Worser grew up with his mom, a professor of rhetoric and an introvert just like him, in a comfortable routine that involved reading aloud in the evenings, criticizing the grammar of others, ignoring the shabby mess of their house, and suffering the bare minimum of social interactions with others. But recently all that has changed. His mom had a stroke that left her nonverbal, and his Aunt Iris has moved in with her cats, art projects, loud music, and even louder clothes. Home for Worser is no longer a refuge from the unsympathetic world at school that it has been all his life.
Feeling lost, lonely, and overwhelmed, Worser searches for a new sanctuary and ends up finding the Literary Club--a group of kids from school who share his love of words and meet in a used bookstore- something he never dreamed existed outside of his home. Even more surprising to Worser is that the key to making friends is sharing the thing he holds dearest: his Masterwork, the epic word notebook that he has been adding entries to for years.
But relationships can be precarious, and it is up to Worser to turn the page in his own story to make something that endures so that he is no longer seen as Worser and earns a new nickname, Worder.
REVIEW
This remarkable book by Jennifer Ziegler really tugged at my heartstrings. Not only did I enjoy the word games that Worser compiles in his 'masterwork' but I could so relate to his social awkwardness. Worser's struggle to adjust to the many changes in his life, especially his mother's stroke, and his aunt's embarrassing behavior. On top of that, Worser has only one friend, but he doesn't really spend time with him. But when his crush, Donya, needs help finding a place for the Literary Club to meet, he just happens to know a place. Just when things seem to be looking up, Worser receives news that pushes him over the edge and he does something he will always regret. Can he somehow find a way to piece his world back together. Despite the many mistakes that Worser makes, I couldn't help but feel for him as he struggles to face the many changes in his life. And just when it seems he's found his grove things crumble. On the other hand, I also winced more than once at Worser's tactlessness. But considering the way he was raised, it's not too surprising that he doesn't really know how to be the best kind of friend. While I would have preferred no swearing and profanity in what was a great book, many young readers won't mind in the face of this rather unusual tale of a boy struggling to find his place in the world.
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