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How the Trouble Started
The police were involved over the trouble. They had to be. 'I was just playing,' I told them, but that wasn't enough. They wanted to know what I understood by 'intent'.
Donald Bailey is sixteen. He can't forget the trouble that happened when he was eight, when the police were called. His mother can't forget either and even leaving their home town doesn't help. Then Donald befriends Jake, who is eight years old and terrifyingly vulnerable. As he tries to protect him, Donald fails to see the most obvious danger. And that the trouble might be closer than he thinks...
Following Robert Williams's prize-winning debut Luke and Jon, How the Trouble Started is a dark, gripping novel about childhood, morality and the loneliness of children and adults. Told with Robert Williams's characteristic warmth, humanity and deceptively light touch, it is a story about how our best and worst intentions can lead us astray, and the moments we can never leave behind.
Donald Bailey is sixteen. He can't forget the trouble that happened when he was eight, when the police were called. His mother can't forget either and even leaving their home town doesn't help. Then Donald befriends Jake, who is eight years old and terrifyingly vulnerable. As he tries to protect him, Donald fails to see the most obvious danger. And that the trouble might be closer than he thinks...
Following Robert Williams's prize-winning debut Luke and Jon, How the Trouble Started is a dark, gripping novel about childhood, morality and the loneliness of children and adults. Told with Robert Williams's characteristic warmth, humanity and deceptively light touch, it is a story about how our best and worst intentions can lead us astray, and the moments we can never leave behind.
230 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
3 people are currently reading
457 people want to read
About the author
Robert Williams
3 books26 followersRobert Williams grew up in Clitheroe, Lancashire and currently lives in Manchester. His first novel, Luke and Jon, won a Betty Trask Award, was translated into seven languages and called 'a hugely impressive debut' in the Daily Telegraph. He has worked in a secondary school library, as a bookseller for Waterstones, and has written and released music under the name The Library Trust.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
July 1, 2012
How the Trouble Started by Robert Williams takes us on the journey of Donald Bailey, first, as an eight year old little boy who caught wind of some trouble. The first person narrative draws us close to Donald as he recounts fading memories of an incident involving a two year old little boy from down the street. Police question him and his mother questions him - all wanting to know the truth of what happened. But being the little boy that he is, Donald doesn't have the answers. All he can do is explain that "I didn't mean to do anything at all - that I was just playing outside and it went wrong" (pg 40 on iPhone Kindle app)
Donald is taken from his home town and away from where the trouble happened. At the age of sixteen, things aren't too much better for him. He's isolated from his peers save for a neighbor Fiona who he only sees on occasion. Until he meets a little boy by the name of Jake on the corner of a playground. It all starts out innocent enough, but the trouble from before still haunts Donald and his relationship with Jake continues to remind him that you can never let go (or bring back) a past.
What I Liked...
I almost didn't finish this book. At first the writer is discreet and obscure about "the trouble" and when Donald meets Jake I nearly put the book away. The close bond he develops with Jake was almost too much to take along side the small hints of the "trouble" that happened when Donald was eight years old. But, throughout the book, I cared for Donald. I was heartbroken over the loneliness he experienced and that inability to connect with his peers that resulted from the incident.
Not to mention I couldn't help but enjoy his "vanishings." Donald takes off each night in bed to other countries, to planets, to obscure little islands, to states in the middle of America to escape his surroundings. He plans his "vanishings" the same way that a writer would plan a novel. I imagine that when Donald grows up he will become a writer and the vanishings will be there for us all to use as an escape.
What Could Have Been Improved...
This is definitely a character-driven book. This doesn't have a lot of action-based moments. In order to read this book, you must like (or at least understand) Donald. A part of me urged more to happen in the book. In fact, some of the times it moved a little slow. But I understood this to be the nature of understanding and being with Donald. We were reading about his life and his struggles. There wasn't fast moving car chases, magical spells, or gun fights at high noon. This was a young man's life we were reading.
