With his father who left before he was born, his SD1, SD2, SD3 (step-dad one, step-dad two, etc) and his secret stash of junk food and science fiction novels in his tree house, he seems borderline depressed. Of all the characters, Jack is the most introverted and initially seems at risk of falling through the cracks. Jack is at Moon Shadow because he has agreed to be his science teacher, Mr Silver's, assistant on a Great Eclipse tour he is leading in lieu of attending summer school to make up for the science course he failed. Bree is there with her scientist parents and super smart younger sister Melanie because they have just bought the camp and are relocating their family, much to Bree's distress. The three, who are all at some point in their thirteenth year, meet at the Moon Shadow campground, purchased ten years earlier by Ally's parents who knew that it would 'be the only patch of land in the entire country to lie smack dab in the path of the Great Eclipse when it passes overhead.' Home schooled by parents who are interested in astronomy and surrounded by others who share that interest and visit the campground for its various astronomically themed events, Ally is an expert, often giving lectures to the campers. Jack, a quiet disaffected loner who loves science fiction and drawing space aliens in his notebook is the planet symbol.

Bree, the star symbol, thinks of herself as a star - a fashion star in training - comes to appreciate the other kinds of stars in the world. True to her name, Ally shines brightest and is afforded the most emotional growth and insight in her story.

Ally, short for Alpha, which is what the brightest star in any constellation and who's symbol is a crescent moon, begins the book. The three narrators, Ally, Bree and Jack, have corresponding symbols at the bottom of each page to indicate who the narrator is. While the three main characters in Every Soul a Star, each of whom narrate their own chapters alternately, sometimes covering the same events from different perspectives, aren't chocked full of as many unique and quirky characteristics as Jeremy and Lizzy in Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life, they are just as compelling and maybe even a little bit more real because of this. Every Soul a Star begins with three quotes and a definition, the title of the book coming from Plato's 'Timaeus.' The title is thought provoking and works on many levels, referring both to the self discovery and growth of the main characters as well as the phenomenal astrological event that serves as he catalyst for this growth.

Every soul a star by wendy mass