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272 pages, Paperback
First published August 27, 2013
"The boy inhaled as the door opened."
When I first found this book a while back on Goodreads, I was absolutely taken aback by such wonderful reviews. It made this an automatic want. A desire. A necessity. So I hate to say that I'm somewhat disappointed.
For those who aren't aware, The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B is a YA novel about a group for teenage sufferers of obsessive compulsive disorder. Every teenager has some form of OCD, including a hypochondriac, a boy with intrusive thoughts, and threshold issues. From what I could tell—although I am not diagnosed with OCD, and therefore have no personal account—the book seemed to be pretty accurate to the many different faces of the disorder. It doesn't romanticize, either, which I loved; it's right in your face, and since it's from the first-person-POV of a teenage boy, you know his thoughts. It's brutal.
I know that so many Goodreads reviewers loved the main character, Adam, but I honestly didn't care for him too much at all for a large part of the book. In truth, it was very hard to connect with any of the characters. Something about them lacked depth. Any of them could talk and I would not be able to name who it was. Similarly, I also disliked the main female, Robyn, for a majority of the book. Most of my time spent reading was focused entirely on Adam's downward spiral in dealing with his mental illness, not the romance that came across as very important. Sorry to say, but it was boring. I often found myself rolling my eyes, groaning... I don't like instalove, but I also don't like bland, first-person-POV protagonists who aren't very clear. The writing is very easy to read, at least.
But I stray, I stray. I know I just spent a good bit of time ranting on this book, but it honestly wasn't that bad. It just wasn't remarkable. Was it cute? Yes. Did I enjoy my time spent reading it? Yep, mostly. It gave me something to do while walking during gym, or waiting for my ride. Would I read it again? Probably not. I would, however, recommend it. It's cute, it's light and easy, and it's, for once, an accurate portrayal of mental illness. It was just far from perfect.
"And then, for the first time since that man was a boy, Adam Spencer Ross sat on the very edge of his bed, in that very bright room, and wept."
Read for ...
💌 #LibraryLoveChallenge
🌺 #MentalHealthBingo
“I sweat terror, Robyn! I’m scared every single second about every singled goddamned thing. I worry obsessively about being buried under an avalanche of fear. Jesus, Robyn, I’m scared like only the truly crazy can be.”
“But that, you dope, is the definition of courage: you go on, despite the fear.”