Starred review from July 1, 2024
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* Sixteen-year-old Jacob was discovered to exist when he was in eleventh grade. Before that, he led a kind of background, two-dimensional life, up until the day he told a joke in history class and suddenly people saw him and knew his name and two dimensions became three. And, mirabile dictu, he suddenly had a social life as a member of a tight-knit group with seven of his peers. Together, they call themselves ""the Pack."" Since they are four boys and four girls, it's not surprising that they pair up, and Jacob finds himself the de facto boyfriend of Tammy, who is a little bit frightening with her sharp eyes and sharp opinions, though Jacob is happy with her. But not everything is happy: Jacob sometimes finds himself ""overwhelmed by bad feelings. He [calls] that the howl. . . . Each time it was like he was witnessing something essential and tragic about the universe." As his moods become more vivid and recurring, he begins to alienate Tammy and the Pack. When they have a party without him, he explodes; Tammy sardonically says, "The truth is that he's . . . broken." But is he? Ebenbach has written a beautiful coming-of-age novel with a highly empathic, multidimensional character who comes alive on the page. The mood and tone are spot on, contributing to a memorable reading experience.
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