Tremendous Things

Susin Nielsen is one of my must-read authors. A writer for TV shows such as Degrassi Junior High and Family Law (an awesome show!) and a Governor General's Literary Award winner, Nielsen knows how to accurately, poignantly (and with awesome Canadian humour) get into the minds of her young characters and the hearts of her readers.

Tremendous Things is a touching story about Wilbur, an awkward boy who's most embarrassing moment (and unfortunate nickname) follow him from middle school to high school where he becomes the butt of jokes and the focus of his very own bully. Through Wilbur, Nielsen weaves a coming-of-age story with great LGBTQ+ representation, well-defined secondary characters, an intergenerational friendship that will have you wanting to meet your very own octogenarian BFF, and Wilbur, a main character who you'll eagerly root for.

Readers who have ever had embarrassing moments growing up will feel for Wilbur as he navigates the murky waters of middle school and high school. But with a great group of friends and his moms in his corner, he has a good chance of surviving his teen years. This is a sweet story that had me giggling out loud in several spots and the addition of pop culture references and the Toronto locale were the extra cheese curds on a plate of poutine for this Canadian reader. 

For me, the sign of a good book is one that I keep thinking about months and years later. This is that kind of book. Nielsen fills her books with humour, heart and memorable characters and I know I'll continue to think about Wilbur months and years from now. This book is indeed tremendous. Don't miss this story about self-acceptance, friendship, and family. 

My Rating: 5 stars

Author: Susin Nielsen

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Fiction, Canadian

Type and Source: Hardcover from public library

Publisher: Penguin Teen

First Published: May 25, 2021

Opening Line: The Mumps believe that we all have a handful 

of Defining Moments in our lives.

Book Description from GoodReads: From Governor General's Literary Award--winning author Susin Nielsen comes a funny and heartfelt story about learning how to rise above your most embarrassing moment with humor, best friends and a killer triangle solo.

We all have moments that define us. For the comically clueless Wilbur, his moment happened on the first day of middle school, when someone shared his private letter with the entire student body. It revealed some of Wilbur's innermost embarrassing thoughts that no one else should ever know.

Now it's the start of ninth grade and Wilbur hasn't been able to escape that major humiliation. His good friend Alex stuck by him, but Alex doesn't have as much time since he started dating Fabrizio. Luckily, Wil can confide in his best
friend: his elderly neighbor Sal. Also, Wil's in the school band, where he plays the triangle. They're doing an exchange program with students from Paris, and Wilbur's billet, Charlie, a tall, chic young woman who plays the ukulele and burps with abandon, captures his heart. Charlie likes him, but only as a friend. So Alex, Fabrizio and Sal host a Queer Eye-style intervention to get Wil in shape and to build his confidence so he can impress Charlie when their band visits Paris, and just maybe replace humiliation with true romance in the City of Love.