Review Detail

Reader reviewed by Michelle

Eugene Smalls is a short, 12 year old boy who has always had real trouble with anger.  At the beginning of the story, his beloved grandma hires him to find out who vandalized the nursing home where she lives.  The only problem is, he has to report back to her - he can't lose his temper and beat them up.

Eugene, who wants to be called, "Huge," is such a real person; I was rooting for him as he struggled to control his anger with everyone he questioned, and gradually revealed what led him to be the 'loser' he thinks he is.  For all his temper, he is a reasonable guy, even when he's wrong about everybody.  He really thinks things through, and his observations about his family and the other kids at his school are really funny.

The book is like a regular mystery, with false leads and suspects.  The person who actually vandalized the nursing home was a big surprise.  It has a pretty happy ending, too, which I wasn't sure was going to happen.