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aelong1399's review against another edition
2.0
Most of this book really pissed me off. The ending made it okay, but as someone with both mental illness and a psych degree, it's really frustrating to see a protagonist act like Lisa does in this book. I realize she's supposed to be an unlikable character, but god, she drove me crazy, and she wasn't "punished" in a way I would have liked to see (everything goes back to normal, even though she completely fucked with Solomon's life?? Excuse me, no). I did, however, like the "romantic" subplot between Sol and Clark. Exciting to see a straight male character not get extremely upset and extra homophobic about his friend having feelings for him.
awesomepancake's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
eyleen's review against another edition
4.0
This was so entertaining and unique!!
I didn't expect all the banter. It was hilarious!
I flew through this book and I recommend it to people who loved Everything Everything and We were Liars.
I didn't expect all the banter. It was hilarious!
I flew through this book and I recommend it to people who loved Everything Everything and We were Liars.
matiel72's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this story, it was quick to read and hard hitting. I really enjoyed most of the characters, but I related to the portrayal of Solomon's anxiety and how it was described. I didn't much care for Lisa as I thought she was overstepping her boundries but she learned about it over the course of the novel. I really liked the references to pop culture and how much Solomon used his love for Star Trek to help with his anxiety, which is another reason I enjoyed his character as I use Harry Potter in much the same way. Solomon's family was well developed and supporting of him. I also really liked Clark but I felt that he could have used more character building. Overall I thought this was a well written novel about mental illness, ecspecially one that isn't well represented in media. 4/5 stars
laurens1ibrary's review against another edition
4.0
4.5/5 stars.
I had been highly anticipating this for weeks from the minute I heard about it and read this in 2 days which is super fast for me. The writing in here was beautiful! It had such an interesting and fascinating premise and for being a contemporary mental illness YA novel, it was outstanding. It did have predictable parts but it also had parts that I had THOUGHT were going to be predictable and ended up being the opposite. I liked the direction this took but I wish it didn't end so suddenly. I'm not used to stand alone novels so it kind of left me off feeling unsatisfied. I never read a book about agoraphobia and there were a lot things I related to in that aspect. I recommend this to anyone wanting to read a quick novel on mental illness and friendship.
I had been highly anticipating this for weeks from the minute I heard about it and read this in 2 days which is super fast for me. The writing in here was beautiful! It had such an interesting and fascinating premise and for being a contemporary mental illness YA novel, it was outstanding. It did have predictable parts but it also had parts that I had THOUGHT were going to be predictable and ended up being the opposite. I liked the direction this took but I wish it didn't end so suddenly. I'm not used to stand alone novels so it kind of left me off feeling unsatisfied. I never read a book about agoraphobia and there were a lot things I related to in that aspect. I recommend this to anyone wanting to read a quick novel on mental illness and friendship.
kathrynkao's review against another edition
5.0
This book reminded me in a lot of ways of [b:Wonder|11387515|Wonder (Wonder, #1)|R.J. Palacio|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1545695751l/11387515._SY75_.jpg|16319487]Wonder: both center around a boy whose disability affects their socialization with their peers, and both deal with how cruelty isn’t always overt. In Wonder, August’s limited socialization was when he was homeschooled until 5th grade; in Highly Illogical Behavior, Sol literally hasn’t left the house in three years. One of the main themes in Wonder is that you can be nice and still be mean, and that’s definitely shown in Highly Illogical Behavior, in Lisa’s quest to “fix” Sol. Her motivations are pretty clearly self-serving, which the book directly confronts, but when she first comes up with the idea, she seems to genuinely believe she’s doing a nice thing for Sol, and that it was a win-win situation. The fact that her idea is actually horrible–and the impact the truth has on Sol–is a big part of the final section of the book, and the author doesn’t absolve Lisa or make excuses for her. The book’s structure, in which chapters alternate between Sol and Lisa’s perspectives, do a lot to humanize Lisa and show her complexity.
Because of the book’s structure, this is Sol and Lisa’s story–it doesn’t belong to just one of them. I thought that was a smart move, because it allows the reader to feel the limitations and feeling of being trapped that exist for both characters. Both their worlds are smaller than they’d like, and reading from only their perspectives lets the reader experience that. It also keeps the story nuanced, and underlines the similarities between the two characters.
I can’t speak to the accuracy of the depiction of an agoraphobic character, but I loved how the book made an effort to express Sol’s panic attacks and his view of the outside world. Sol is not a character to be pitied or held up for inspiration; in fact, his home life seems to be the most functional out of the three characters. There were a number of times the author could have taken an easy, clichéd route, especially regarding Lisa and Clark’s relationship and Sol’s coming out as gay. The teenagers read like actual teenagers, which makes the story in general a quick but really compelling read.
I gave this book to one of my students to read, and he LOVES it, so that is a strong endorsement.
