Questions I Want To Ask You

Gr 9 Up—On Patrick "Pack" Walsh's last day of high school (and his 18th birthday), he receives a letter from his mother, a woman he has no memories of and whom he believed dead. The realization that his father has been keeping secrets launches him on a coming-of-age journey. As he researches and investigates what really happened when he was a child, he must reconsider his future while also attempting to navigate his changing relationship with his girlfriend, and figure out life after high school. While Pack is well developed and carefully written to be disciplined, respectful, and accepting, the supporting cast of characters are not fully formed and often one-note. The plot relies heavily on poor relationship skills and miscommunication to create and maintain a scenario in which a loving mother would abandon her beloved toddler and isolate him from her family while also setting up a scenario wherein the actions could be excused, explained, and forgiven. Meanwhile, the resolution of the central mystery and relationships is rushed, which will leave readers unsatisfied and failing to deliver the necessary payoff. Ultimately, the majority of the characters and the plot prove to be mediocre.