High school senior, Lisa, desperately wants to get into a top psychology program and leave her former life in the past, but she is stumped by the "personal experience with mental health" about which she needs to write her entrance essay. Then she remembers Solomon, the boy who had a panic attack in eighth grade and never came back to school. The boy that she believes no longer leaves his house - ever. If she can find him, and "fix" him, she can write the perfect entrance essay, complete with a neat and tidy solution. But getting to know Solomon, letting him into her life, changes them both in ways that neither could ever have predicted, which makes it pretty hard for Lisa to come clean about why she befriended him in the first place. Can their new-found friendship survive if it is based on a lie?
Why It's Worth Reading:
The inside perspective on agoraphobia was fascinating, and not something I've read a lot about in the past. It's hard for me, someone who doesn't suffer from panic attacks and crippling anxiety, to comprehend why someone would want to confine themselves to their home. A peek into this mindset was an eye-opener and added a great deal of interest to this story. (And made it a perfect pick for my first review for my year of Reading in the Margins!) I found the story somewhat predictable, but I REALLY liked this book. I found myself compelled to read it - while I was brushing my teeth, for example, because I just couldn't wait two more minutes to get started. I think it's because John Corey Whaley is just incredible at character building. He writes believable, realistic, honest characters. Characters that remind you of people you know in real life. He makes you care about them and what's going to happen to them, even if you think you probably already know where they are headed. That's what made this book appealing and kept me reading as I drooled toothpaste down my shirt. Grab a copy a spend a couple of minutes reading Highly Illogical Behavior while you brush your teeth. I guarantee you won't want to stop.
Book Details:
ISBN: 9780525428183
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Dial Books
Publication Date: May 10,2016
Awards/Accolades: 4 starred reviews in 4 months. Watch this one during award season - Whaley has already won a Printz, a Moris, and been a National Book Award finalist.
Source: Penguin First To Read (I received a free e-galley in exchange for my honest opinion.)
Do We Own a Copy?: On order.