This Could All Go Bad
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- Pre-Order
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- Expected May 19, 2026
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
One night can change everything in this hilarious and heartfelt novel perfect for young teens about to start high school. Perfect for former fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
It's no secret that Jensen Chapman is a coward (though he prefers the term 'risk averse'). He's scared of dodgeball day in gym class, intimidated by his older sister (she's weirdly strong, alright?), nervous around his crush Leslie Chen, and freaked out about starting high school…just to name a few things. But on the night before his eighth-grade graduation, that's all about to change.
When Jensen's two best friends, Maleek and Cooper, show up to kidnap him (OK, recruit him) to compete against a group of girls-including Leslie Chen herself-in a series of escalating dares, Jensen knows it's now or never: face his fears once and for all, or face a life of spinelessness forever. The boys set out on an epic race against the clock that includes faulty skateboards, internet-famous ferrets, and a stolen golf cart. But when Jensen finds out that Maleek and Cooper have been keeping a huge secret from him, he'll need every scrap of his newfound bravery to save their friendship.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
An anxious teen resolves to confront his fears in this uproarious novel from Hall (Kind of Sort of Fine). On the night before his eighth grade graduation, 14-year-old Jensen Chapman's best friends Maleek and Cooper lure him out for what they call "a night of adventure": several of their classmates, including Jensen's crush Leslie, have challenged the trio to a series of dares that promise bragging rights for the victors. Throughout the evening, Jensen, Maleek, and Cooper attempt increasingly wild dares that test Jensen's bravery and determination. But when he learns that his friends have been hiding potentially life-altering news from him, it may irrevocably alter their relationship. By turns sincere and humorous, this nocturnal romp is both a frenetic comedy and an ode to friendship as the protagonists reckon with rapidly approaching changes and panic-inducing transition into high school. As the teens careen from one challenge to the next, Hall inserts chaotic joviality and dynamic energy into a story about one teen's attempt to do it scared—and his supporters' promise to be there whether things go right or wrong. While Jensen takes center stage, Cooper and Maleek have their moments of glory as well, rounding out and adding texture to a magnetic, racially diverse ensemble cast. Ages 12–up.
