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eesh25's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 Stars
This book is about sixteen-year-old Solomon who is agoraphobic and hasn't left his house in three years. But he's fine with it. Then comes Lisa, who wants to get into the university with the second-best psychology program in the country and she has to write about her own experience with mental illness. For that, she plans to "fix" Solomon.
Obviously, things don't go exactly as planned because let's be honest, the plan to "fix" a human being as if the guy's some broken toaster has 'sociopathic' written all over it. Not that Lisa is a sociopath. Though she comes pretty close at times.
Lisa is not the most likable person. She's confident and determined but can also be very insensitive, manipulative and self-centered. I was always jumping between being amused by her thinking and feeling she needed therapy. But she was plenty interesting.
Another character was her boyfriend, Clark. He also became friends with Solomon and they both became pretty close. Close enough for it to bother Lisa. But Clark was a really nice guy and I liked how he got along with Sol.
Then there was Sol himself. I liked him very much. His relationship with his parents, how he tackled life as someone terrified to go outside and how he rarely made apologies for who he was. Sure, he sometimes felt guilty that he was upsetting his parents, but he didn't kill himself trying to make them happy. He was good guy, was considerate, funny, smart, mature for his age, and also cared about himself. Great protagonist.
Basically, all the characters were good. And I loved how the book gave importance to Sol's family as well and how they were a huge part of the book.
The book was pretty short and there was never a dull moment. I loved the story. The writing was good but it was very hard to tell the two perspectives apart and the narrative sounded a bit young; not entirely YA. That was one of the two main problems I has with the book.
The other was Lisa and Clark's relationship. I didn't really see 'love' between them and their relationship could've been better developed. I also wanted a teeny tiny bit more of a resolution for Lisa.
But overall, this was a really good read and I highly recommend checking it out.
I'm gonna leave with a quote from the book. Lines I really liked:
"He was afraid of the world, afraid it would find a way to swallow him up. But, maybe everyone was sometimes. Maybe some people can just turn it off when they need to."
karrama's review against another edition
4.0
This was a fast and easy read, covering topics that don't usually go with quick reads. Sometimes using language higher than PG-13, it never used it inappropriately or in ways that made me hate humanity, if that makes sense. When a character did something mean or stupid, they were called on it, but at the same time the way they got along was "making fun before someone else did" humor. I liked that there was no Magic Macguffin that made everything better, there was no homophobia and everyone was very understanding of the agoraphobia. He couldn't have had a better family or more concerned friends- - too good to be true, too easy to quick. Still, this book will touch someone and it will be enjoyed by the right people.
_reading_with_kate_'s review against another edition
4.0
4.5
Mild Spoiler: The kid freaking has a holodeck in his garage. How could I not love it?
Mild Spoiler: The kid freaking has a holodeck in his garage. How could I not love it?
reynastillo's review against another edition
3.0
It's been 3 years, and Solomon Reed hasn't left his house. And he doesn't see any reason to leave anytime soon.
It's been 3 years, and Lisa Praytor can't stop thinking about the crazy kid who jumped into a fountain on the first day of school and since that day never came back.
With Lisa set on "fixing" Solomon, she doesn't expect to actually form a friendship with him. And Solomon doesn't expect it either. As Solomon meets more people, such as Lisa's boyfriend, Clark, and begins to let his guard down, he finds himself drawn to the outside world. But just when he thought he could trust them, he finds that their intentions may not have been so selfless, and all the progress he made threatens to crumble.
This is the basis of the book Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley. The book is written in 3rd person alternating viewpoints between Lisa and Solomon. The writing style is succinct and simple, beginning with an unexpected event but ending with a predictable resolution. The characters are relatively one-sided: I am able to describe them with one word. Lisa: perfectionist, Clark: kind, Janis: petty, and Solomon: vulnerable. There isn't too much to them after that.
Highly Illogical Behavior attempts to tackle heavy topics such as mental illness, losing friends, and betraying trust. The book itself is nothing spectacular. No ground-breaking revelations or inspirational commentary on mental health in today's society. Writing about agoraphobia is a unique idea, to be sure, but the conflicts were shoved in haphazardly and made a bigger deal than they actually were while still managing to have predictable plot lines and resolutions. I could predict what happened far in advance (such as Solomon falling in love with Clark, which I predicted the second Solomon came out). The "will-they-won't-they" between Solomon and Clark was very one-dimensional and petty, not adding much to the plot.
That being said, the book had its moments. When Solomon forced himself to go visit his grandma despite feeling extremely panicked, for example. He did this for the love for his family (not a romantic love interest) and was pushed into a situation that was uncomfortable to him. This was truly a point of growth for his character where he learns that life goes on its own terms and he can either adapt or stay put forever. I feel this message is very applicable to real life.
An interesting thing about this book is that it expands on what it means to survive. It is not only staying alive, but thriving. By the end of the book, Solomon learns to live out his life despite his mental illness and to forgive his friends despite their betrayal. Lisa survives through losing friendships and her secret being revealed, making her realize that what was important to her no longer matters so much in the long run.
If you liked books such as Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon, it's fair to say that you'll enjoy this one, too. Both have circumstances that force the character to live inside and they both want to go out when introduced to friends from the outside world. The details differ greatly, making two separate stories from a similar idea. Both, however, are written in that more simplistic "young adult" style, making both books enjoyable for similar readers.
Was Highly Illogical Behavior a bad book? No, but it didn't outshine any other mental health books. While this book could be useful to start conversations about mental health, it should not be the only source referenced when talking about it.
