OCD Love Story

Gr 9 Up—Bea, a high school senior, struggles with obsessive-compulsive disorder. She wants to think of herself as a regular teen with a few interesting quirks, but as readers discover more about her past, it is clear that her problems run deeper than she is willing to admit. She falls for Beck, a boy in her therapy group who washes himself constantly and must do everything in groups of eight. Beck likes her, but he doesn't know that she spends her spare time eavesdropping on a musician and his wife, often following them back to their apartment building. Haydu has created a believable protagonist in this beautifully written first novel; however, it is sometimes difficult to view her with sympathy rather than alarm as her stalking behaviors escalate. And she is terrified that she will hurt someone, either by accident with her car or on purpose with a knife or other sharp object. Bea's head is constantly buzzing with intrusive thoughts and the irresistible need to perform the rituals that ease her anxieties. Revelations about both teens suggest that traumatic events in their lives triggered their OCD. Therapy figures prominently as Bea has breakthroughs and learns to manage her condition, but despite an upbeat conclusion, there are no magical answers. Beck and Bea's romance is sweet, though troubled. While this is not an easy story to read, teens fascinated by mental-health issues or unusual romances will find it hard to put down.—Miranda Doyle, Lake Oswego School District, OR