Vandal by Michael Simmons is the story about Will Brenner, an average 16-year-old boy dealing with normal teenage issues. But one thing about Will’s life isn’t so normal. Will’s brother, Jason, has been a trouble maker for as long as he can remember. Jason has had countless encounters with the police, was been in juvenile detention once, and torments Will daily. The only person who seems able to control Jason is their little sister, Olivia. But in a fatal accident, Jason slams a van into the back of their family car, leaving their mother with a broken bones and Olivia in a coma. Now, Will must learn to cope with the sadness and uncertainty of the accident, Jason’s behavior problems, and all of the other worries that accompany being a teenager.
At first, I thought the book was slow-moving and very confusing because it skipped around a lot. But once I got into the book I found it was interesting and quite good. Simmons puts into words fears that teenagers experience; the fear of losing someone close to you , the fear of your crush not liking you back, and the fear that someone might not like you however hard you try. This makes Will is a very relatable character. Overall I thought the book was excellent, though very sad. It’s a great book for preteens to teenagers.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Erlanger, Kentucky United States