Full review: http://mrskaoreads.com/book/highly-illogical-behavior/
Because of the book’s structure, this is Sol and Lisa’s story–it doesn’t belong to just one of them. I thought that was a smart move, because it allows the reader to feel the limitations and feeling of being trapped that exist for both characters. Both their worlds are smaller than they’d like, and reading from only their perspectives lets the reader experience that. It also keeps the story nuanced, and underlines the similarities between the two characters.
I can’t speak to the accuracy of the depiction of an agoraphobic character, but I loved how the book made an effort to express Sol’s panic attacks and his view of the outside world. Sol is not a character to be pitied or held up for inspiration; in fact, his home life seems to be the most functional out of the three characters. There were a number of times the author could have taken an easy, clichéd route, especially regarding Lisa and Clark’s relationship and Sol’s coming out as gay. The teenagers read like actual teenagers, which makes the story in general a quick but really compelling read.
I gave this book to one of my students to read, and he LOVES it, so that is a strong endorsement.
Full review: http://mrskaoreads.com/book/highly-illogical-behavior/
rudera01's review against another edition
4.0
Loved this book, loved these characters, just wanted more! Would have given 5 stars but I agree with some other reviewers that this book could have been longer to develop the characters and the final act of the story. It ended a bit abruptly for me.
All in all, a wonderfully original story and a quick read.
All in all, a wonderfully original story and a quick read.
prairierosereads's review against another edition
5.0
John Corey Whaley is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. His topics are unique and challenging and accurate. I practically inhale his writing every time I begin a Whaley book.
The book is told in dual perspective (and if you've read Where Things Come Back, you should get EXCITED like me because Whaley is so good at writing in this format). This story follows Solomon, a 16-year-old whose panic attack in junior high now forbids him from leaving his house. When the book begins, he hasn't left in over 3 years. He has a condition called agoraphobia (fear or avoid places where the person feels trapped/unsafe, in the most summarized terms from Wikipedia). The other perspective, Lisa, a 17-year-old classmate, wants to meet Solomon. He is her ticket out of Upland.
I enjoyed the story's many themes, mostly dealing with mental illness, friendship, and LGBT. I thought Whaley handled both fairly well; at first, I did not fully understand the placement of LGBT themes, but it becomes more abundantly clear toward the second half of the story. Whaley says so much about the complexity of humans. It's difficult to put a label on any character solely on their interests and characteristics, and I think that's the point of this entire book.
It's a difficult book to read if you go in with premonitions. I would go into this book more blindly than anything. Just know that Whaley has a method to his madness. The only qualms I have are with the length of the book...I would have added some more background on a couple of characters. Then again, maybe that's the point.
The book is told in dual perspective (and if you've read Where Things Come Back, you should get EXCITED like me because Whaley is so good at writing in this format). This story follows Solomon, a 16-year-old whose panic attack in junior high now forbids him from leaving his house. When the book begins, he hasn't left in over 3 years. He has a condition called agoraphobia (fear or avoid places where the person feels trapped/unsafe, in the most summarized terms from Wikipedia). The other perspective, Lisa, a 17-year-old classmate, wants to meet Solomon. He is her ticket out of Upland.
I enjoyed the story's many themes, mostly dealing with mental illness, friendship, and LGBT. I thought Whaley handled both fairly well; at first, I did not fully understand the placement of LGBT themes, but it becomes more abundantly clear toward the second half of the story. Whaley says so much about the complexity of humans. It's difficult to put a label on any character solely on their interests and characteristics, and I think that's the point of this entire book.
It's a difficult book to read if you go in with premonitions. I would go into this book more blindly than anything. Just know that Whaley has a method to his madness. The only qualms I have are with the length of the book...I would have added some more background on a couple of characters. Then again, maybe that's the point.
deedralapray's review against another edition
4.0
This one almost got five stars. I really liked this one! Ambitious, driven female character goes after what she wants to get herself into college. The problem is there is an ethical issue that could/should get in the way.
Another great example of YA fiction forcing us to deal with social issues in a way that a lot of adult fiction just doesn't.
Another great example of YA fiction forcing us to deal with social issues in a way that a lot of adult fiction just doesn't.
laurahuijser's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book. Not because I relate to the theme of mental illness and the temptation to shut yourself in your house for years, but because it taught people that there's more to life than mental illness. At first, Solomon Reed was portrayed as the embodiment of his mental illness, and Lisa thought she could "fix" him (a reason why I'm not a fan of her character). Later though, their relationship develops, and although Solomon's family is very dedicated to helping Sol leave his house after three years, you can really see that even though Sol suffers from this mental illness, he's still a person who has interests and hobbies. The illness isn't what brings Lisa and Clark back to Solomon in the end, but it's the person himself. That's what I enjoyed about the book. On top of this, it was a quick, easy read. It summed everything up well and the story line wasn't complicated at all. The ending felt a little unresolved, a bit rushed, but other than this, it was a fun read.