"Don't Call Me" Ishmael follows Ishmael Leseur, a quick witted 9th grader as he enters a new school and deals with the burden that being named Ishmael brings. Overall, the book is enjoyable and funny but struggles to present a truly memorable or interesting high school tale. Spoilers included, be forewarned.

Ishmael, himself, is a well done character with a wonderful voice which carries the book from beginning to end. You empathize with him, root for him, and wish things turn out well because he's easy to care about. Outside of him though, there are few other characters who break the mold and come off as anything but cookie cutter. Barry Bagsly is the stereotypical bully, Razza is the comic relief, Bill is the nerd, Kelly is the love interest, etc. These characters stick to their mold and never stray from it, leaving things to feel very predictable. Scobie is one character who certainly drew my interest with the whole brain tumor thing but he disappears halfway throughout the book to never return. In the end, the cast just isn't that strong outside of Ishmael to carry the book.

Another drawback of the book is the events never really feel connected to its supposed setting (high school). There are a few class scenes, some teachers, but almost half of the book is taken up by Ishmael's struggles on the debate team that, while entertaining, are not very exciting and fail to really tap into what makes high school so memorable for many. The other half is Ishmael's battle with Barry which, solidified by the ending, feels incomplete and shallow. Although Ishmael learns not to back down, their conflict feels one sided and basically goes nowhere. While the summary plugs the story as the "toughest, weirdest, most embarrassingly awful...and best year of their lives," it fails to even get to June, ending right before Christmas break. Things just never feel like high school.

In the end, "Don't Call Me Ishmael" is a book carried by a strong voice but fails to ever break beyond the mold of average. While it certainly has its share of redeeming qualities, there are so many other books that portray high school drama in a more engrossing way that it makes this book feel worth passing.