Horn Book Review
Reluctant new-kid Caitlyn finds her classmates obsessed with the question of what happened to Paulie Fink, the charismatic class clown and disruptor who mysteriously hasnt returned at the beginning of seventh grade. Caitlyn struggles to find her place in a close-knit, offbeat rural school where shes suddenly the odd one out. Eventually, she finds a role to play as the judge for a reality showlike competition to crown Paulies successor as someone whose official job it is to make schoolmemorable. Benjamin (The Thing About Jellyfish) explores the unreliable nature of memory and personal mythology, with some ancient Greek philosophy thrown in via a teacher who tells the class about kleos: Renown. Glory. Being Remembered. Sections narrated by Caitlyn are interspersed with interviews conducted with the competition contestants, emails, and text messages (including many unanswered ones to friends back home), which makes for a breezy read and allows readers to piece together impressions of Caitlyn and of the school, just as Caitlyn forms secondhand impressions of Paulie (who, as it turns out, is a totally ordinary shaggy-haired kid). Frequently laugh-out-loud funny, the novel captures the quirks and traditions of a small community, and what its like to enter such a community after its social dynamics are established. shoshana flax (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Starting at a new middle school can be a horrifying experience for anyone.Seventh-grader Caitlyn finds it harder than she ever imagined. For one thing, she's expected to help take care of the goatsand the kindergartners. Plus, none of her new classmates appear to play by the same social rules as her old middle school. Instead of trying to be cool, everyone at Mitchell stands out, and they do it on purpose. Even a kid who's no longer there stands out. When Paulie Fink, legendary for his pranks, doesn't return for seventh grade, his old classmates miss him so much they decide to hold a contest to name the next great Paulie Fink. Caitlyn, as the most objective person in the class, serves as organizer, judge, and jury. But by the time the next great Paulie Fink is named, Caitlyn understands that it's far more than one person they're trying to save. A story with massive heart, Benjamin's follow-up to The Thing About Jellyfish (2015) proves this writer's incredible wit, charm, and ability to navigate deep questions while tapping directly into the middle school mindset. The novel is rare for the ease with which it combines ancient Greek studies with modern-day issues such as bullying and change, helped along by a delightful multiracial cast. Diversity is communicated mostly via naming convention; Caitlyn seems to be default white.A book to make readers think, question, reach, laugh, and strive harder. (Fiction. 9-14) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
