Teresa Toten

Toten authentically shows eight pivotal days in the life of Sami, a girl trying hard to be a regular teen, but her world is far from regular, what with the secrets she thinks she needs to keep in order to have acceptance in her community. A nuanced and unflinching look at what it's like to be a young person doing everything right, doing everything they can to achieve what others take for granted, fearing that one false step can wash it all away.
Brava.

The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B gives readers an in-depth look at OCD by breaking down the stereotypes of what it is and how serious the condition can really be. I felt an instant connection with the main character, Adam, from the very beginning of the story. He’s the underdog who is trying to get a better hold on his condition while struggling with the fact that he feels stuck in the middle of life.

The novel has an enjoyable cast of characters that brings their own colors to the story and I show more love the tight-knit bond they form with each other (ex. calling each other their superhero code names). Inside and outside of their weekly group they work to help each other work through their issues.

As for the romance in the book, Adam is immediately attracted to Robyn, but doesn’t act on it right away even though he really wants to. Adam and Robin do have an instant connection but they start out with a budding friendship that eventually turns into a romance. They also act as a source of strength for each other.

It was eye-opening to read the pov of someone who has OCD, and after I finished the book I got a better understanding of what people with that condition struggle with and how it can easily escalate as well as various ways it can be treated.

This novel is a great story that highlights the seriousness of OCD, but I appreciated that it doesn’t wrap itself completely around the disorder. It not just a book about OCD, but rather it’s a story about a boy who has to overcome his fears and tries to gain courage over his extreme anxiety. It’s also a well-written coming of age story and it does a good job of showing the obstacles that we are sometimes faced with at that period of our lives. show less

Sophie's life has been repeatedly ruined when classmates discover that her father is in jail for murder. So when she moves to (another) new school, she has a plan - keep her family history a secret, and infiltrate the 'blondes' that group of unpopular, untouchable girls. But as her plan becomes hugely successful, she discovers that friendship, and the blondes, are not what she assumed. Full fo Eastern European Aunties, girl talk, and plans for staying cool, this story also had some really show more touching moments, and Sophie's relationship with her father added a layer of poignancy to her attempts to be popular - or at least not an outcast. show less

Adam is part of a support group for teenagers with OCD - he is on meds, sees a psych and is also stretched between 2 families - his hoarding mother and his very challenging 5 year old half-brother called "Sweetie" who seems to have his own anxiety issues. As he struggles to put his life back together a new girl called Robyn joins the group and suddenly Adam has a reason to try and get "better" as he falls instantly in love with her. Her arrival coincides with a new therapy the Psychiatrist show more in charge of the group suggests; that they all adopt Super-hero names and persona to build confidence. Robyn chooses Robin and Adam chooses (naturally) Batman.
Then things start to get complicated - Adam's new helping persona of Batman is so successful that Robin starts to make huge progress, while Adam himself struggles - someone is sending his Mum horrible letters.
I must admit that it took me a while to guess who was sending the letters - at one point I thought Adam may have had schizophrenia and was blacking out and sending them himself. I liked the character of Adam as he was sweet but flawed....the Catholic stuff is very funny. When Adam takes the whole group to Church and they muddle up all the rituals and call the priest the pope. If you have been raised a Catholic you will laugh out loud.
Mature readers for the swearing only...copious "F" words. show less