Alec Spencer is a sixth-grade boy whose passion for reading is the main conflict of the novel. Alec is the novel’s protagonist, and the book follows his struggles as he works to maintain good grades, ensure himself uninterrupted reading time, and face off against his rival, Kent, who wields the bookworm label against Alec like a weapon.

Alec faces four main conflicts in the novel: his reading has interfered with his grades and he must do better this year or face summer school; his reading has earned him the label of “bookworm,” which his former-friend-turned-bully Kent uses to mock him; his club that he started so he could read in peace has taken off and he must take responsibility for the club’s needs and open house presentation; and finally, his romantic interest in Nina has fueled the rivalry between Alec and Kent as they compete for her attention.

To solve his problems, Alec often looks to situations in books that parallel his real life to help him through whatever conflict he’s facing. While this works for Alec when deciding the name of the Losers Club and when making bets to spite Kent, Alec quickly learns that “Real life is so…messy” (204), and not at all as predictable as books, which have tropes and structures.