I`m sure it`s not too bad.
You need something strong in the beginning of the book (First in the series or a stand-alone), something to make readers actually turn the page. In the middle you need maybe a little action, but also a lot of character development, make the shy kid realize she/he doesn`t need to hide, the mean bully be helped by a not-so-cool kid as him/her and start to realize that he/she shouldn`t bully, the hero to question himself/herself and hesitate, or the hesitant person to be the hero this time, something like that. Make them start to change based on what happened in the beginning.
That is what I have found out to be the best option for most books.
If it is a stand-alone book, by the end, the main character should be a whole new person, or if it is in a series by the end of the book he/she should be different, but by the end of the series should be a whole new person, either that be good or bad.