Overall...
If you like strong character development, can relate to feelings of loneliness and isolation, and knows what it means to "escape" then you will want to read How the Trouble Started by Robert Williams.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley.
Donald is taken from his home town and away from where the trouble happened. At the age of sixteen, things aren't too much better for him. He's isolated from his peers save for a neighbor Fiona who he only sees on occasion. Until he meets a little boy by the name of Jake on the corner of a playground. It all starts out innocent enough, but the trouble from before still haunts Donald and his relationship with Jake continues to remind him that you can never let go (or bring back) a past.
What I Liked...
I almost didn't finish this book. At first the writer is discreet and obscure about "the trouble" and when Donald meets Jake I nearly put the book away. The close bond he develops with Jake was almost too much to take along side the small hints of the "trouble" that happened when Donald was eight years old. But, throughout the book, I cared for Donald. I was heartbroken over the loneliness he experienced and that inability to connect with his peers that resulted from the incident.
Not to mention I couldn't help but enjoy his "vanishings." Donald takes off each night in bed to other countries, to planets, to obscure little islands, to states in the middle of America to escape his surroundings. He plans his "vanishings" the same way that a writer would plan a novel. I imagine that when Donald grows up he will become a writer and the vanishings will be there for us all to use as an escape.
What Could Have Been Improved...
This is definitely a character-driven book. This doesn't have a lot of action-based moments. In order to read this book, you must like (or at least understand) Donald. A part of me urged more to happen in the book. In fact, some of the times it moved a little slow. But I understood this to be the nature of understanding and being with Donald. We were reading about his life and his struggles. There wasn't fast moving car chases, magical spells, or gun fights at high noon. This was a young man's life we were reading.
Overall...
If you like strong character development, can relate to feelings of loneliness and isolation, and knows what it means to "escape" then you will want to read How the Trouble Started by Robert Williams.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley.
August 27, 2012
When asking in my favourite second hand bookshop (actually in Clitheroe where Williams is from) for yet another copy of Luke & Jon (as I insist on passing on any in my possession) I discovered that Robert Williams had the courtesy of providing us with another fix of his delicate northern prose. Without question I made the purchase and justified to myself the putting aside of the other books I had ling ago promised that I would read.
All the way through I am thinking, this is not as good as Luke & Jon! That attitude is typical of the main assumptions suggested by this book. As part of society we come to a decision, often based on suspicion, and look for evidence to support that. I was often reminded of the end of David Gutterson’s novel Snow Falling on Cedar; “Accident ruled every corner of the universe, except for the chambers of the human heart.”
By not presenting Donald with any choices about his future, he could only revert to his past and any sensation of happiness he had even slightly experienced. This is why he returned to Mr Mole’s house as Mr Mole had no concern about what the boy had done in the past but how the young man may feel in the future.
I could write for hours about this book, however, until the surprise release of another Robert Williams book interrupts my backlog, I have other books to continue.
All the way through I am thinking, this is not as good as Luke & Jon! That attitude is typical of the main assumptions suggested by this book. As part of society we come to a decision, often based on suspicion, and look for evidence to support that. I was often reminded of the end of David Gutterson’s novel Snow Falling on Cedar; “Accident ruled every corner of the universe, except for the chambers of the human heart.”
By not presenting Donald with any choices about his future, he could only revert to his past and any sensation of happiness he had even slightly experienced. This is why he returned to Mr Mole’s house as Mr Mole had no concern about what the boy had done in the past but how the young man may feel in the future.
I could write for hours about this book, however, until the surprise release of another Robert Williams book interrupts my backlog, I have other books to continue.
January 18, 2015
A very good, thought provoking read. Enjoy this author`s style of writing and will definitely read him again.
