Will Tuppence

Will is the novel's central character and protagonist, a high school student with a talent and fondness for chess, a couple of very good friends (and a ritual they share for sustaining their friendship), and a burgeoning crush on one of those friends, a girl named Mi Su. He also has an extremely bothersome little sister, a self-perceived tendency towards overwhelming fearfulness, a passion for astronomy, and an inquiring mind. In other words, he has a very full, kind of complicated life. All these aspects of his character, life and personality play roles in the narrative, all trigger various conflicts within that narrative, and all challenge him to change his perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs about himself, his relationships, and how he interacts with the world around him. He is a multi-faceted and intriguing character, coming across as struggling with several of the concerns that contemporary teens can...