June 7, 2021
Robbie “Worm” Tarnauer is excited to participate in Dead Wednesday, when all eighth graders in Amber Springs, Pa., are given a black shirt, assigned the name of a local teenager who died a preventable death, and then ignored for the day—treated as “dead” by the faculty. Though it’s intended to be a grim warning, most students see the day as license to goof off. Worm, however, aptly named since he prefers to be “out of sight, underground, watching, listening,” is happy for a day of invisibility. But when Worm receives the name “Rebecca Ann Finch” and dons the black shirt, he also gets a surprise: the sudden presence of Becca’s ghost. A quirky, charismatic 17-year-old wearing raspberry-colored pajamas, she’s guilt-ridden about the pain her death caused and convinced that she’s arrived to help Worm take charge of his existence. The more she reveals about her life and death, however, the more Worm wonders if it’s Becca who actually needs his assistance. Though Becca’s characterization can feel more conceptual than fully fleshed, and the male characters frequently view girls as homogeneous, self-conscious Worm’s slow-building affection for lively Becca leads to a bittersweet conclusion that prepares both for the future. Centering meaningful themes of ephemerality, forgiveness, and self-acceptance, Spinelli’s (Stargirl) characters—cued white—will undoubtedly dig their way into the hearts of readers who need them most. Ages 10–up. Agent: William Reiss, John Hawkins & Assoc.
Starred review from July 1, 2021
Grades 6-9 *Starred Review* It's finally here, the day when the eighth-graders get to be deaders. Yes, they'll each be given the name and photo of a teenager who died that year in a stupidly preventable way--speeding, driving while texting, taking drugs. But the truly excellent parts of this "scare them straight" campaign are the half day of school and behavioral free pass that go with it, because anyone wearing the black shirt signifying their status as dead for the day is soundly ignored by the living. For shy, acne-prone Worm, nothing could be better than sanctioned invisibility. It comes as a surprise, therefore, when Worm's assigned dead teen, Becca Finch, shows up to spend Dead Wednesday with him. No one else can see or hear her or seems to be experiencing this peculiar phenomenon, but Becca is so chatty and in the moment and, well, a girl, that Worm doesn't mind. As the two wander through town getting to know each other and figuring out just what is going on, personal revelations spark without romanticizing the process or losing sight of the circumstance that brought them together. Spinelli writes with wry humor that still makes room for sweetness and a belief in the impossible. A stellar pick for tween collections.
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September 1, 2021
Gr 3-6-Worm Tarnauer prefers to go unnoticed. He doesn't want to stand out, and he's happy to let his best friend Eddie take the spotlight. In a somewhat morbid exercise designed to encourage students to consider their own mortality, the teachers at Worm's school assign each eighth grader the name of a teenager who died in the past year. The students don black shirts and are ignored all day by teachers and fellow students. Typically, this leads the eighth graders to do any number of things they wouldn't normally be able to get away with-but when Worm is assigned Becca Finch (17, car crash), he isn't prepared for what happens next. Worm lets Becca into his head and begins seeing her everywhere. He finds himself talking to her and questioning his identity and how he exists in the world. This is a well-written book by a well-known author. The concept of Dead Wednesday is somewhat disturbing and consumes a large portion of the beginning action. The plot really takes off once Worm begins interacting with Becca; she's smart and quick and challenges his preconceived notions about belonging, causing him to think and step outside his comfort zone. VERDICT With a macabre premise, this is a solid read about finding one's voice, standing up for oneself, and inner confidence. Recommended for larger collections or where Spinelli is already popular.-Jessica Trafton, Skidompha Lib., Damariscotta, ME
Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
November 1, 2021
"Worm" Tarnauer is the sort of middle-school kid who likes to be invisible, "to be out of sight, underground, watching, listening. A spectator" -- until a ghost girl changes all of that. Worm can't wait for Dead Wednesday, when eighth graders are supposed to remember Pennsylvania teenagers who died from preventable accidents, such as wrapping their cars around trees. ("Wrappers," the kids callously call them.) Their faces are on posters in the school, and eighth graders receive their name cards and wear black shirts. The students become "Deaders," and teachers act like they don't see them. But to "freedom-drunk" eighth graders, lack of supervision means raucous behavior, a.k.a. pure bliss. Then the dead girl on Worm's card -- Rebecca Ann Finch, age seventeen -- appears and tells him she is there "to fix him," to show him the life he is missing by being a worm, a middle-school fun junkie, more interested in video games than the real life all around him. Spinelli makes the relationship between a boy and a ghost heartwarming; the life lessons of a dead girl profound; and social commentary astute but not didactic. Dialogue is snappy, and every scene is tight and memorable. Susan Caraway from Spinelli's Stargirl (2000) might see in Becca Finch a kindred spirit. Dean Schneider
(Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
Starred review from June 15, 2021
For two teenagers, a small town's annual cautionary ritual becomes both a life- and a death-changing experience. On the second Wednesday in June, every eighth grader in Amber Springs, Pennsylvania, gets a black shirt, the name and picture of a teen killed the previous year through reckless behavior--and the silent treatment from everyone in town. Like many of his classmates, shy, self-conscious Robbie "Worm" Tarnauer has been looking forward to Dead Wed as a day for cutting loose rather than sober reflection...until he finds himself talking to a strange girl or, as she would have it, "spectral maiden," only he can see or touch. Becca Finch is as surprised and confused as Worm, only remembering losing control of her car on an icy slope that past Christmas Eve. But being (or having been, anyway) a more outgoing sort, she sees their encounter as a sign that she's got a mission. What follows, in a long conversational ramble through town and beyond, is a day at once ordinary yet rich in discovery and self-discovery--not just for Worm, but for Becca too, with a climactic twist that leaves both ready, or readier, for whatever may come next. Spinelli shines at setting a tongue-in-cheek tone for a tale with serious underpinnings, and as in Stargirl (2000), readers will be swept into the relationship that develops between this adolescent odd couple. Characters follow a White default. Characters to love, quips to snort at, insights to ponder: typical Spinelli. (Fiction. 12-15)
COPYRIGHT(2021) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
July 1, 2021
"Worm" Tarnauer is the sort of middle-school kid who likes to be invisible, "to be out of sight, underground, watching, listening. A spectator" -- until a ghost girl changes all of that. Worm can't wait for Dead Wednesday, when eighth graders are supposed to remember Pennsylvania teenagers who died from preventable accidents, such as wrapping their cars around trees. ("Wrappers," the kids callously call them.) Their faces are on posters in the school, and eighth graders receive their name cards and wear black shirts. The students become "Deaders," and teachers act like they don't see them. But to "freedom-drunk" eighth graders, lack of supervision means raucous behavior, a.k.a. pure bliss. Then the dead girl on Worm's card -- Rebecca Ann Finch, age seventeen -- appears and tells him she is there "to fix him," to show him the life he is missing by being a worm, a middle-school fun junkie, more interested in video games than the real life all around him. Spinelli makes the relationship between a boy and a ghost heartwarming; the life lessons of a dead girl profound; and social commentary astute but not didactic. Dialogue is snappy, and every scene is tight and memorable. Susan Caraway from Spinelli's Stargirl (2000) might see in Becca Finch a kindred spirit.
(Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)