September 29, 2012
The initial premise of this book - the difference between perception and reality - was what got me to pick it up in the first place. It's the tale of 16-year-old Donald Bailey, who it transpires killed a two-year-old boy when he was eight, and what happens when he befriends a vulnerable eight-year-old. All the events of the book are filtered through Donald's point of view, allowing us to question the reality of what he witnesses.
It's a well-written book that, while not an edge-of-the-seat page-turner, carries you along in its wake, making you want to discover more and Donald's past and his future. As we learn more about "the event", we learn more about Donald, which almost makes the path he is taking inevitable. Williams captures Donald's monochromatic view of the world well and just gives us enough information to make us truly interested in what will come of Donald.
However, the climax, which could have taken any number of memorable permutations, comes off as underwhelming, with the reader left unsatisfied as to Donald's state of mind or future.
An interesting read, but one not that will stick with you for ever.
It's a well-written book that, while not an edge-of-the-seat page-turner, carries you along in its wake, making you want to discover more and Donald's past and his future. As we learn more about "the event", we learn more about Donald, which almost makes the path he is taking inevitable. Williams captures Donald's monochromatic view of the world well and just gives us enough information to make us truly interested in what will come of Donald.
However, the climax, which could have taken any number of memorable permutations, comes off as underwhelming, with the reader left unsatisfied as to Donald's state of mind or future.
An interesting read, but one not that will stick with you for ever.
December 22, 2012
The writing was compelling and a sense of the sinister pervaded the novel.Donald Bailey is sixteen and unable to cope with the death of a toddler that he caused when he was a young boy. It haunts him. A disfunctional relationship with his mother and few friends make it a sad life for this lonely boy who befriends an 8 year old boy with whom he identifies. I found the ending a bit disappointing.
January 5, 2018
This is not a happy little book. In it, we meet Donald, now a teenager, recounting the trouble he was involved in as an eight year old. We learn little by little, that he accidentally caused the death of a two year old boy. We also learn that he was sadly lacking in caring adults who knew even slightly, how to help him cope with what happened.
Instead, he is grilled by the police, is alienated and loses the few friends he had, and his mother moves him to another town, to start afresh, her only advice, to never speak of it, and put it behind him.
You just know there isn't going to be a happily ever after for him, as he stumbles through his solitary days, coping by "vanishing" to happier places he conjures up in his mind.
When he meets lonely neglected eight year old Jake, and befriends him in an attempt to be helpful and keep him safe from harm, the stage is set for disaster.......
I like the way this author writes, love the English setting of his books. But, be forewarned.....this is not a happy little book......
Instead, he is grilled by the police, is alienated and loses the few friends he had, and his mother moves him to another town, to start afresh, her only advice, to never speak of it, and put it behind him.
You just know there isn't going to be a happily ever after for him, as he stumbles through his solitary days, coping by "vanishing" to happier places he conjures up in his mind.
When he meets lonely neglected eight year old Jake, and befriends him in an attempt to be helpful and keep him safe from harm, the stage is set for disaster.......
I like the way this author writes, love the English setting of his books. But, be forewarned.....this is not a happy little book......
May 8, 2020
Thought provoking about what memories are real and what you think are real. This story shows only one side of what happened, so the readers never been really understand what actually happened.
A bit frustrating at times.
Questions.. what about his dad, never mentioned, and a missing father at 8 has a effect.
.... mum being so odd, why.
This isn't a long novel, so it wasn't bad enough to annoy me too much.
A bit frustrating at times.
Questions.. what about his dad, never mentioned, and a missing father at 8 has a effect.
.... mum being so odd, why.
This isn't a long novel, so it wasn't bad enough to annoy me too much.
October 13, 2021
Even though I didn't really have any idea on where the story was going I enjoyed the book. I really felt for loner Donald. Always seeming to be in the wrong place at the wrong time & being constantly misunderstood.
I liked the ending but would have preferred just a few more sentences for closure.
On the whole, a good book. Would read more from Robert Williams.
I liked the ending but would have preferred just a few more sentences for closure.
