A Perfect Mistake
About
A moving, voice-driven novel about friendship, responsibility, and fighting against unfair expectations, for fans of Rebecca Stead and Erin Entrada Kelly.
Max wishes he could go back in time to before he was diagnosed with ADHD, before he grew to be the tallest kid in his class, and before he and his best friends went into the woods in the middle of the night. Max doesn’t remember what happened after he left his friends Will and Joey and the older kids who took them there. He’s not sure if he wants to remember. Knowing isn’t going to make Joey talk to him again, or bring Will out of his coma.
When the local authorities run out of leads, Max realizes that without his help, they may never know what really happened to Will. Charged by the idea that he may be the key to uncovering the truth, Max pairs up with classmate and aspiring journalist Sam to investigate what really happened that night. But not everyone in the community wants that night to be remembered.
Utah CLAU Beehive Book Award Nominee
35 Best Children’s Books about Learning Disabilities
2024 Texas Lone Star List recommendation
2025 Virginia Reader’s Choice Award Selection
2024 South Carolina Book Award Nominee
Trailer
Praise for this book
“A Perfect Mistake is a compelling novel of friendship, responsibility, and standing up for what’s right, even when it’s hard. I love all of Melanie Conklin’s books. They just get better and better. This is my favorite so far.”
• “A creepy and dark setting, misleading clues, threats against the investigator–what more do you want in a mystery? But as it turns out, Max faces even deeper mysteries in discovering himself and his place in the world, and in the end, those are the poignant discoveries we’re cheering about. A powerful novel that affirms difference and openness as we watch a boy hold onto friendship with a grip that will not let go.”
“Accurately reflecting the experiences of adolescents with ADHD, Conklin crafts a must-read mystery filled with heart.”
“Once you start reading you won’t want to stop!”
“Conklin expertly portrays Max’s challenges, diving deeply into what it means to be accountable and not to carry guilt that isn’t yours to own. Middle-grade realistic fiction and mystery lovers will gobble this one up."
“[G]ripping. Mystery and just a little peril make an absorbing vehicle for an exploration of ADHD.”
“Conklin writes with keen sensitivity and leaves readers with the reassurance that growth and adaptation aren’t something any of us has to do alone.”
• “A fast-paced, powerful novel with spot-on representation of ADHD. While ADHD presents extraordinary challenges, it also presents extraordinary gifts, a truth Conklin deftly weaves throughout this gripping mystery. Readers will fall in love with Max and his courage to seek answers and stand up for himself. Max’s journey navigating the gauntlet of shifting friendship dynamics and self-acceptance is both realistic and moving. A must-have book, particularly for schools and libraries. I’m so glad A PERFECT MISTAKE is out in the world.”
• “That’s why, when I recently saw the premise for the new middle-grade book “A Perfect Mistake,” I wanted to read it. When I finished, I handed it off to my 12-year-old, the younger brother to our reluctant reader. He was captivated; I had to beg him to turn his lights off and go to sleep already. Although he doesn’t have ADHD, I’m pretty sure it gave him some insight into his brother…The book was just what I had been looking for years ago.”
“Conklin’s emotionally grounded mystery imbues Max’s quest for truth with a perceptive portrait of a kid learning to understand his ADHD”
“Pitched just right for a middle-grade audience, with high stakes and plausible developments…a good balance between chasing down clues and moments of introspection.”
• “Melanie Conklin has created a great cast of characters who will challenge readers to examine themes of friendship, loyalty, family, bullying, and much more. This is a rich, complex story told in first-person by main character Max, and Conklin stays true to that eleven-year-old boy. The dialogue is spot on and the representation of Max dealing with his ADHD and other issues is very credible. This is a terrific book.”