Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong

by Prudence Shen, Faith Erin Hicks (Illustrator)

Charlie is the laid-back captain of the basketball team. Nate is the neurotic, scheming president of the robotics club. Their unlikely friendship nearly bites the dust when Nate declares war on the cheerleaders and the cheerleaders retaliate by making Charlie their figurehead in the ugliest class election campaign the school has ever seen. At stake? Student group funding that will either cover a robotics competition or new cheerleading uniforms--but not both.

Bad sportsmanship? Sure.

Chainsaws? Why not.

Running away from home on Thanksgiving? Nothing can possibly go wrong.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Young Adult, Comics, Humor, Contemporary, Fiction, Realistic Fiction

280 pages, Paperback

First published May 7, 2013

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

This reminded me of an episode of 'Glee'. There is a group of nerds who love robots, this would be the glee club, and there is the jock who is pretty much joining the nerd club and then there are the cheerleaders who want new uniforms and make a deal to get money with the robot club.

At first both parties put up a member for the Student council and the race got so out of hand that none of the candidates could run and they couldn't get their money for their projects. So now, they have to win a competition with a robot battle, grand prize is 10,000$.

This little story was a whole lot of fun. I thought the characters were good and I enjoyed that it was about battle robots and nerds. I kept wanting to read this and find out more, which to me means I really like it.

This isn't anything to blow you away, but this is solid entertainment about the trials of school and life therein. The art is black and white. The cheerleaders are extra bitchy and there is a road trip to complete all the teen troupes.

Also, this competition happens on Thanksgiving day. No one schedules something on Thanksgiving. It would be a Friday. That was weird.

[Sam Quixote · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nerds want school funds to go to a robotics competition but cheerleaders want the cash for new uniforms - the solution? Entering the nerds’ robot – The Beast – into the Robot Rumble to try to win the $10k first prize so everyone’s covered! Nothing can possibly go wrong…

Prudence Shen and Faith Erin Hicks’ book is a fun, if unremarkable, little number. The tone of it at the start with the cheerleaders’ exaggerated power, not to mention Hicks’ art style, is tres Scott Pilgrim – derivative but if you love that series as much as me you won’t mind.

The student election at the start was a bit overlong to get us to the next part and the story as a whole was largely predictable – you can easily see how Charlie’s absent parents thing is going to be resolved and that the broad characterisations (nerds, jocks, cheerleaders) are going to be subverted, not to mention the tension-less question of whether or not their plan will succeed. It feels very John Hughes.

But it speaks to Shen’s writing that, despite that, it’s still an entertaining-enough read. Charlie and Nate’s friendship was convincing and cute without being mawkish – ditto the growing up themes of characters overcoming cliques and getting closer to their true identities. The humour is a tad forced and mostly unfunny though Hicks sells the hell out of it with her awesome art.

Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong will appeal most to teen readers but even as an adult (and former Robot Wars viewer) it’s still a decent and breezy book.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

”Chainsaws, People, We need chainsaws!”

How could I not fall in love with this story? :D

Cheerleaders with deadly dagger stares and attitudes, killer robots, and dirty political shenanigans make Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong a fun, fast moving page turner. But it is the open-wound ache and tenderness to this tale that makes it stand out from the graphic novel pack. A story with huge heart thumping away on every page, slam, *CRASH*, and smile.

Charlie Nolan and Nate Harding are embedded in a fight to the death budget battle for school funds. The cheerleaders VS. Nates’s robotics club. Somehow, against his will, Charlie gets stuck in the crossfire causing all sorts of drama in the high school halls and his friendship with Nate. Let the humiliation and laughs begin! Can Charlie survive Nate’s political scheming? Will their friendship survive? Better yet, will Charlie and Nate live to tell this tale at all? With the "Pom Pom Gestapo" out for blood, both guys find themselves ducking for cover. Is there anything more terrifying than a scorned cheerleader looking for new uniforms and vengeance?