On the whole, a good book. Would read more from Robert Williams.
May 31, 2022
I have mixed emotions about the book. This is a story about an event that happens with a child and the effect on the rest of his life. The writer seemed to not want the reader to know what had happened for most of the book. The boy seemed shallow, and the ending was strange. I read the book because I had bought it.
March 15, 2020
In a little bit of a daze, though that could be my need to escape our current mode of living. This was wonderfully, heartbreakingly done. My heart was in my throat many times over, I felt sick, I felt painfully, viciously aware. Where there is no happy ending.
November 8, 2024
Such a sad, thought provoking read, full of fractured memories, loneliness and other people’s perspectives. Very much a character based story. I found myself feeling sorry for the main character Donald, as he was so misunderstood through the book, apart from one saving grace.
August 13, 2017
Quite disturbing. Is this a simple story, or one about how one person's perception differs so much from reality?
May 27, 2021
Difficult subject, easy read.
March 31, 2025
Absolutely loved this book. So thought provoking. My heart breaks for Donald, Jake and Fiona. All just children struggling in different ways.
July 30, 2025
Far too grim for me, only finished this because it was a book club choice.
October 16, 2024
Panic.
UK English.
An easy English (UK) entertainment read. No subtlety, delicacy nor acute meaning, really, but as already stated, entertaining! Sometimes it's just good to get off the Internet and read (and it's good for you too)!
UK English.
An easy English (UK) entertainment read. No subtlety, delicacy nor acute meaning, really, but as already stated, entertaining! Sometimes it's just good to get off the Internet and read (and it's good for you too)!
September 26, 2012
I had a feeling this coming-of-age story was going to be an addictive read from the very first paragraph, which begins like this.....
"The police were involved over the trouble. They had to be. But I didn't think of them as the police at first. As an eight-year-old boy I expected uniforms, flashing lights and handcuffs. Speeding cars and the glimpse of a gun. Instead there was this woman in a business suit who drove a grey car slowly and always smelt of coffee. She told me to call her Tracy, but I never called a grown-up by their first name before and couldn't bring myself to do it. I tried, but it felt as impossible as saying 'fuck' in front of my mum, or jumping off a wall that was too high. I teetered on the edge a few times but my brain wouldn't make my mouth form the correct shape and I ended up calling her 'Miss' instead. 'Tracy', she said, the first few times, but after a while she shook her head and gave up."
Early on the reader is pulled into the story, anxious to find out what terrible event occurred in Bowlend Fells, when Donald Bailey was just eight years-old. We learn the "trouble" involved a little boy from the neighborhood who was just two years old at the time. The story is told by Donald, now 16, and bit by bit we learn about the turmoil that filled his young life, and what made him an odd-duck, an outcast among his peers. As a result of the constant taunts and cruel remarks Donald and his mother faced, she found it necessary for them to move to another town for a start fresh where no one will know either of them.
After the move, life does not magically become better in their new neighborhood. Lonely and conflicted over "the trouble" that has haunted them all these years, he spends much of his free time at the library after school. It is there that Donald befriends a young boy named Jake. A boy he tries look out for and protect as his mother is other away. Jake is half of Donald's age, and before long "trouble" has found Donald once again.
How the Trouble Started was an really addictive read. Even though I was a bit disappointed by how the story ended, the author did a terrific job on building suspense and engaging the reader. Donald was a terrific narrator and my heart went out to him throughout this well-done coming-of-age tale. This is a book that should appeal to both YA and adult readers. If you plan to read this one, you might want to avoid reading other reviews as I think several give out "too much information". Overall it's a very good story, try it.