Maybe if they had called it Highly Predictable Behavior as opposed to Highly Illogical Behavior, I would've known what I was getting myself into.
It's been 3 years, and Lisa Praytor can't stop thinking about the crazy kid who jumped into a fountain on the first day of school and since that day never came back.
With Lisa set on "fixing" Solomon, she doesn't expect to actually form a friendship with him. And Solomon doesn't expect it either. As Solomon meets more people, such as Lisa's boyfriend, Clark, and begins to let his guard down, he finds himself drawn to the outside world. But just when he thought he could trust them, he finds that their intentions may not have been so selfless, and all the progress he made threatens to crumble.
This is the basis of the book Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley. The book is written in 3rd person alternating viewpoints between Lisa and Solomon. The writing style is succinct and simple, beginning with an unexpected event but ending with a predictable resolution. The characters are relatively one-sided: I am able to describe them with one word. Lisa: perfectionist, Clark: kind, Janis: petty, and Solomon: vulnerable. There isn't too much to them after that.
Highly Illogical Behavior attempts to tackle heavy topics such as mental illness, losing friends, and betraying trust. The book itself is nothing spectacular. No ground-breaking revelations or inspirational commentary on mental health in today's society. Writing about agoraphobia is a unique idea, to be sure, but the conflicts were shoved in haphazardly and made a bigger deal than they actually were while still managing to have predictable plot lines and resolutions. I could predict what happened far in advance (such as Solomon falling in love with Clark, which I predicted the second Solomon came out). The "will-they-won't-they" between Solomon and Clark was very one-dimensional and petty, not adding much to the plot.
That being said, the book had its moments. When Solomon forced himself to go visit his grandma despite feeling extremely panicked, for example. He did this for the love for his family (not a romantic love interest) and was pushed into a situation that was uncomfortable to him. This was truly a point of growth for his character where he learns that life goes on its own terms and he can either adapt or stay put forever. I feel this message is very applicable to real life.
An interesting thing about this book is that it expands on what it means to survive. It is not only staying alive, but thriving. By the end of the book, Solomon learns to live out his life despite his mental illness and to forgive his friends despite their betrayal. Lisa survives through losing friendships and her secret being revealed, making her realize that what was important to her no longer matters so much in the long run.
If you liked books such as Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon, it's fair to say that you'll enjoy this one, too. Both have circumstances that force the character to live inside and they both want to go out when introduced to friends from the outside world. The details differ greatly, making two separate stories from a similar idea. Both, however, are written in that more simplistic "young adult" style, making both books enjoyable for similar readers.
Was Highly Illogical Behavior a bad book? No, but it didn't outshine any other mental health books. While this book could be useful to start conversations about mental health, it should not be the only source referenced when talking about it.
Maybe if they had called it Highly Predictable Behavior as opposed to Highly Illogical Behavior, I would've known what I was getting myself into.
beeriley's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
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
3.75
lukieslibrary's review against another edition
3.0
This was….fine? As a psychology major, one of my biggest icks about mental health related fiction books is that it’s either a “love cures” or “they can be fixed”. And while I understand this book did not end with either, it did start with a girl believing she had the right to someone’s mental health story, without their permission, for her own personal gain. Maybe I’m being a little picky, a little judgmental but again, personal ick.
However, the author’s portrayal of Solomon was beautiful. The agoraphobia was written wonderfully, the way she writes about the mental illness was very nice but the other characters were not likable to me.
However, the author’s portrayal of Solomon was beautiful. The agoraphobia was written wonderfully, the way she writes about the mental illness was very nice but the other characters were not likable to me.
madiganinwonderland's review against another edition
DNF
Honestly I just can't get through this. Right off the bat I already have an issue with the tone and the way the agoraphobia is being approached. And i also got annoyed hearing Lisa's point of view from literally the first chapter she's in. She's made it her mission from like 10 pages in to "fix" Solomon. Like really?
I have no interest to see her "fix" him nor learn the life lesson to get the fuck off that high horse and learn that nobody should go around claiming it's their job to fix people, and I seriously doubt this book will go in any other way.
I've had this from the library for like over 2 months and I'm just done with it. I can't and don't want to get through it.
Very disappointed. I was really hoping Whaley approached agoraphobia in a better manner.
Honestly I just can't get through this. Right off the bat I already have an issue with the tone and the way the agoraphobia is being approached. And i also got annoyed hearing Lisa's point of view from literally the first chapter she's in. She's made it her mission from like 10 pages in to "fix" Solomon. Like really?
I have no interest to see her "fix" him nor learn the life lesson to get the fuck off that high horse and learn that nobody should go around claiming it's their job to fix people, and I seriously doubt this book will go in any other way.
I've had this from the library for like over 2 months and I'm just done with it. I can't and don't want to get through it.
Very disappointed. I was really hoping Whaley approached agoraphobia in a better manner.
astheplotthickens24's review against another edition
5.0
review to come! It'll be freaking fantastic consist of words like "this book is great" and "this is fucking awesome" HAHAHAHA that's sarcasm btw. I suck at book reviews.
saschabookishowl's review
3.0
The more I think about it, the more I'm actually disappointed with this book. It's not bad, I enjoyed myself while reading it. I just expected...more? I don't think I really connected to the characters and some dialogue and actions seemed unbelievable/unreal to me. Maybe it would have been better if this was a longer novel, so that you can really see the characters change and bond in a more believable way. I should remark that I'm not really a fan of contemporary novels. My main motivation was to read about a character with agoraphobia but I'm not sure whether it was portrayed well in this novel. .