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madden_b's review against another edition
5.0
This book was thought provoking, touching, beautiful and tragic all at the same time. I read OCDaniel a few years back and saw this one in the library and jumped on it. I'm glad I did! And it asked a very important question, What is Normal? Read if you can.
kristenelizabeth's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
5.0
Adding to the list of middle grade books I wish had been around ten years ago, and middle grade books that make you go :'( and :')
arieanstar's review against another edition
5.0
Thank you to Simon and Schuster, and Wesley King for sending me an ARC for review.
I have to admit, I have this habit of diving into books knowing the bare minimum. All I knew was it was about a girl struggling with mental health. I had no idea that this was a prequel. But my gosh was this an emotional rollercoaster! I could not stop reading and it took me a while to figure out it was middle grade (despite it being on the cover
I have to admit, I have this habit of diving into books knowing the bare minimum. All I knew was it was about a girl struggling with mental health. I had no idea that this was a prequel. But my gosh was this an emotional rollercoaster! I could not stop reading and it took me a while to figure out it was middle grade (despite it being on the cover
wondaponda's review against another edition
5.0
Beautiful. Just beautiful. Kept thinking about "It's Nice to Have a Friend" by Taylor Swift throughout. I would love a book from Erin's perspective someday...
girgir81's review against another edition
4.0
Well, that was a nice surprise!
I picked this book up on a visit to one of the book fairs last year without knowing anything about it and purely based on the catchiness of its title. When I read the blurb, I was really intrigued and curious to see how an adult male author can reflect the innermost mental struggles of a teenage girl.
That author, Wesley King, was phenomenal! Such a talented writer.
You see, he wrote this after another book, that I now can’t wait to get my hands on, titled ‘OCDaniel’. In the author’s note at the end of this book, King wrote…
“When I write OCDaniel, I had a pretty specific target audience. Namely, my twelve-year-old self. That gangly, pimply faced kid was afraid. And lonely. And he spent an awful lot of time thinking he would stay that way forever. So I wrote him a story. It was about his disorder, yes, but it was mostly about hope. It was about realizing that connecting with people we trust, and who understand what we are dealing with, is critical to dealing with our issues. I wanted that scared twelve-year-old kid to know that he could tell someone… which he didn’t for many more long, scary years.”
He continues to explain that due to the influx of messages of appreciation, thanks and personal stories identifying with ‘Sara’, a character in OCDaniel, he decided to write a book about her struggles with panic attacks, depression and schizophrenia.
I won’t go into the plot nor the summary of the book, but I would like to express how deeply moving that book was. It was very well written in a truly genuine teenage girl’s voice and perspective. He captured the thoughts and feelings of a 12-year-old girl who suffers from severe mental health problems very accurately and uniquely.
It is a beautiful story about friendship, hope, search for identity, self discovery and acceptance, loneliness and the incessant need for normalcy.
Despite all her mental health issues, Sara was incredibly funny and smart. Written in first person POV, the book allows you to experience all that Sara is experiencing and you won’t help but feel her pain and root for her to get better.
Highly recommended read…
jwinchell's review against another edition
4.0
This is the prequel to OCDaniel, but you can read this without reading the other. I did. Sara Malvern has generalized anxiety disorder and panic attacks and probably depression and other official disorders too. But she gives them names like False Alarm, which her therapist Dr Ring says makes it seem like she’s the only one who lives with these issues and avoids the reality that there are measures we can take that are treatable. She worries all the kids call her Psycho Sara, and she has started to call herself that too. But then at group therapy there is talkative Erin and at the park there is sad James. So friendships develop but are bumpy because: life. There’s an arc about Erin’s struggles and their pact to believe that they are Star Children and Sara has to rise to the occasion and be brave even if it means risking her only friend. This book is mostly about how we talk to ourselves and how we develop in relationship with ourselves and our mental and emotional struggles. Wesley King says so in the back of the book, and encourages young readers to seek out trusted people and information.
cozymystery55's review against another edition
5.0
Loved this book so much! Wish it existed when I was a teen.
readsknitsrepeats's review against another edition
5.0
This was such a powerful read. Sara’s struggle was heart wrenching and very well written.