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The Pack

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Becky is convinced that Akhil Vyas is the weirdest person on earth when he shows up in her English class. He refuses to sit in chairs, stares at her with spooky eyes, and has scar-covered skin. But soon Becky’s revulsion turns to fascination. The National Institutes of Health is studying Akhil, but he won’t say why—until something happens that makes him swear Becky and her friend Omar to secrecy. Suddenly Becky isn’t sure what’s more shocking—Akhil’s secret, or the chilling reason why he must reveal it. Elisa Carbone weaves a tale of intrigue that will enthrall any reader.

160 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

2 people are currently reading
60 people want to read

About the author

Elisa Carbone

16 books79 followers
Elisa Carbone was raised in Arlington, Virginia. She attended college at University of Maryland and also received two master’s degrees from University of Maryland, one in Speech Communication and the other in Education.
She now lives part time in the Washington D.C. area and part time in the mountains of West Virginia.

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5 stars
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42 (33%)
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
17 reviews
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March 29, 2017
Personal Response
At first I thought this book was boring because I did not show much interest, but I did not stop reading and it got more interesting. Once the main characters were friends they started to do more things in the book that made it interesting to read.

Plot
Becky is the main character and they introduce her in the beginning as a normal girl in every class, but gets bullied by Kyle. Akhil comes as a new student and is very different from everyone else. He acted different in class and even sat different. Akhil always got in trouble for acting different and sitting different and Becky was always the one to escort him to the office, so they always talked on the way down the hall. They both started to connect and talk more. It was not until they were on a camping trip that akhil told them why he was different. After that they all decide that they have to do something about Kyle being a bad person.

Recomendation
I recomend this book to someone that likes to read often, the book gets more interesting as it goes on so you cant judge it by the beginning.Anyone could read this book they just need to give it a chance.
18 reviews
November 2, 2016
Personal Response: I liked this book because there was a lot of action and a little suspense. For example one time Akhil was in the classroom and he threw the book across the room, and he was sent to the principals office. It turns out he can't be expelled.

Plot Summary : In the beginning There is this new kid (Akhil), and he is in Beckys class and everyone thinks he is weird. Then one day he decides to sit on the floor and the teacher sends him to the office and then the teacher sends Becky after him and the they become friends and Omar is also her friend. Then after a couple weeks of school Omar is in kyle's class (the one that paralyzed becky's brother) and he left his back pack there and the teacher tells him to give it to him. Then later that day they find something scary in his bag, a list of names that kyle wants dead. Then Becky and Omar are told by Akhil that her was raises by wolves and they are studying him in a lab. Then at the end they come up with a plan to save the school from kyle and it works and they save the the school and everyone in it.

Recommendation : I would recommend this book to ages 12-18. This book has many exciting parts to the story and quite a bit of suspense too. I chose age 12 because of the strong language, and 18 because it's not that long and challenging book. Overall it was a good book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
24 reviews
October 3, 2016
Personal Response:The Pack is a great book that had lots of action in it. I like how the plot changes a lot so it keeps the reader interested the whole time there reading the book. The author also had a variety of different characters. The Pack was also a great book because it had some stuff in the book I can relate to like when they went on a hunting trip. I thought that part kept me interested in the book so I read a lot more often.

Plot Summary:This book is about a strange boy who doesn't really fit in anywhere he goes. He is now at his new high school and he has finally found two friends who treat him well. The two find something is very strange with the boy. soon the friends realize they are in trouble because they are being threatened by a hate group at school, but they save everyone from a terrible act of terror when they evacuate the school. The problem is that when they do so one of the friends has a bad injury and later dies.

Recommendation: I would recommend this book to 8th graders to 9th graders because there is some action and suspense, but it is a easier book to comprehend. They would also like it because it is a shorter book but very good. It could also be an easier book for an older person who is looking for an easy read.


This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
18 reviews1 follower
May 16, 2016
In Elisa Carbone's book, "The Pack" there was many interesting events that happen. This book is a shorter book with a good beginning, middle, and end. It can get confusing at some points of the and you'll have to read on to figure out what is happening, other than that this book is pretty simple to read.

