Trace will never forget the day his older brother Will was injured on the football field. The TBI (traumatic brain injury) Will suffered left him with a facial tic, horrible headaches, depression, and a personality change. Now their parents are divorced and Trace's mom is constantly on the road with her music career while his father is busy at his Las Vegas casino job. That leaves twelve-year-old Trace to fend for himself most of the time.
Trace remembers Will as the older brother who let him hang out even though he was five years older. Will was never too busy to answer Trace's questions or help him with whatever he needed. Now between fits of rage and bouts of depression, Will doesn't want to spent time with family at all. Trace knows he can no longer depend on Will to drive him to school, pick him up from baseball practice, or be there when he gets home at the end of the day. He has noticed Will has a new set of "friends" who look pretty shady.
Meanwhile life goes on. Trace goes to school, plays baseball, and does chores for the elderly man next door. A new girl named Cat begins playing on Trace's baseball team, and he discovers she's not only a great player but also a potential new friend. Learning that her dad is the famous player Alex Sanchez is cool, too. He even signs Trace's baseball glove and offers Trace rides home when Will doesn't show up.
Things come to a head for Trace when his formerly loving and supportive brother begins stealing from him. First it's money from Trace's hard earned savings and then it's the autographed mitt. Trace feels dismissed when he tries to tell his father about his concerns. Calls to his mother on tour with her band don't seem to make a difference either. Meanwhile, Trace watches as his brother spirals toward a frightening cliff.
Author Ellen Hopkins has written her second middle grade novel in verse. Her take on a family coping with depression and addiction is spot on. Viewed through the eyes of young Trace, readers will see an innocence and fear that is present in too many young lives today. WHAT ABOUT WILL is sure to resonant with middle grade readers dealing with similar issues or readers looking to understand someone is.
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