Thanks for the Trouble

Thanks for the Trouble is a novel by Tommy Wallach published in 2015.

Premise

Thanks for the Trouble is the story of 17-year old boy Parker who writes fairy tales, and the enigmatic girl Zelda.[1][2][3][4][5]

Development and release

Thanks for the Trouble is the second novel written by Tommy Wallach.[4]

Reception

The reviewer from Publishers Weekly said that Wallach "delivers well-rounded, witty characters [...] all contemplating whether living a full life is better than living a long one. Bittersweet moments intersect with the intricate fairy tales Parker writes, compelling readers to judge what is real and what is make-believe."[1]

Jennifer Barnes for Booklist said that "Zelda's manic-pixie-dream-girl qualities become especially exaggerated by Parker's seeming ease with her eventual decision. Still, Wallach offers much for teen readers to ponder: immortality, the future, how we make peace with the death of loved ones, and the choices we make with the time we have on this earth."[2]

Sarah Welch for BookPage said that "Tommy Wallach offers a sweet coming-of-age novel about a young man learning to overcome loss. Presented as a comically long college application essay, Parker’s narrative is brash and appropriately childish, yet attentive and at times profound. Though the framing device is a bit far-fetched, and Zelda leans a bit too far toward Manic Pixie Dream Girl, there's a lot to love about the poignant, lighthearted Thanks for the Trouble."[3]

Jeff Giles for The New York Times Book Review said that "The cover of Wallach's second novel (after the best-selling “We All Looked Up”) looks like a still from a lost Wes Anderson movie ... It's a pleasure to watch Zelda flirt, fling money and coax Parker out of what, emotionally speaking, is less a shell than a bunker. At its best, the novel carries a worthy message: No life is without pain — or promise."[4]

John Affleck for the Gold Coast Bulletin said that "This is a weird but engaging story about a 17-year-old boy who meets an enigmatic girl who might or might not be 246 years old." [5]

References

  1. ^ a b "Thanks for the Trouble". Publishers Weekly. Vol. 262, no. 45. 2015-11-09. p. 62. Gale A434792863. Archived from the original on 2025-06-16. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
  2. ^ a b Barnes, Jennifer (December 2015). "Thanks for the Trouble". Booklist. Vol. 112, no. 7. p. 58. Archived from the original on 2025-06-16. Retrieved 2025-06-16 – via Gale.
  3. ^ a b Welch, Sarah (March 2016). "Life in hotel lobbies". BookPage. p. 28. Gale A444819312. Archived from the original on 2025-06-16. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
  4. ^ a b c Giles, Jeff (2016-04-10). "Y.A. Crossover". The New York Times Book Review. ProQuest 1780543461. Archived from the original on 2017-09-13. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
  5. ^ a b Affleck, John (2016-10-01). "Thanks is good but it's no Catcher". Gold Coast Bulletin. ProQuest 1825010510. Archived from the original on 2025-06-16. Retrieved 2025-06-16.