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marchemvee's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastically written, heart warming, and eye opening. King does a phenomenal job addressing an often undervalued and overlooked mental illness in a way that is tangible and accessible to both youth and adults. Definitely recommend as a read-aloud for youth.
ginggercakes's review against another edition
3.0
It was a good and simple story, I liked the characters a lot. Author really went ahead and put himself right into this story, everything felt so real and at times distressing. A good way for kids and people of all ages to realize that although they might suffer inside their own minds, they arent alone.
lchoney's review against another edition
4.0
Definitely geared towards a more young adult crowd, in my opinion, but it was a lighthearted and comical way of skimming the surface of mental health and disorders.
rikkir77's review against another edition
4.0
Battle of the books 22-23 - final book read from the list! Good look at someone struggling with mental health, based on the author’s real life experiences mixed with a bit of a mystery.
Read alikes:
Obsessed
Game Changer
Up for Air
Read alikes:
Obsessed
Game Changer
Up for Air
litagentsaritza's review against another edition
4.0
I picked up this book on a whim as I was browsing the children's books at my local BN. I will preface my review by saying that I do not read middle grade books as often as I do young adult and adult titles but this book felt like a young adult book to me despite the MC being in 8th grade.
The first line, "I first realized I was crazy on a Tuesday" hooked me right in and King didn't let me go for several chapters. I stood there in the BN children's books section reading for a good 20 minutes before I decided to sit down and keep reading. An hour later, I was halfway through the book standing in line to purchase it.
Wesley King handles the very difficult theme of mental illness in adolescence beautifully through his main character's attempts to explain his condition through words like "Zaps," "Routine," and "Great Space." Anxiety disorder, OCD, panic attacks and even disassociate disorder are explained through the voice of a 13-year-old coming to terms with his condition and what it means to not be normal in middle school.
Despite his eccentricities, Daniel is able to hide his disorder from everyone except for a fellow "star kid" like himself and together they embark on a journey of self-discovery and acceptance.
I highly recommend this book to parents and children who may be suffering alone through depression, anxiety disorders or any mental health illness that deprives them of their visibility and acceptance.
The first line, "I first realized I was crazy on a Tuesday" hooked me right in and King didn't let me go for several chapters. I stood there in the BN children's books section reading for a good 20 minutes before I decided to sit down and keep reading. An hour later, I was halfway through the book standing in line to purchase it.
Wesley King handles the very difficult theme of mental illness in adolescence beautifully through his main character's attempts to explain his condition through words like "Zaps," "Routine," and "Great Space." Anxiety disorder, OCD, panic attacks and even disassociate disorder are explained through the voice of a 13-year-old coming to terms with his condition and what it means to not be normal in middle school.
Despite his eccentricities, Daniel is able to hide his disorder from everyone except for a fellow "star kid" like himself and together they embark on a journey of self-discovery and acceptance.
I highly recommend this book to parents and children who may be suffering alone through depression, anxiety disorders or any mental health illness that deprives them of their visibility and acceptance.
mfumarolo's review against another edition
4.0
The librarians and I had been searching far and wide for the perfect middle school novel to be the final addition to our Battle of the Books list for this year, and I found it with OCDaniel. This audiobook had me not wanting to get out of the car so I could keep listening to this gripping story of a boy overwhelmed by all the normal middle school things like sports and crushes, not to mention a murder investigation and the mysterious Zaps that cause him to avoid the number 4, turn light switches on and off, and go through a 3 hour bedtime routine every single night. I was hooked, and it actually sounded like a middle school kid! If your junior high doesn’t have this one on their shelves, they should.
abbymoore06's review against another edition
5.0
I am absolutely loving these middle grade books highlighting mental illnesses. While this one mainly focuses on OCD, it really encompasses a wide variety of deep feelings... and helps the reader understand what it is like to live with anxieties like this. I also appreciate the mystery storyline running throughout, as well as the sports (football) references and romance. This novel really speaks to the experience of middle school kids -- a very well-rounded story with lots of potential connections. Would be an excellent read-aloud for grades 7/8.
julesmarissa17's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
fermentation_witch's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
earlybirdie94's review against another edition
4.0
I really relate to Daniel, especially since having OCD since I was a kid and those zaps are almost life ruining.