The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B

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 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 show more 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

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 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 show more 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

If you like John Green and Jay Asher, I think you’ll like this realistic fiction novel.

Adam meets Robin at his group meeting and instantly falls in love. Adam is a great guy who genuinely cares about others and decides that he will save Robin by getting better himself; he figures that if he’s better, he can be strong for her so that she’ll get better. One thing I like about the novel is that all of the group members seem like real people--it’s not a novel about unusual people who are society’s problems. It’s a novel about real issues that teens deal with and sometimes deal with badly. Adam, himself, has OCD and isn’t allowed to talk about his home life with his mom who is a hoarder. He does talk about himself in group like show more the other do, but as he notes, “everybody lies.” As Adam is determined to win over Robin, he ends up winning over everyone.

Each member of the group takes a hero’s name. Because Robin chooses Robin, Adam chooses Batman. The group consists of Wonder Woman, Thor, Wolverine, etc. Thor is my favorite. As time passes, they appear to take on their super-hero traits. They also become closer as a group. While Adam follows Robin to a cemetery and teaches her how to pray like a Catholic, Robin feels able to tell Adam the truth, which enables her to heal. Unfortunately, as he helps Robin, he ends up getting worse. Until he can face the truth, a real existence, will be just a dream.

You will love the characters in this novel. Adam’s brother is great--he has his own problems, but he loves Adam completely and totally. Adam has a caring father and step-mother, so a stable homelife is available for Adam, but he feels that he would betray his mom by leaving her. Adam can’t leave her--he has to rescue her just as he must rescue everyone, which he does. My favorite of them all is Thor. My main criticism is not knowing what will happen with Thor--we never learn about his past and we don’t know what his future holds. I will admit that it took me a few chapters before I was engaged, but once I was engaged in this novel, I was its prisoner. I also like that is ended realistically and not with a storybook ending. Enjoy! show less

How does one cope with normal stresses related to being a teenager and at the same time deal with OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder)? This is the life of the book’s fifteen-year-old Adam Ross. Adam is making efforts to overcome his obsessions by taking medication, by participating in individual therapy sessions, and by attending group therapy with other teens led by the counselor, Chuck. It is in this group therapy that Adam meets Robyn, who he considers to be the love of his life. This group also offers him a chance to make some new friends as he unconsciously takes on the role of helpmate and supporter to the other participants. In spite of Adam’s efforts and his new relationship with Robyn, his obsessions begin to worsen. His show more parents are divorced and he is worried about his mother who is a hoarder, and his little stepbrother who also has compulsive issues seems to need his attention more frequently. Adam knows he must do something before his whole life comes apart.

I gained some knowledge of the difficulty of living with mental illness particularly with OCD. The road to recovery from OCD or any mental illness is not an easy one and there are no promises of a cure. And many times, as with Adam’s mother, those with a mental illness put on a façade in an attempt to keep the illness hidden. The book is enlightening, at times humorous, and even offers a little thread of mystery and it is a lot about struggling to accept oneself and to be accepted by others. show less

Adam Spencer Ross is in treatment for OCD. He sees his therapist, Chuck, for sessions and also joins an OCD support group. It is there that he first meets Robin, his first love. The group forms a community, donning superhero nicknames and growing into friendship. Adams got a counting thing and a growing threshold thing, and he tries to deal through denial and over-medication. He has secrets to keep at his mom's. And the secrets get so big it gets too much.
Adam is a kind, caring, and complicated boy. Readers get to experience him grow and go through tremendous amounts of pain over the course of the book. The characters and descriptions are interesting. Despite this being my third OCD book recently, the awkward coming of age and dealing show more with trauma worked. The audio book captured the internal and external happenings of Adam Spencer Ross (aka Batman) well. show less

Adam Spencer Ross suffers from OCD. He seems to have resigned himself to a restricted life until he meets Robyn in his Young Adult OCD Support group. Totem writes of his falling in love with such tenderness and passion that we have no doubt Adam is motivated to get well. The team group adopt superhero names and develop an odd collection of relationships. At times sweet, and often hilarious, the reader routes for Adam, Robyn, and all the other teens.

Adam not only has to cope with his own problems, but his divorced mother has become a hoarder making it impossible for Adam to bring home friends or even feel comfortable in his own home. His compassion for others and his desire to be well make him a character to root for.

If you enjoyed The show more Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon or House Rules by Jodi Picoult, you will love this personal glimpse of the mind of a teenager with obsessive compulsive disorder. While clearly showing us how OCD restricts Adam’s life, we come to understand the depth of this illness. This book is well deserving of the Governor General’s Award. show less

Aw.. A little bit fairy-tale, but in a good way, because we're *so* rooting for these characters that if they had to endure any extra hardships than they do already, we'd cry buckets.  As is, I was sniffling and giggling in about equal measure.  There's some serious drama, too; it's not pure fluff.  I read a paperback ARC that seemed ready for publication.