Review by Booklist Review
Stone's third YA novel is a thoughtful romance with a strong message about self-acceptance. On the surface, Samantha McAllister has it all success in the pool as a competitive swimmer and a group of popular friends. But inside she struggles with a secret that she fears could unravel everything: her purely obsessional OCD. At the start of junior year, Sam meets Caroline, who helps her manage her obsessions and draws her into the secret Poet's Corner, where she meets AJ, whom she falls for hard, and who is equally falling for her. But now that she has found her tribe, does she need to keep up the ruse of being normal ? This sensitive novel boasts strong characterizations and conflicts that many teens will relate to. She deftly grounds Sam's OCD support system with both her mother and therapist and gives readers an endearing romantic lead to root for. A twist toward the end will surprise many readers, yet what follows falls perfectly in line with the story's hopeful message. Eminently readable.--Barnes, Jennifer Copyright 2015 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Stone (Time After Time) delves into the mind of an obsessive-compulsive teenager to explore how her mental disorder affects her relationships and interactions with the world. "Debilitating, uncontrollable" thoughts are nothing new for 16-year-old Samantha, but fearing rejection, she's kept her disability (and her treatment for it) secret from her popular friends. But now, intrigued by a group of offbeat poets, Samantha begins to want to open up and express herself. The secret room where the poets meet becomes her place of refuge. One member, Caroline, becomes her confidante, while another, A.J. (who Samantha bullied as a child), becomes a romantic interest. As Samantha is caught between conflicting loyalties to her old and new friends, she realizes that her perceptions may be distorted. Although it's somewhat hard to believe that none of Samantha's friends notice her obsessive patterns of thinking, her emotions-ranging from panic to insecurity and elation-are very real. The story's surprising climax will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Ages 12-up. Agent: Caryn Wiseman, Andrea Brown Literary Agency. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 8 Up-Sam seems like any other 16-year-old girl. She enjoys competitive swimming, hanging out with her girlfriends, talking about boys, and going to concerts. But underneath the surface is a troubled teen who suffers from Purely Obsessional OCD. Her only respite comes when she meets Caroline, who introduces her to a secret poets' society. There she meets up with AJ, a boy from her past, and discovers a place where she can turn words into beautiful expressions and begins to discover her real self. Amy Rubinate narrates the story with a soft, smooth tone. Her voice is best suited for female characters but handles AJ's part appropriately. VERDICT Teens, and their parents, would benefit from listening to this treatment of life with a mental illness. ["While the beginning is slow and requires some suspension of disbelief, the climax and resolution are resounding enough to rise above any shadows of doubt": SLJ 6/15 review of the Hyperion book.]-Alice Davidson, Indianapolis, IN © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Having spent five years hiding her OCD from friends who value "normalcy and perfection," sixteen-year-old Sam discovers clandestine Poet's Corner, where she meets new friends she can trust, perhaps even with her secret. Thoughtful first-person narration uncovers challenges of life with OCD. Unfortunately, despite the acknowledgment that Sam's difficulty distinguishing fantasy from reality isn't part of her OCD, it muddies the portrayal. (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Spa days. VIP concert tickets. The envy of the girls in the lunchroom. Sixteen-year-old Samantha and her friends, the Crazy Eights, have it allat least, that's what Samantha has always let everyone believe. Nobody can know the real Sam, the crazy girl with OCD. If they found out, it would cost her everything. But when an unlikely new friend introduces Sam to a secret society of student poets, speaking her truth becomes increasingly appealing. While the novel gets off to a misleading start as Sam battles violent, obsessive thoughts that are unlike anything else she experiences in the rest of the story, Stone does offer readers a fresh take on OCD by focusing on Sam's internal struggle as opposed to the external behaviors that are typically associated with the disorder. Sam is an endearing protagonist readers will find familiar and enjoy rooting for. And while the Eights come off as flat, stereotypical cool girls, the oddball members of Poet's Corner are genuinely intriguing. With the exception of Caroline, who introduces Sam to the group, and AJ, Sam's new boyfriend, who are fully developed, readers, like Sam, will be left wishing they'd been allowed to get to know the rest of the crew better. Clueless meets Dead Poets Society with a whopping final twist. (Fiction. 12-18) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