The book has about five main characters, but the very main character is Beckey. Becky is a middle school girl that does have much friend of the same gender that like the same stuff she does. She's kind of a tom boy. She has a group of friends and they have a pack. They bond a lot and don't share secrets and don't pick on each other about anything. They are like family.

I would recommend this book to any gender middle schoolers and/ or lower reading level high schoolers. I rated this book a 4 because it was easy and interesting. I hope you read this book and enjoy this book.
1 review
March 10, 2017
The Pack- By: Elisa Carbone
The Pack is a fiction book in the action and suspense genre. I believe the theme is to not judge a book by its cover. However, in this situation, that book is actually Akhil. At the beginning of the book, Becky thinks Akhil is too weird to be seen with because she is afraid of people making fun of her. Later in the book, once Becky gets to know Akhil and starts to hang out with them, they become best friends and she actually starts to have a crush on him. This shows how you really shouldn’t think about a certain a person a certain way until you really know them and understand what they have been through and what they are really like.
The Pack is a book about a girl named Becky who really only has one friend, Omar. They are kind of loners and they don’t fit in well with everyone. A new kid comes to their school and at first, Becky wants nothing to do with him. However, after a while Omar, Becky, and the new kid, Akhil become best friends. Akhil tells them that he was raised by wolves and he is currently being tested on and studied by the National Institute of Health. Becky and Omar are constantly bullied by a student named Kyle. One day Kyle leaves his bag in the classroom and the teachers tell them to bring it to him. Later they find something in Kyle’s bad that leads them to believe something terrible is going to happen. “The pack” of friends come up with a plan to learn more about the event they thing is going to happen and how to stop it.
For a character description, I am going to describe Becky. Becky is a little overweight and is considered a weirdo in her school. She is frequently bullied and is very self-conscious. She always worries what people are thinking about her which is why she didn't want to be friends with Akhil at first. She likes to help people and has a kind heart. In the book, she has to make some decisions that go against the rule and against her values, but she understands that it is for the greater good. By the end of the story, I think that she is a lot more outgoing and confident in herself. This shows that she does value human life and is willing to make sacrifices in her own life, for other people.
I think that this book was very interesting. The plot of the story changed throughout the book making it fun to read. It has a lot of action and suspense in it which I personally like a lot. I agree with the way the author wrote the book. She wrote in 1st person and I really think that this helped with the story because we could see what was going on through Becky’s eyes. This helps us to understand how she feels about certain people. Without knowing what she was thinking we would never have known that she tried to avoid him at all costs, in the beginning, we also wouldn’t know that she is frequently bullied, or that she starts to get feelings for Akhil. I disagree with the way the author ended the book. (Spoiler) In the end, she Akhil dies while helping evacuate the school during Kyle’s shooting. It seems pretty unnecessary that Akhil died and I think that if he would have lived it would have made a better story and we could have learned more about what happened after the shooting. One issue that this book raises is just the idea of a school shooting. This is a very sensitive subject for some people and isn’t necessarily the best storyline for a book. However, it does go away from the stereotypical theory where the one person gets bullied to where they want to shoot up a school. In this case, it is actually Kyle, the bully, who attempts to shoot up the school. Another issue in this book is Becky’s worry about self-image. In this story Becky is overweight and she is always worrying about what people think about him and how she looks. I think this could add on the beliefs that all girls need to have a flat stomach and need to be perfect when they really don’t. This book doesn’t really personally relate to me because I have never been in a situation where I am the new kid or a school shooting. However, I can use this book as advice when a new student comes here to not start making assumptions about him and to actually get to know him.
This book made me feel nervous because I never really expected Kyle to be a school shooter. It makes me wonder what people are really capable of in my own school. I hear people say they want to kill someone and stuff like that, but normally I know that they are kidding. This makes me wonder what other people who don’t speak up and quiet are really thinking. This book also had a lot of action and suspense to it made me feel excited. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a short book, that still is very good and has a lot of action in it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Beth.
818 reviews3 followers
November 6, 2020
Really 3.5 stars...
Good, engaging , fast read.
Combines a story of an outcast, true friendship, a mystery, and possible school violence.
Its not a story of redemption but survival and gaining strength in yourself.
It doesn’t go too deep or philosophical, but just skims the surface and makes you want to learn more about the topics presented.
Profile Image for Mrs. Branscome.
33 reviews1 follower
June 7, 2017
Would you befriend the new outsider? Especially when they are so unconventional it makes them unlikable? Omar and Becky give Akhil a chance and want to know more. A quick read filled with mystery and a great twist ending.
2 reviews1 follower
May 28, 2019
This book was real good in the middle but really boring in the beginning, and the ending felt real rushed.
2 reviews
November 16, 2014
The Pack follows the story of Becky and her experiences in high school. Along with her friend Omar, Becky befriends a very strange boy named Akhil. Akhil is being studied by the National Institutes of Health and that is a cause of concern for Becky and Omar as Akhil is not allowed to reveal why he is studied. Becky must also see the troublesome Kyle everyday in school, who paralyzed her brother two years before the events in the novel. Becky, Omar, and Akhil are suspicious that Kyle has a terrible plan to hurt many people and struggle to expose his plan as it could backfire on each of them. Throughout the novel, the three of them work together to unravel the plan in a way that does not hurt them. The theme of this novel is unity. Unity is necessary in The Pack as it is how Becky and her friends try to save many people's lives. Becky, Omar, and Akhil work together like a pack of wolves, which is referenced many times in the text.