My favorite part of this story was Charlie and Nate’s chemistry and friendship. Opposites in just about everything from temperament to popularity, this unlikely pair possess an unusual energy. A mix of aggravation and huffiness with care and support jumps between them and off the page. I liked the friction and power they had together. You have to pay attention to see the emotion—the sideway glances, helping hand, and words of support hidden under the sighing and yelling. Their friendship was captured perfectly and oh-so adorably under the bed. :) A scene that caught me off guard, made me smile, and realize that I was reading something very special. The whole gang of characters comes to life with personality and fun, but Charlie and Nate stole my heart.

”You really are the worst cool kid ever.”

Charlie stole and broke my heart actually. His “everything is okay” facade begins to crack and unravel as this journey and fight heats up. Charlie’s parents are going through a divorce, which means HE is going through a divorce. Something his parents don’t seem to understand. Pain and anger are locked away, buried under Charlie’s laid-back ways. With phone hang ups, running, and smiling—Charlie is just trying to survive and avoid the pain and loneliness of an empty house. The boy had me pointing and cheering “You tell ‘em!” and all shades of proud when he finally let it all out.

There is a lot of heart swirling around in these pages. You will see and feel it in the illustrations—the eyes! Eyes so filled with hope and tears. You will hear it in the messages of communication, teamwork, and friendship. A pure joy to read for any and all graphic novel fans.

I mean COME ON—we have chainsaws here! Chainsaws, humor, bitchiness, creepy twins, and robot loving! Haha…What more do you want? :D

Highly recommended.

[First Second Books]

I love this book!

Do you sometimes sit back and think, while you're struggling through the latest Unnamed Literary Award-Winner, what's this reading all about? Why did I decide to like it in the first place?

It typically isn't because at age ten you sat down and read Moby Dick and fell in love. No, love of reading typically comes from places like Nancy Drew and Sideways Stories from Wayside School and The Westing Game and a multitude of adventures in Oz and books that take you on an adventure and leave you at the end with a smile on your face.

This book is one of those books. You should read it; it'll make you happy that you did.

[Mir · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute art, overall well done. I might have loved it more if it had been a bit longer or gotten into more complexity with the characters. Like, it opens with Holly dumping Charlie but no reason is ever given and it doesn't seem to matter that they dated. More importantly, Nate was a jerk. Yes, many people are jerks in high school and that was treated realistically. However, Charlie seems both nice and popular, so why is he friends with a nerd who is also really quite mean to him most of the time? Why is going out of his way to help Nate after Nate repeatedly humiliated him and got him in trouble?

ALSO there is a book with a similar title featuring a Nate who looks fairly similar. Are they connected? Is it supposed to be the same boy at different ages?

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's THE NERDS vs THE CHEERLEADERS in an epic battle that will decide who gets to spend the student activity funds. Will it be money for the robotics team OR saucy new uniforms for the rah-rah squad?

You can probably guess where my sympathies lie, but when the two groups must form an unholy alliance and WORK TOGETHER to win a battle-of-the-robots competition, it's a WIN/WIN for everyone, reader included.

The artwork is great. Characters are well-drawn, and even the robots have great facial expressions.

The fact that this graphic novel is for teens, but includes NO SUPERNATURAL ELEMENTS, makes me want to shake my pom-poms...even though it's clear I belong in the basement with the nerds watching Doctor Who.

[Li Sian · Rating 3 out of 5]

... is it dumb to say I wish the creators had been a teensy bit braver and made them gay

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cheerleaders vs Robotics club. Robots! What's not to like? YA, high school story, with a little kid divorce complexity… Okay, the story is not that deep, but the energy and maybe especially the Faith Hicks drawings make this go!

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nerds. Jocks. Cheerleaders. Epic battle. Sounds like your typical high school story, right? Enter the killer robots!*

I knew there was a high propinquity** that I would like this because I loved Faith Erin Hicks' Friends with Boys (my review / Noelle's review) and Prudence Shen's /report podcast is a must listen in my book club.*** After flying through the first 50 or so pages on the official website, I ended up breaking my months-long NetGalley ban to request it. And it was totally worth it.

