Jack is easy to forget.  He doesn’t make friends easily, and his own parents seem to ignore him on a regular basis.  Then, one day, he goes to spend the summer with relatives in a small town in the Midwest.  In this town, the very walls of the house where he’s staying seem to respond to his presence.

What follows is a wide-ranging tale which combines elements from The Schwa was Here (Shusterman) with a contemporary interpretation of ancient Gaia myths (though Gaia is never named).  The story starts strong, with suspense and foreboding dripping from short chapters describing the experiences of several different characters.  Barnhill attempts to combine classic elements (a small town setting, an ancient destiny, a small group of heroic kids) with more contemporary touches (a skateboard, occasional turns of phrase).  Unfortunately, it doesn’t entirely work.  The reader gets the feeling that a more experienced writer might have told the story in a more effective way.  The (very appealing) cover of this title foretells the climactic revelation in such a way that when it comes, it is not a surprise.  There are sophisticated themes here, but also plot holes — and overall, things don’t quite gel.