"The police were involved over the trouble. They had to be. But I didn't think of them as the police at first. As an eight-year-old boy I expected uniforms, flashing lights and handcuffs. Speeding cars and the glimpse of a gun. Instead there was this woman in a business suit who drove a grey car slowly and always smelt of coffee. She told me to call her Tracy, but I never called a grown-up by their first name before and couldn't bring myself to do it. I tried, but it felt as impossible as saying 'fuck' in front of my mum, or jumping off a wall that was too high. I teetered on the edge a few times but my brain wouldn't make my mouth form the correct shape and I ended up calling her 'Miss' instead. 'Tracy', she said, the first few times, but after a while she shook her head and gave up."
Early on the reader is pulled into the story, anxious to find out what terrible event occurred in Bowlend Fells, when Donald Bailey was just eight years-old. We learn the "trouble" involved a little boy from the neighborhood who was just two years old at the time. The story is told by Donald, now 16, and bit by bit we learn about the turmoil that filled his young life, and what made him an odd-duck, an outcast among his peers. As a result of the constant taunts and cruel remarks Donald and his mother faced, she found it necessary for them to move to another town for a start fresh where no one will know either of them.
After the move, life does not magically become better in their new neighborhood. Lonely and conflicted over "the trouble" that has haunted them all these years, he spends much of his free time at the library after school. It is there that Donald befriends a young boy named Jake. A boy he tries look out for and protect as his mother is other away. Jake is half of Donald's age, and before long "trouble" has found Donald once again.
How the Trouble Started was an really addictive read. Even though I was a bit disappointed by how the story ended, the author did a terrific job on building suspense and engaging the reader. Donald was a terrific narrator and my heart went out to him throughout this well-done coming-of-age tale. This is a book that should appeal to both YA and adult readers. If you plan to read this one, you might want to avoid reading other reviews as I think several give out "too much information". Overall it's a very good story, try it.
May 8, 2012
The trouble started when Donald Bailey was eight. He was just a kid, and it was just an accident, but still… a two-year-old wound up dead. What does an eight year old know about grief, about heart break, about the fragility of life?
Eight years later, living in a different town where no one except his mother knows about the trouble, Donald now fully understands what he did. With no way to atone, he reaches out to a boy named Jake who seems vulnerable and in need of a friend. Jake is the same age that Donald was when the trouble happened, and perhaps that’s why the now teenager is drawn to him, to help him have a perfect eighth year with no trouble at all.
Donald and Jake spend every Saturday together, starting at the library, where they have a mutual love of reading (Donald: books about places that he can “vanish” to in his mind, to get away from it all, Jake: anything horror) and moving on to regularly visiting a haunted house, where Jake can get the scariest experiences out of his books of choice. Donald begins to see into Jake’s life; how his young mother leaves him alone on weekend evenings so she can visit her boyfriend, how Jake is frightened to be in the house alone at night, and how Jake needs something that Donald can offer. Friendship, protection, and love.
Until, suddenly, Jake doesn’t need any of that anymore. His best friend Harry, with whom he had previously had a falling out (leaving a entry for Donald), is back in the picture, and has tainted Jake’s mind against the intentions of his teenaged friend. And Donald finds himself once again in a position of harming someone smaller than himself, accidentally, but also irrevocably.
How the Trouble Started is beautifully written and an engaging read. Details about the trouble are slowly doled out to the reader in perfect portions, creating a more complete picture of Donald throughout the entirety of the book. This is author Williams’ second book, and makes me want to go running to the shelf to read his debut novel from 2010, Luke and Jon.
Eight years later, living in a different town where no one except his mother knows about the trouble, Donald now fully understands what he did. With no way to atone, he reaches out to a boy named Jake who seems vulnerable and in need of a friend. Jake is the same age that Donald was when the trouble happened, and perhaps that’s why the now teenager is drawn to him, to help him have a perfect eighth year with no trouble at all.
Donald and Jake spend every Saturday together, starting at the library, where they have a mutual love of reading (Donald: books about places that he can “vanish” to in his mind, to get away from it all, Jake: anything horror) and moving on to regularly visiting a haunted house, where Jake can get the scariest experiences out of his books of choice. Donald begins to see into Jake’s life; how his young mother leaves him alone on weekend evenings so she can visit her boyfriend, how Jake is frightened to be in the house alone at night, and how Jake needs something that Donald can offer. Friendship, protection, and love.
