Anything Could Happen

by Will Walton

Overview

Tretch lives in a very small town where everybody's in everybody else's business. Which makes it hard for him to be in love with his straight best friend. For his part, Matt is completely oblivious to the way Tretch feels - and Tretch can't tell whether that makes it better or worse.The problem with living a lie is that the lie can slowly become your life. For Tretch, the problem isn't just with Matt. His family has no idea who he really is and what he's really thinking. The girl at the local bookstore has no clue how off-base her crush on him is. And the guy at school who's a thorn in Tretch's side doesn't realize how close to the truth he's hitting.Tretch has spent a lot of time dancing alone in his room, but now he's got to step outside his comfort zone and into the wider world. Because like love, a true self can rarely be contained.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781338032499
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	11/29/2016
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	1,118,131
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Will Walton is an indie bookseller in Athens, Georgia. Anything Could Happen was his first novel.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Will Walton's Anything Could Happen:

"Will Walton makes magic in his funny-sad-lovely heartache of a debut novel, Anything Could Happen. Main character Tretch Farm says it best: ‘There’s sickness, and there’s sadness. But the thing is, there’s love, too.’ So much love. This book is good. It really is. It really, really is." -- Jennifer Niven, New York Times bestselling author of All the Bright Places

"PUSH is proud to introduce a phenomenal debut about the unpredictable, unbearable, and ultimately amazing trajectory of falling in love and falling into the right place." -- David Levithan

"This coming-of-age contemporary reveals an emotionally poignant story that perfectly captures the trials and tribulations of adolescence. It's the perfect follow-up read to any John Green novel." -- Buzzfeed

From the Publisher

03/16/2015
Tretch Farm’s best friend Matt may have two dads—far from common in small-town Warmouth—but Tretch has a secret: he’s gay and in love with Matt. Debut author Walton offers a mostly upbeat alternative to accounts of tormented teens in the closet: 15-year-old Tretch is teased a bit at school (largely due to his close friendship with Matt), but he never doubts his family’s love. In fact, his biggest worry about coming out to them is that they’ll be so supportive that they’ll become socially isolated themselves. The Farm family’s warmth feels genuine, and when Tretch debuts his long-practiced routines at a school dance, his classmates are impressed, not to mention grateful that he’s gotten everyone dancing. The book may be optimistic, but it’s not unrealistic; Tretch’s life isn’t perfect, but it doesn’t have to be. As he says, he’s not toughing things out hoping they “get better”—they’re already pretty good right now. It’s a fine message even if Walton undermines it slightly by tying up a loose end or two a bit neatly. Ages 12–up. Agent: Peter Knapp, Park Literary Group. (May)

Publishers Weekly

05/01/2015
Gr 8 Up—This debut novel introduces readers to gay teen Richard "Tretch" Farm, his straight best friend (and major crush), Matt, and their caring circle of family and friends in contemporary small-town U.S.A. Readers experience Tretch's turbulent emotions as well as the warmth of his close-knit extended family in this first-person narrative. Over the course of one eventful winter break, he goes from bullied, closeted, and secretive about his love of dance to out, proud, reconciled with his former tormentor, and rocking out on the dance floor. The ending's rushed resolution to several plot threads is hard to believe, yet it is preceded by many slow-moving scenes that detail Tretch's moment-by-moment longing for the unattainable—and frankly somewhat boring—Matt. VERDICT While not a necessary purchase, this is a friendly read for teens who enjoyed the sweetness in David Levithan's Boy Meets Boy (Knopf, 2005) or the small-town experience in Emily M. Danforth's The Miseducation of Cameron Post (HarperCollins, 2013).—Sarah Stone, San Francisco Public Library

School Library Journal

2015-02-16
Falling in love with your best friend can't turn out all right, can it?Fifteen-year-old "Tretch" Farm goes by his nickname since he's the third generation of Richards in the family. He realizes one Sunday in church that he's in love with his best friend, Matt Gooby, who just happens to have two dads but who also happens to be straight. Matt's a great friend, standing up for Tretch whenever necessary, especially against Tretch's dad's business partner's son. Tretch's mother's still leery of the Goobys even though they are legally married, so Tretch can't talk about the depth of his affection for Matt with his parents. He deals by being a good friend and helping Matt land the girl of his dreams. Tretch leads his mother to believe he's dating a girl (who actually does have a crush on him), but he comes out to his supportive older brother, Joe. If only it were all as easy as that. Tretch, the narrator in Walton's debut, successfully navigates the landmines of his life while learning about the secrets that adults keep. The whole is a wee bit melodramatic and perhaps a bit too rosy as well. However, LGBT teens can use more "a bit too rosy," and the message that "it gets better, but it's good now" is nicely communicated without being maudlin or preachy. Realistic and at times touching, a nice addition to the literature. (Fiction. 12-16)

Kirkus Reviews

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