Benny

Benny is the main character of the novel. At the start of The Book of Form and Emptiness, Benny is 12 years old. His father, Kenji, has just died in an accident, and Benny is struggling to understand and process this loss. Although Benny is close with his mom, Annabelle, he shared a special connection with his father. Losing Kenji therefore leaves Benny feeling lost, alone, and unmoored.

Shortly after Kenji’s death, Benny begins to hear voices. For a time, he tries ignoring the voices, but this tactic only seems to increase the voices’ volume. Frustrated and confused, Benny is unsure whether the voices are inside or outside his head. He tries speaking back to them, telling them to be quiet, but this technique fails to quiet the voices, too.

When Benny begins behaving oddly in school, his teachers repeatedly send him to the principal’s office. These...