Until, suddenly, Jake doesn’t need any of that anymore. His best friend Harry, with whom he had previously had a falling out (leaving a entry for Donald), is back in the picture, and has tainted Jake’s mind against the intentions of his teenaged friend. And Donald finds himself once again in a position of harming someone smaller than himself, accidentally, but also irrevocably.
How the Trouble Started is beautifully written and an engaging read. Details about the trouble are slowly doled out to the reader in perfect portions, creating a more complete picture of Donald throughout the entirety of the book. This is author Williams’ second book, and makes me want to go running to the shelf to read his debut novel from 2010, Luke and Jon.
May 13, 2014
I haven't read such a thought-provoking novel in a long time. My initial attraction was the jacket summary and title, I thought the story appeared intriguing and I was spot on. From the moment I read the first paragraph I was hooked on the story. The main protagonist Donald is portrayed in such a way you want to know his character and his story. Donald is evidence that one can never escape their past and our past shapes us into the person we are and will become is demonstrated in this story line.
Mr. Williams is an incredibly talented writer that has a way of pulling you into his story. If his intent is leaving you with so many thoughts and questions to ponder then his intent was a success. Mr. Williams��� writing style is sophisticated but casual and I couldn't stop reading the story waiting to see how it was going to unfold as I turned every page. I found myself touched/impacted and emotionally riveted by this story. I highly recommend for all to read. How the Trouble Started will stir a hodgepodge of emotions as you read the story you���ll find yourself asking what you would have done if you were Donald or his mum.
Thank you Mr. Williams for writing such a wonderful novel. I look forward to reading your future writings.
LIKES:
Donald was likeable. I felt for him and for the issues he was dealing with. Donald was a square peg trying to fit into a round world, which we have all faced at one time, or another. The character was believable and drew a certain quality from the story and its reader - what that quality is you will have to determine.
I enjoyed the storyline; it was not predictable at all. In fact the end took me by surprise, I was expecting the ending to be very different so I was pleasantly surprised.
I enjoyed the pace of the plot. Just enough was revealed at appropriate times. Definitely kept me turning the pages.
DISLIKES:
Not applicable
Mr. Williams is an incredibly talented writer that has a way of pulling you into his story. If his intent is leaving you with so many thoughts and questions to ponder then his intent was a success. Mr. Williams��� writing style is sophisticated but casual and I couldn't stop reading the story waiting to see how it was going to unfold as I turned every page. I found myself touched/impacted and emotionally riveted by this story. I highly recommend for all to read. How the Trouble Started will stir a hodgepodge of emotions as you read the story you���ll find yourself asking what you would have done if you were Donald or his mum.
Thank you Mr. Williams for writing such a wonderful novel. I look forward to reading your future writings.
LIKES:
Donald was likeable. I felt for him and for the issues he was dealing with. Donald was a square peg trying to fit into a round world, which we have all faced at one time, or another. The character was believable and drew a certain quality from the story and its reader - what that quality is you will have to determine.
I enjoyed the storyline; it was not predictable at all. In fact the end took me by surprise, I was expecting the ending to be very different so I was pleasantly surprised.
I enjoyed the pace of the plot. Just enough was revealed at appropriate times. Definitely kept me turning the pages.
DISLIKES:
Not applicable
May 19, 2012
This first-person stream-of-conscientiousness novel doesn't build suspense exactly, but once begun, you cannot put it down. Author Robert Williams gets inside the mind of a child and this same child as a teenager so effectively that you have to wonder who this author is that he has such insights.
