Book Descriptions
for Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley
From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
Solomon Reed, 16, is agoraphobic and has rarely left home since middle school. Lisa Praytor doesn’t know Sol well but wants to forge a friendship and help him leave his house. She plans to use the experience as the basis of her college application essay—not that she tells Sol this. Lisa and her boyfriend, Clark, begin spending time with Sol. The friendship that develops among the three is genuine, bright, and lively, their exchanges funny and deep. Family developments challenge Sol to take small steps toward the outside world and Lisa and Clark support him with sensitivity and imagination. Then Lisa becomes convinced Sol, who comes out to her, is in love with Clark, and that Clark, who says he isn’t ready to have sex with her, is in love with Sol. Shortly after, Sol learns about Lisa’s essay: His devastation is profound. Sol is smart and funny and poignantly aware of the impact of his mental illness on his life and his family, but that doesn’t mean he can simply walk out the door. Nothing makes this clearer than descriptions of his panic attacks. Lisa is motivated by a desperate desire to leave home that undermines her judgment, while Clark has good sense and a good heart but doesn’t reveal Lisa’s plan to Sol until it’s too late. All are highly illogical, and poignantly human, in a singular, entertaining story that dives deeply into the ethics and complexities of friendship. (Age 14 and older)
CCBC Choices 2017. © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2017. Used with permission.
From the Publisher
Teen and adult fans of All The Bright Places, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, and Everything, Everything will adore this quirky story of coming-of-age, coming out, friendship, love...and agoraphobia.
Sixteen-year-old Solomon is agoraphobic. He hasn't left the house in three years, which is fine by him.
Ambitious Lisa desperately wants to get into the second-best psychology program for college (she's being realistic). But how can she prove she deserves a spot there?
Solomon is the answer.
Determined to "fix" Sol, Lisa thrusts herself into his life, sitting through Star Trek marathons with him and introducing him to her charming boyfriend Clark. Soon, all three teens are far closer than they thought they'd be, and when their walls fall down, their friendships threaten to collapse, as well.
A hilarious and heartwarming coming-of-age perfect for readers of Matthew Quick and Rainbow Rowell, Highly Illogical Behavior showcases the different ways we hide ourselves from the world--and how love, tragedy, and the need for connection may be the only things to bring us back into the light.
Sixteen-year-old Solomon is agoraphobic. He hasn't left the house in three years, which is fine by him.
Ambitious Lisa desperately wants to get into the second-best psychology program for college (she's being realistic). But how can she prove she deserves a spot there?
Solomon is the answer.
Determined to "fix" Sol, Lisa thrusts herself into his life, sitting through Star Trek marathons with him and introducing him to her charming boyfriend Clark. Soon, all three teens are far closer than they thought they'd be, and when their walls fall down, their friendships threaten to collapse, as well.
A hilarious and heartwarming coming-of-age perfect for readers of Matthew Quick and Rainbow Rowell, Highly Illogical Behavior showcases the different ways we hide ourselves from the world--and how love, tragedy, and the need for connection may be the only things to bring us back into the light.
Publisher description retrieved from Google Books.