Charlie is the popular captain of the basketball team. Nate is the much less popular president of the robotics team. They're neighbors and best friends though they are on opposite sides of the social spectrum. Nate is usually worked up about something while Charlie is laid back. The latest outrage in Nate's life: the school has decided to let the student council determine which extracurricular club gets money. The science club was going to get it so they could enter the national robotics competition, but then the cheerleaders said they needed new uniforms. Enter Holly, head cheerleader and Charlie's ex-girlfriend. Nate's solution is simple: run for student body president and make sure the science club gets the money. Yeah, that idea doesn't fly with the other members of the club either. As Ben disbelievingly tells Nate, "You're literally trying to win a popularity contest!" Holly counteracts Nate's move by entering Charlie into the race. Even though Charlie is an unwitting challenger, it's game on for Nate. Friendships, loyalties, and robots are tested.

To begin with, this book has my favorite depiction of cheerleaders ever. I mean, look at Holly's entrance in the book:

Image from the Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong website.

She enters the story like freaking Beyonce! And she has the attitude to back it up. These aren't your stereotypical cheerleaders. Nate calls them the "Pom Pom Gestapo" for a reason. They are fierce, ruthless, smart, and organized. Holly is a formidable opponent, but she is by no means a villain in the story, which I loved.

Charlie, oh Charlie. Do you remember Jake Ryan from Sixteen Candles? Jake was one of the first boys my heart Teen Beated for, and he will always hold a special place there. Well, Charlie reminded me of him. When the basketball team finds out Charlie's dad is out of town and decide to invite half the school over to his place, Nate finds Charlie hiding under his bed reading a book. Nate tells him, "You really are the worst cool kid ever." Also, since this is a graphic novel, we don't just have to imagine Charlie shirtless. Ahem, shoulders.

Before you think this is just about the popular kids, remember that Prudence Shen wrote this book. In her /report bio, it says:

"She has written, much to her chagrin, hundreds of thousands of pages of bad-to-slightly-less-bad fanfic in everything from anime to Smallville to shows that lasted three episodes to children's books."

The nerd voice is well represented. And it's not just nerd boys. Joanna is a key member of the robotics team. I love that one added touch to the KILLER ROBOT is a little, stenciled bow.

Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong combines a fun story with clever illustrations, or maybe it's a clever story with fun illustrations. The result is a book that will appeal to even those who don't consider themselves graphic novel fans. I think this was even better than Friends with Boys, and I can't wait to see what Faith Erin Hicks and Prudence Shen come up with next.

--
*Okay, so they're not technically killer robots in the Michael Bay sense. But really, do you want to live in a world where Michael Bay makes sense?
**Quinto/Pine Challenge: To use one of the words that made Chris Pine's head hurt.
***Confession: I've only listened to the episode about Korean dramas. But it was hilarious.


This review appears on Young Adult Anonymous. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher.

[fatma · Rating 4 out of 5]

LOVED

Read this graphic novel if you like:
a) endearing stories with a lot of heart
b) unlikely friendships
c) ROBOTS
d) very expressive and cute art
e) entertaining and/or funny shenanigans

this is probably the closest a graphic novel has come to being as good as (in my opinion) Nimona aka my favourite graphic novel aka the only graphic novel I've ever given 5 stars

[Skye Kilaen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Devilishly funny YA graphic novel with a killer robot competition and evil cheerleaders. Our main characters are Charlie, nice guy and captain of the basketball team, and Nate, Slytherin president of the robotics club. Because reasons, there's enough school funding for either new uniforms for the cheerleaders OR for the robotics club to enter a competition, but not both. Charlie ends up between Nate and the cheerleaders, and the resulting plan gives him a great excuse to run away from the painful family life he keeps hidden. On Thanksgiving. Did I mention the plan involves chainsaws? Loved all the scheming, loved Charlie finding parts of himself he didn't know were there - both nerdiness and bravery.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want to get me to read “fluffy” contemporary and enjoy it, give it to me in a graphic novel. Because let me tell you folks, Prudence Shen and Faith Erin Hicks have managed to take a good old TV trope, wrap it up in graphic novel format, and have it be the most fun I’ve had reading in some time. It has school rivalries, unexpected friendships, some very real teen-parent struggles, and gnomes:



