The Next Great Paulie Fink

By Ali Benjamin

New kid Caitlyn must uncover the mystery of a legendary prankster while discovering her own identity.

4.0/5 Goodreads · 2,738 ratings

368 pages

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Bookroo's summary

Caitlyn Breen, the new student at Mitchell School, faces an unusual challenge: finding the next Paulie Fink, a legendary prankster who has mysteriously vanished. As she leads a quirky competition, Caitlyn navigates a world of goats, philosophers, and only ten classmates. Each task reveals more about the enigmatic Paulie and forces Caitlyn to confront her own identity. Is Paulie a hero, a troublemaker, or something else entirely? Through interviews and unexpected discoveries, Caitlyn learns that true legends might not be what they seem. Dive into this humorous and thought-provoking tale of self-discovery and heroism.

From the publisher

In this acclaimed novel by the author of the award-winning, bestselling The Thing About Jellyfish, being the new kid at school isn’t easy, especially when you have to follow in the footsteps of a legendary classroom prankster. When Caitlyn Breen begins her disorienting new life at Mitchell School–where the students take care of real live goats and study long-dead philosophers, and where there are only ten other students in the entire seventh grade–it seems like nobody can stop talking about some kid named Paulie Fink. Depending on whom you ask, Paulie was either a hilarious class clown, a relentless troublemaker, a hapless klutz, or an evil genius. One thing’s for sure, though: The kid was totally legendary. Now he’s disappeared, and Caitlyn finds herself leading a reality-show-style competition to find the school’s next great Paulie Fink. With each challenge, Caitlyn struggles to understand a person she never met…but it’s what she discovers about herself that most surprises her. Told in multiple voices, interviews, and documents, this funny, thought-provoking novel from the bestselling author of The Thing About Jellyfish is a memorable exploration of what makes a hero–and if anyone, or anything, is truly what it seems.

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