“Erik’s heart hammered in his chest as though Thor himself were tunneling out of his rib cage.”

From Christina Uss’ Erik Vs. Everything.

Along with being the youngest member of his Viking-loving family, Nine-year-old Erik Sheepflattener is also the only one that is scared of anything… or in reality, is scared of everything. While Erik’s older twin sisters, Brunhilde and Allyson, are fearless and push him to be brave, Erik finds himself terrified of everything from piano lessons to the phone ringing to squirrels. The Sheepflattener family constantly consults the Lore, a generations-old collection of Viking traditions that guide the family to this day, but none of it helps Erik cope with his fear. When Erik and his sisters are sent to spend the summer with their aunt and uncle to help take care of their infant triplet cousins, Brunhilde takes it upon herself to help Erik overcome his fears one by one… much to Erik’s dismay. With the help of some library books, Erik, his sisters, and their cousins surprisingly find some ways to beat a few fears, but Erik’s involvement in a mountain biking group proves to be his biggest challenge yet.

Set in the modern world, but filled with Viking legend and inspiration, this book will easily appeal to readers of the How to Train Your Dragon and Magnus Chase series. Uss creates a truly unique story that is both hilarious and heartfelt with a genuine main character that is effortlessly relatable. Erik Vs. Everything is a quick read that will leave readers of all ages with an unforgettable experience.