The author of The Pack, Elisa Carbone had an interesting style of writing in which she used imagery, foreshadowing, and great characterization. First, Carbone profoundly describes boulders on a mountain. While staying in the mountains, "We hiked a little farther up to a group of boulders, glowing white like bones in the moonlight" (Carbone 105). The reader gets a great sense of the characters surroundings by the imagery previously described. It is easily imaginable what the boulders look like because the reader can sense the color of them and the reflection off of the boulders. Then, the author uses imagery to keep the reader keen on the story happening around the characters. For example, while inside Kyle's closet, Becky finds a box filled with broken glass. That glass is later used in Kyle's maniacal plan. At the time Becky first runs into the glass, she does not realize that it could be used in his plan, but after the plan is put in play, the glass plays a huge role. Finally, Carbone's use of characterization makes the book more compelling and realistic. Akhil at the beginning of the book keeps his reason for being studied secret, but eventually grows close enough to Becky and Omar to reveal his reason. During the hiking trip, Akhil opens up to them, "Then I will tell you, who I am" (Carbone 106). In conclusion, Elisa Carbone, the author of The Pack is very smart in her way of writing the story.



Overall, I enjoyed The Pack by Elisa Carbone. The book is more than meets the eye. At first, I believed it would just be a story about finding out Akhil's story, but it involves an even more important story of stopping Kyle's plan. I really appreciated all of the connections between Akhil and a wolf pack, and his reasons for enjoying the presence of wolves so much. Becky had to deal with all of her insecurities and met them face to face, making me feel bad and at the same time proud of her character. The ending was a lot more action packed than I had expected it to be. I would certainly recommend The Pack to others and more specifically those who enjoy action packed thrillers. This book makes the reader feel on edge during the final few chapters. All in all, The Pack by Elisa Carbone surpassed my expectations.
Profile Image for Shelby Nower.
Author 2 books4 followers
March 27, 2024
This book was so bad that I was shocked. It was truly an amalgam of terrible plot points, one right after the other. I picked this book up for a few dollars at Half-Price Books, and going off the back cover, expected a cheesy high school werewolf romance novel. I was already in the mood for trash. This, though, was hot garbage.

First off, the back is misleading. From the cover, I expected this to be a story about a teen werewolf named Akhil who falls in love with a Bella Swan-esque girl named Becky, with her third-wheeling friend Omar thrown into the mix. I was way off.

This is actually a story about a school bomber. A rich hateful kid named Kyle supports Nazi ideas and decides to blow up the school. Akhil, Omar, and Becky discover his plan and try and stop him, but they're too late. None of this was on the back.