Okay, so I’ll admit Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong is kind of ideal for us geek girls, but it’s also pretty great for those of us who managed to straddle the line between geekdom and jocks in high school (hey, I went to a small school, you could be on the swim team and in the marching band at the same time). Our story focuses on Charlie, opening on a lovely scene where the poor schmuck gets dumped by his cheerleader girlfriend, Holly, via text message. He may be captain of the basketball team, but that doesn’t keep him from being wedged between a rock and a hard place when his neighbor/friend Nate decides to go to war with the cheerleaders to secure funding for his Robotics Club. And that Holly? Well, she’s slightly terrifying:



Obviously Faith Erin Hicks’ art goes hand in hand with Prudence Shen’s narration to tell this excellent tale, the above panels being some of my favorite as they show how marvelously Faith Erin Hicks can wrap her pen around a feeling and convey it without words. Top that off with tons of great background posters/t-shirts, and some fantastic vocalized references on Prudence Shen’s part, and you have a really clever and fun scene set for readers to enjoy.

There is just so much character in these pages that is able to make a well-worn plot seem fresh and inviting. But it isn’t just the parts we know that rock, it’s the parts we don’t expect. Charlie and Nate aren’t the type of boys who would normally be friends. They’re not into the same things at all. Thing is, they grew up next door to one another, and while they may not hang at school, they’re certainly friends outside of those doors. I loved that Prudence Shen was able to convey this relationship so well, because these friendships do exist in the real world. Charlie is also dealing with an absentee father and a mother who is moving on in her new life, bringing a real ‘more than just high school drama’ layer to Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong.

It’s a graphic novel that took me all of an hour flat to read, but I had a smile on my face a good 90% of that time. Faith Erin Hicks’ black and grey art was phenomenal, doing further work to prove to me that working without color doesn’t suck the life out of an image (I was very anti-non-color graphic novels for years until I found First Second). The art really brings to life Prudence Shen’s characters, and clearly these two have worked out an excellent balance. Prudence Shen’s story may be predictable and follow known tropes of high school politics and competition, but throw in some good robots, quite potentially evil twins, a cute and smart geek girl, and some surprising twists, and you have yourself a fun high school story that teens will love.

Original review posted at Bunbury in the Stacks.

[Arif Zulkifli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, that was fast.

I love this book! The artwork, the storyline, the jokes, the characters and of course the ending.

Yeah!

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yet another work that pits nerds against cheerleaders. I should be over this sort of thing. And honestly, most of the time, I am. Luckily, Shen takes a slightly different track here. Yes, the book does start off with cheerleaders vs. nerds. But Shen's cheerleaders are smart, formidable, and ruthless in precisely equal measure to the nerds. These cheerleaders are going to be powerful women. And that, I think, is at least part of the point of Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong. Yes, the robot action is huge, especially at the end (they give their robot a chainsaw) but it is by no means the main focus here.

Instead, it's mainly about how cheerleaders (or jocks) vs. nerds is silly and hugely counterproductive. And in a less than preachy way, thank goodness. I don't know if I could have taken it if there'd been long speeches about how they really aren't all that different after all. But it is implied, in a way that I think is far more effective than any number of speeches, however well-written.

The star of the story is the one character caught in the middle. His ex-girlfriend is the head cheerleader, and his best friend is the president of the robotics club. And his parents are in the middle of a divorce, which he just doesn't want to deal with. I really liked the poor guy. He doesn't deal very well with any of the things going on around him, in much the same way that a lot of teenage guys would fail to deal with things. And he's really a good guy at heart. Watching him face his life is one of the best parts of the book.

Of course, I love Faith Erin Hicks's art. It's every bit as good as it was in Friends with Boys, maybe even better. And she can do a good robot action scene.

[Raina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet realistic story about friends and neighbors who find themselves in different cliques in high school. This becomes a problem when the administration threatens to give the robotics club's $$$ to the cheerleaders.

