Gr 7-9-Pudgy, quiet Justin Riggs, 13, has a lot to say, at least internally. His father leaves home; his mother is so shattered by arguments, put-downs, and suspicion that she withdraws to bed; and his older brother, Duane, has enlisted and is sent to Iraq. His best friend has a girlfriend, leaving little time for him, and he feels abandoned. His coping mechanism is to withdraw into a state that Justin thinks of as "The Big Nothing." However, popular Jemmie just won't let him sit in silence, and the more she interacts with him, the more interested in her he becomes. When her warm and worldly-wise grandmother discovers his talent for playing the piano, he finds a more productive escape. However, the bills keep piling up at home, he may be failing English, and he worries about his brother. Continuing her exploration of a Tallahassee neighborhood and its middle schoolers first introduced in Crossing Jordan (Peachtree, 2000), Fogelin plots a thoroughly engaging story of teen angst, multicultural and political divisions, and a natural desire of neighbors to come to one another's aid. The characters may be doves, hawks, or m langes in between, but they are sincere in their beliefs and yet can find room in their hearts to pull together for Duane. Serious and humorous by turns, this seemingly simple story is actually quite complex but not weighty and will be enthusiastically embraced.-Cindy Darling Codell, Clark Middle School, Winchester, KY Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Middle-schooler Justin Riggs slips into The Big Nothing, a kind of spaced-out void, whenever he would rather not be where he is. It beckons more frequently now that his father has bailed, his older brother, Duane, has joined the army, and his best pal only has time for his girlfriend. Gradually, though, a few Big Somethings begin to fill the emptiness: his tough, pretty neighbor Jemmie starts spending time with him (Could she like a guy who looks like the Pillsbury Doughboy with zits?); and Jemmie's grandmother teaches him to play the piano, which reveals his gift for music. Fogelin's character-driven narrative may drift too much for some readers, but it speaks of the painful transitions of adolescence with rare humor and honesty. Justin's misery when Duane ships out to Iraq also brings the current circumstances of many American families into sharp relief. Readers familiar with Fogelin's Crossing Jordan (2000) and My Brother's Hero (2002) will recognize Justin's working-class Tallahassee neighborhood, and previously featured characters reappear in roles both minor and major.

Middle-schooler Justin must contend with his parents' separation, his mother's depression, and now, in early 2003, his soldier-brother's deployment to Iraq. The sympathetic narrator's everyday concerns (his growing appreciation for music and first tentative romance) prevent this slice-of-story from being overwhelmed by the heavy issues involving family and world turmoil.

Big brother Duane is off in boot camp, and Justin is left trying to hold the parental units together. Fat, acne-ridden, and missing his best friend Ben, who's in the throes of his first boy-girl relationship with Cass, Justin's world is dreary. It gets worse when he realizes that all of his mother's suspicions about his father are probably true, and that Dad may not return from his latest business trip. Surprisingly ultra-cool Jemmie, who is also missing her best friend, Cass, actually recognizes his existence and her grandmother invites Justin to use their piano in the afternoons when Jemmie's at cross-country practice. The "big nothing" place, where Justin retreats in time of trouble, is a rhythmic world and soon begins to include melody and provide Justin with a place to express himself. Practice and discipline accompany this gradual exploration of his talent. The impending war in Iraq gives this story a definite place in time, and its distinct characters make it satisfying and surprisingly realistic. Misfit finds fit. (Fiction. YA)