Kyle is almost cartoonish in how horrible he is. He's a high school boy that once stole his father's car and accidentally drove it into Becky's little brother Sam, permanently damaging his legs. From the way Kyle is written, you can see zero remorse. None at all. He calls Becky a loser and mocks her younger brother. Who would ever act like that? He wears a shirt to school that says "Aryan Power", and even though he gets into a fight because of it, it doesn't have near as many repercussions as it should. The author writes this all off with the same schtick, "His dad is rich, therefore he is untouchable." What?! No, he should be gone.

But enough about Kyle. I hate him and I hate talking about him. We're moving on to the main love interest: Akhil. He was....well....cringe? And also (disappointedly) not a werewolf. Instead he's a boy who was raised by wolves, though there is little evidence of this besides him sitting on the floor, eating raw hamburgers, and being way too into wolves in class. Gonna be honest, he came off as the weird kid in school who wears a shirt with three howling wolves. You know the one.

The author tries to make him hot and mysterious, but it just doesn't save it. He has a British accent, he dresses in dark clothes, he's a rebel. Sure. I guess. But he's insufferable. Him and Becky bonding over classic books was awful and cliche. These are books that everyone had to read in high school. You're not special because you both read The Great Gatsby. We all did. And it was fine.

The when thing was just ridiculous. You can tell the author is a long way from high school because most situations they get into would never happen. When Akhil acts up and leaves, the teacher sends Becky out to find him, take him to the office, and tell them to remove him from the class. In what world?

Anyway, all I can say about this book is don't even bother unless you feel like hate-reading. Then go right ahead.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Fame.
1 review
June 16, 2009

Dear Elisa Carbone,I like your book the pack. It really interest me. The cover made me think that the pack was about kids that is involved with cops. But when I read the book I realized it's about a kid that has a twisted life and don't fit in school.
My favorite part is when akhil was running to the bathroom and he cursed at the teacher telling her I need to go take a "shit".The image that stuck with me is when Akhil lied and said that he had a lot of marks on his body from fighting a lepord. This changed my view of how I look at people. Just because someone looks weird that does not mean there not cool to hang with. Why did you make omars best friend dislike akhil and she is not perfect? I like the way you made akhil like omars best friend at the right time. I also like the way you put in details about how omars best friend felt when she snuck in someone house. Also how akhil friend came and akhil started to hug her up in the car.

BOOK SHOUT OUT
The pack is a good book to read it help you learn how to accept people for their e personality not there look. Also you don't have to lie to other people so they could be your friend they should want to be your friend. This book also taught me that even though someone is not apart of your family they still deserve respect. This book remind me of the Buford series. This is a book that I enjoy I read this book two times. I think there should be a series based on this book. I like the pack.
2 reviews
June 17, 2009
Shout out
This book the pack is about three friends fighting for what’s rite. It all started with just two of them Becky and her friend Omar they new each other since they where little kids, so they did everything together. They spent a night together and they were best friends. But at school they where not popular like the rest of the kids, so Becky didn’t understand why. She tried every thing, then she started to get afraid of the popular kids, when they walk pass shed look down and when some one come into the bathroom shed walk out without saying anything. And Omar did the same. But then a new kid came, his name is Akhil Vyas he didn’t sit in chars and he d get very a fended if some one tries to tell him something about wolves’. Becky started to think that he is the weirdest kid in school but then they started to be friends. Akhil had a secret that he was not suppose to tell anyone, but then he made Becky and Omar promos not to tell any one, and they did. The secret is shocking. I would recommend this book to every one that likes to read.
6 reviews
October 4, 2013
Beckythinks Akhil is the weirdest kid in her school. But when Becky gets to know him, Akhil, Becky, and Omar become the best of friends. When Becky and Omar tells Akhil about what happened to Beckys little brother Sam Akhil gets really mad. "Kyle hit him with my dads BMW" (with tears rushing down her face) A week later Omar asked Akhil about his parents and he got really mad a d threw a milk and told them they were murdered. Later Omar had to take kyle his backpack because he left it in the library. Omar found something that he should not of found. Becky and Akhil asked what was nside the backpack. Omar said Nazi books, how to make a pipe bomb so they went to their principal Dr.Mack. before they got in there kyle had Dr.Mack on the ground with a gun to his head. Akhil and Bechy were forced into the office. Akhil lunged forward Kyle and shot him. After that a bomb went of in the school. Becky knocked Kyle out and left him to die in the school. A day later Akhil died of lossing to much blood. Kyle died the day before.
Profile Image for Shanik Garcia.
2 reviews
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December 4, 2009
The Pack by Elisa Carbone is about some boys that take life as for granted and they slack off alot they by the time make plans to brake into homes and they see that at a new kid comes in and they seem to want to mess him up because he looks nice and good so they see if he can join into there litle click .Also at the begining they come at to skip school and they cut class to be cool and seem to not care at the momment and soo the stop and they seem that if when they stop everything gets better
I think it is a cool boook brcause it shows the improment of a childs mind and also they stop making mistakes that once was going to make there life bad and there futre notin good shape.TOward the end they see that whatwas goping to be done and was offically done seemed to come to a good and bad conclusion and that since the begining it was col to be with neww freinds and poeple that never stop saying to do bad but kept saying to .In he end things came down to how everything changed.
Profile Image for Nicole Duenow.
15 reviews2 followers
December 31, 2008
What a GREAT book! I read it while my teen was at her High School dance and CAN'T WAIT to read it with the Literary Circle kids.