At the age of six, Donald kills a toddler. Was it an accident? Was it done maliciously because of anger at his mother? The reader doesn't know any more than little Donald knows, but Donald has to live with the consequences of this act as he grows up and as he tries to make sense of what happened. He gets no help. Because of the anger of the community, Donald's mother takes him to live in another town where they are not known, and forbids him to tell anyone what happened. It haunts him. He wants to tell someone, but is afraid to. Socially isolated, this child is left on his own to work through what he did and who he is as a person. When Donald is sixteen, it almost happens again and he is thrown into a personal crisis that he cannot ignore. This tale of children and parents is incredibly shocking and sad, and yet the manner in which the author leaves us with hope reflects the resilience of some children who are able to finally seek their own salvation.
At the age of six, Donald kills a toddler. Was it an accident? Was it done maliciously because of anger at his mother? The reader doesn't know any more than little Donald knows, but Donald has to live with the consequences of this act as he grows up and as he tries to make sense of what happened. He gets no help. Because of the anger of the community, Donald's mother takes him to live in another town where they are not known, and forbids him to tell anyone what happened. It haunts him. He wants to tell someone, but is afraid to. Socially isolated, this child is left on his own to work through what he did and who he is as a person. When Donald is sixteen, it almost happens again and he is thrown into a personal crisis that he cannot ignore. This tale of children and parents is incredibly shocking and sad, and yet the manner in which the author leaves us with hope reflects the resilience of some children who are able to finally seek their own salvation.
December 6, 2012
This novel had me absolutely riveted for the first two-thirds of its story. Donald, the young main character of How the Trouble Started, is utterly engaging. His emotional and intellectual journey towards understanding the events that occurred when he was essentially a toddler is a compelling and brutally honest one. The realities that he experiences as a consequence of his own actions are heartbreaking and resonant even when you grasp the horror of "the trouble." It is this resonance that breaks your heart and mind wide open as you glimpse emotion and struggle that you recognize as it is experienced through the eyes of an overgrown child who has had no support in dealing with his own life. As poor and questionable as his choices and acts are he is still worthwhile and knowable and this aspect of the novel shakes the reader to the core.
And then we come to the last third of the novel. It feels as if the writer either ran out of steam or was told to keep it short as he barrels his way towards an incoherent, incomplete, and inconsistent resolution marring the effect of an otherwise brilliant novel. Definitely worth the read, but be forewarned. There be dragons.
And then we come to the last third of the novel. It feels as if the writer either ran out of steam or was told to keep it short as he barrels his way towards an incoherent, incomplete, and inconsistent resolution marring the effect of an otherwise brilliant novel. Definitely worth the read, but be forewarned. There be dragons.
June 15, 2012
When Donald Bailey was 8 years old, he was involved in an accident that resulted in the death of a toddler. Soon after, he and his mother relocated to another town where no one knew them. Donald was never allowed to speak of the accident again, but as he got older, the incident consumed him. Now, as a 16-year old, he reaches out to a local boy and they become friends. However, Donald's memories and perceptions aren't always spot on.
This wasn't a particularly exciting book, but it was extremely engaging. The more I read, the more I wanted to know about Donald. I wanted to know more details about the accident. I wanted to see where the story was going and learn more about his past. Donald is a very interesting character and it was fascinating to hear his story from his perspective. The ending was either VERY abrupt or I'm missing pages at the end of my book. Frankly, I'm not sure. Yes, it's that abrupt.
This wasn't a particularly exciting book, but it was extremely engaging. The more I read, the more I wanted to know about Donald. I wanted to know more details about the accident. I wanted to see where the story was going and learn more about his past. Donald is a very interesting character and it was fascinating to hear his story from his perspective. The ending was either VERY abrupt or I'm missing pages at the end of my book. Frankly, I'm not sure. Yes, it's that abrupt.
August 3, 2016
Thought provoking.
I enjoyed this Young Adult book but, for me, it never quite hit the mark. The premise was great - something momentous happened when Donald was eight years old, which had repercussions on the rest of his life.