It's a plot-based book - most of the characters are pretty utilitarian and flat - but it's super engaging and fun to read. A quick pulpish read. I was pleased that the plot didn't go exactly where I expected it to, and the climactic scenes were my favorite part. There's a surprise main character, and some pretty fun robots.

I was a little frustrated with the tokenism, but that won't keep me from recommending it for what it is.

Hicks' illustrations are so masterful that they're basically invisible - I didn't notice them. Duh, they're awesome. Although I do appreciate that the geeky guy isn't visually a stereotypical nerd.

[spanning skylines · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bullshit! Those mfers were defo gay and in love

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much fun and very, very funny. The perfect read for when you're looking for a light, quick hijinks story, with badass ladies that's also full of warmth and humor. Oh and epic bro feels. Who doesn't want those?

[Mississippi Library Commission · Rating 5 out of 5]

The bold, expressive black-and-white style of illustration lends itself well to this book about two separate High School social groups coming together to achieve something that will benefit them both. Highly recommended.

[˗ˏˋ janet ˊˎ˗ · Rating 5 out of 5]

this graphic novel was amazing. the story was engaging, the characters were all likeable and one of the characters kept me laughing the whole time. I would definitely recommend this to someone who doesn’t read much graphic novels. please please read it the characters are all so loveable!!

[⛅ Sunny (sunnysidereviews) ⛅ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fun and light. But ultimately, forgettable.

[laurel [the suspected bibliophile] · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was super cute!

Robotics and cheerleaders and student body elections and the unholiest of alliances!

[eleanor · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was cute & all but i really really wanted a gay romance and i did not get that,, kinda upsetting🥹

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

This books was genuinely so FUN to read. Like yeah, the plot was basic, but it was also addicting and quick and just an overall good time.

[Paige (pagebypaigebooks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The concept of this book was intriguing but unfortunately the pacing felt a bit slow. It was also confusing at times, but I enjoyed the artwork!

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is awesome!

[Xueting · Rating 2 out of 5]

The art is pretty good and conveys emotions well. The story is fun and breezy (I read it in about an hour), but quite simple and forgettable. Some things are mentioned and then not elaborated - like Holly dumping Nate on the very first page, but then they say maybe one line to each other in the whole book. Even though the relationship was clearly just for the sake of popularity status, it's like they have nothing to do with each other, and the author should at least discuss whatever happened between them. Even though it's not a deep one, the story is kinda about high school popularity, after all. The characters didn't have a lot of complexity either.

[Noah de Campos Neto · Rating 2 out of 5]

First of all, I read this graphic novel fully expecting it to be a gay romance, and spoiler alert: it’s not! I found this book in the LGBTQ+ section after all 😭. This would’ve easily been a 4 or 5-star read if some issues in the plot, such as Holly’s character and a few other random elements, were fixed. However, the main thing that would’ve elevated this book to a 4 or 5-star rating for me is if it was actually queer. You cannot tell me this book doesn’t scream gay to you (if you’ve read it). I want my €13.99 and time back.

[Cress · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5

This was fine. I didn’t really find anything too special about it. I liked the art style but that wasn’t enough to carry me through. The plot was kind of boring not to mention the characters were underdeveloped. I think the beginning dragged too long without really adding anything to the overall story. The characters all felt pretty surface level, too. Not to mention that Charlie and Nate had wayyyy more chemistry than Charlie and Joanna (I almost couldn’t remember her name because of how little characterization she had). They should’ve been gay lmao

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah yes, high school nerds vs jocks story about them teaming up to solve an issue. Nothing new here, but I did find it interesting all the ways things did in fact go wrong.

I didn't care for the "resolution" of Charlie's family drama. I wish either it wasn't as involved in the story or more time was spent on the ending of the whole thing. It felt like the whole book's worth of tension was resolved in two pages.

[Mitchell Friedman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. That was kind of dumb. Maybe a lot of dumb. But in a good way. The plot was lame. The setup for the plot was a lot lame. But the solution to the dilemma was kind of a madcap adventure. And the characters were definitely good enough. 3.5 of 5.