YMMV / Don't Call Me Ishmael!

• Awesome Ego: Razz. As Ishmael notes, "you'd need a truckload of strategically placed plastic explosives to lower Razz's self-esteem," and he can live up to many of his boasts.
• Ensemble Dark Horse:
  • Razz's girlfriend Sally isn't introduced until the second book, but is better liked than some of the True Companions main cast.
  • Bruiser with a Soft Center Theodore may only become a Sixth Ranger to the gang in the third book, but many fans see him as a solid, indispensable character in that book.
  • Razz's cousin Cindy Sexton only appears long enough for one ill-fated date with Ishmael, but her Motor Mouth tendencies and Big-Breast Pride make her a memorable character.
  • Cool Teacher Ms. Tarango and Mr. Barker, the Stern Teacher with Hidden Depths, are probably the best-liked adult characters in the series despite their secondary or tertiary roles in each book.
• Shipping Bed Death: Some fans feel that the awkward Moment Killer scenes and Will They or Won't They? between Ishmael and Kelly in the second and third books are less interesting than their initial cuteness when they first start introducing themselves in the first book.
• The Woobie: Ishmael's neuroses, Friendless Background (and worries that his first real friend may be terminally ill), constant victimization by bullies, and moments of public humiliation can make him a very sad character, although this lessens throughout the series as he ends each book in a better place than where he was before.