Worser
A lover of logic, words, and grammar, 12-year-old William Wyatt Orser acquired the annoyingly ungrammatical nickname “Worser” so long ago that few people at school know to call him anything else. Nor do they know about his Masterwork—an epic lexicon of words he’s carefully collected over the years.
When his widowed mother suffers a debilitating stroke that leaves her unable to speak, Worser’s world is completely upended. His aunt moves in along with her cats, art projects, loud music, and bright clothes, and home is not the refuge it once was.
Feeling lost, lonely, and overwhelmed, Worser searches for a new sanctuary just as the Literary Club run by his favorite classmate, Donya Khoury, needs a place as well. Worser finds a used bookstore that opens its doors to all of them, and he discovers—much to his surprise—that the key to making friends is for him to open up, too. Gradually, he finds himself sharing his thoughts, feelings, and sense of humor—and even pages of his treasured Masterwork.
But when change threatens his new refuge, Worser’s grief and frustration lead him to react in an extreme and destructive way, and he must make peace with the fact that nothing stays the same forever. In the end, it is up to Worser to turn the page on his own story.
256 pages, Ages 9 and up, March 2022, Margaret Ferguson Books
ISBN: 978-0823449569 (hardcover)
There is a particular type of grief that comes from change – from realizing a person or place or routine will never be the same as before. Like when it suddenly hits you that your dog is now too old to do certain things, or that you and your best friend have outgrown activities you used to love doing together. Even though these relationships remain in our lives, we still mourn what is gone. Such heartache is universal and normal.
I hope that Worser makes readers stop and appreciate what they cherish about their lives right now. I hope the story makes people think and laugh. I also hope it instills a greater appreciation for words, the fun you can have with them, and the changes they can help you through.
★ “This wonderfully layered story unfolds its many facets gently: finding refuge, garnering peer appreciation, questioning the way things were, and facing the toll of untreated trauma. . . . The author has developed her main character so well it’s hard to believe it’s not biography—but it can certainly pass as the most entertaining New York Times crossword artillery you’ll ever read.”
–Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
★ “Full of SAT-worthy vocabulary and wordplay, this is a touching story about grief, trauma, and embracing change. This story is especially powerful due to its sensitive depictions of non-death-related grief, which Ziegler accurately captures.”
–Booklist, Starred Review
★ “Ziegler’s compassionate characterization of Worser… and nuanced portrayal of his changing relationships with his family and friends make this character-driven narrative a cathartic and emotionally charged experience.”
– Publisher’s Weekly, Starred Review
★ “A compelling and semantically delightful story for lovers of language and flawed protagonists.”
– Shelf Awareness, Starred Review
“(Ziegler) has created characters that are so real readers will readily connect and empathize with every one of them…. With themes of friendship, kindness, loss, forgiveness, and acceptance woven throughout the well-written chapters, this is the quintessential middle school story.”
– School Library Connection, “Highly Recommended”
“You want to meet Worser. Trust me. You’ll finish this novel and want to go back and look at all his Masterwork lists and make some of your own….Full of heart, this book features a character readers won’t soon forget. Powerful, emotional, and so clever.”
– School Library Journal, Teen Librarian Toolbox
“Quite simply, a work of genius. That’s how I would describe both Jennifer Ziegler’s young hero and his story. But genius is not enough to keep things from going up in flames, and thus the ancient tug between what is good for the heart and what is good for the brain is all caught up in one seventh-grader and his unlikely cast of fellow humans. Just read it. That is all.”
–Kathi Appelt, NYT best-selling author of The Underneath, National Book Award Finalist, PEN USA Award, and Newbery Honor Award.