Carbone's characters are strong and likeable (or detestable, as is the case of the antagonist) and her smooth--and at times laugh-out-loud--dialogue is impressive. I felt like I was one of 'The Pack!'

Note: cynics must suspend their cynicism and trust the author. She's done her homework.
Profile Image for Devynne_M.
166 reviews20 followers
June 29, 2016
I remeber this book from middle school it's on my top favoirate list i can always remember. It's about this girl making friend to this new stundent who has scars all over his body. The whole book is aloved around his scars and the girl trying to figure him out on who he is sepically when he orders a burger raw and bloody but the truth dosent come out till the end. And oh how i cried at the end of it. It's a must read book.
Profile Image for Krista the Krazy Kataloguer.
3,873 reviews329 followers
September 17, 2007
What happens if you discover that one of you fellow students is planning a violent act against your school? This book provides an interesting solution, based on the social behavior of wolves. Great read!
Profile Image for Chelsea.
435 reviews7 followers
May 13, 2009
wow! this reminds me of high school I remember freshman year when being a neo-nazi was cool. and it reminds me of the kid i knew all through hich school who seriously thought that i should be euthenized becuase i was visiualy impared along with the elderly. the reality of this book is eerie.
Profile Image for Michele Ellis.
15 reviews
June 22, 2009
This is a decent YA novel that students in grades 7-9 might enjoy. However, the Columbine-type story comes across as a poor rip off that lacks plausibility. Put it on the shelf but won't consider it for a read aloud . . .
Profile Image for Nigoria .
3 reviews
August 10, 2013
This book just has to be one of the best ones I've ever got at a bargain store. The characters were realistic and the situation is something we still deal with today. Only down part, it when by so fast. Still a great book.
Profile Image for Chelli Olsen.
22 reviews1 follower
September 28, 2016
This was a very interesting story about people who are different but make very good and faithful friends. There is a bit of legend and a rumor of a violent school act to give the book suspense and make it interesting. I think anyone would enjoy this book.
3,271 reviews52 followers
March 5, 2015
Akhil Vyas, a new boy in school, reluctantly decides that in order to prevent a violent crime, he must tell Omar and Becky his secret.
Profile Image for Mackenzie.
241 reviews
August 21, 2014
This book housed an interesting idea... But the writing style was off-putting for me. I feel it probably could have benefitted from being longer-- a lot of scenes, particularly the end, felt rushed.
Profile Image for Karyn Johnson.
2 reviews
April 26, 2016
I read this book when I was in middle school and I distinctly remember it as being the first book to make me cry. Highly recommended.
Profile Image for Ms. B.
3,749 reviews77 followers
November 21, 2016
Who is Akhil? Who is Kyle? This book will keep you turning the pages as you try to figure out what secrets they are hiding and who can be trusted.
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