We only gradually discover what this momentous event was, even Donald has a problem remembering clearly, after all, he was only eight. As a result the family moves from the area and Donald finds himself a bit of a loner.
He tries to atone for his part in 'the trouble' but his solution is not socially acceptable, even though his motives are pure.
This was definitely a thought provoking novel but the ending was a bit unsatisfying and I was left feeling that something was missing.
In spite of my reservations, I do feel that this would be a good book to engender class room discussion about responsibility and the effects of one's actions on others.
I enjoyed this Young Adult book but, for me, it never quite hit the mark. The premise was great - something momentous happened when Donald was eight years old, which had repercussions on the rest of his life.
We only gradually discover what this momentous event was, even Donald has a problem remembering clearly, after all, he was only eight. As a result the family moves from the area and Donald finds himself a bit of a loner.
He tries to atone for his part in 'the trouble' but his solution is not socially acceptable, even though his motives are pure.
This was definitely a thought provoking novel but the ending was a bit unsatisfying and I was left feeling that something was missing.
In spite of my reservations, I do feel that this would be a good book to engender class room discussion about responsibility and the effects of one's actions on others.
August 20, 2014
Really great book, it keeps you hanging in wanting to know more. There's a good decryption of each character and each event so it doesn't leave you guessing about things and making up the story for yourself. Although the way I thought it was going to end wasn't how it did I still liked the ending. I feel like this book covering some very valid issues.
This is the second book I've read by Robert Williams and I can honestly say he has me hooked, I really enjoyed Into the Trees and this one even more so I'm off to the library tomorrow to hunt out Luke & Jon!
This is the second book I've read by Robert Williams and I can honestly say he has me hooked, I really enjoyed Into the Trees and this one even more so I'm off to the library tomorrow to hunt out Luke & Jon!
January 31, 2016
How the Trouble Started by Robert Williams is about a boy named Donald who was once part of a mistake that the police got involved in. This one accident had changed his life completely, until he was 16 years old, and becomes friends with Jake, a boy the same age as Donald when the incident happened. He finds that Jake is different, and that he is vulnerable. Donald decides that it is his responsibility to protect him from danger. This is a really good book, that would be perfect for people who enjoy realistic fiction and mystery.
April 25, 2014
I found the concept of the book intriguing, if difficult, and the narrative absorbing from the beginning. Where the focus of the narrative is Donald's attempts to cope with the events of the past and their constant place in the present, it's brilliant. I wasn't entirely sold on the friendship between Donald and Jake - I can justify why it happened on the events earlier on, but there's something about the way it's written that just doesn't really make me believe it.
August 13, 2012
A gripping journey through the mind of a troubled young boy called Donald. Williams beautifully describes the difficulties of living in a small town when you've got a reputation. He also vividly paints the picture of strained family life.
The relationships are well written and How The Trouble is not without it's more tender and amusing moments.
A very enjoyable and also pleasingly easy read.
The relationships are well written and How The Trouble is not without it's more tender and amusing moments.
A very enjoyable and also pleasingly easy read.
November 4, 2013
My wife asked me if I was reading a Young Adult novel while I was reading How the Trouble Started, and by the end of the novel I had to admit I was unsure of what age this book was targeting. The idea of a teen carrying such a heavy burden of guilt is pretty serious business, but the book also avoided any real complexity. A little too simplistic for me.
October 29, 2023
Wow. I was completely invested in the relationship between the main character and the boy he befriends. It was heartwarming, sad and soothing. It actually made me care, which seems to be a rare thing for books. It made the mundane interesting and endearing. A very nice, very quick read that will always be one of my favorites. 9/10
June 28, 2013
Een bijzonder boek, over een 8jarige jongen die een kleuter dood (per ongeluk) en hoe hem dat de rest van zijn leven achtervolgt. Of ik de wending aan het einde van het verhaal nou zo geweldig vond, weet ik niet, maar zeker een origineel boek!
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