The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B

I only write reviews when I have to lay down a book that I never want to let go of. This story is brilliant, a page-turner in all the best ways. I ached for Adam, felt his pain, loved his goodness. All the characters are beautifully drawn, from Robyn, the love of his life, to his mentally ill mother, to the members of his OCD group and its counselor, Chuck. The pain is tempered with humor and love underlies the entire story. As a writer of young adult books, I know such work isn't easy and I admire the heck out of this writer.

This is a must read! I could hardly put the book down. The story was gripping and very well written. I will not tell you more then you must read it!

This is a very well-written book that was surprisingly fun, sweet and deep. The story centers around Adam, a fifteen-year-old kid with OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder). At the start of the story he's joined a support group for fellow OCD sufferers and immediately falls in love with one of the other teenagers, Robyn. The following love story between the two of them is sweet and I enjoyed watching Robyn and Adam help each other with their own OCD problems. Adam is a great main character. He's sweet but constantly unsure of himself, full of anxiety and dealing with multiple problems at home (mostly surrounding his mother, who is dealing with her own compulsive hoarding and depression). Adam's OCD escalates as the book goes on, and he is constantly trying to manage it and hide it. I thought the author did a great job describing just how much OCD can affect a person's life and just how time-consuming it can be (describing, for example, how it would often take Adam fifteen minutes just to walk through his front door at home). I especially loved Adam's support group, which was filled with quirky characters who all form an unlikely friendship. At the beginning of the book each of the members takes on a superhero name, and so we hardly hear their real names. Instead we deal with the likes of people such as Wonder Woman, Thor, Wolverine and Batman. The antics of the OCD support group were always amusing and at the same time provided insight into the different aspects that OCD can have. This was, overall, a very sweet coming-of-age story for Adam with a nice touch of romance and some great side characters. I really have no complaints about it, and it's a great story for anyone interested in learning about OCD.

This book was wonderful! I knew very little about OCD and the author did a lot of research about this affliction. The boy/main character was so likeable and I felt so sorry for him. With his home circumstances and his parents' situations, no wonder the poor kid had OCD! I would highly recommend the book to readers of all ages - sixth grade through whatever.

Liked the main character. Middle dragged on a little. Would have like a little more reasoning behind the letters. Still not sure why they wrote them in the first place.

This book stayed with me for days after I finished it! Engaging, likeable charcters; dialogue that is both humorous and realistic; and spot-on portrayals of various OCD and anxiety-related manifestations and rituals. It was both fascinating and moving. I laughed and I cried, and I was actually sad when I reached the end of the book! Hoping for a sequel!

This was quite an unusual book. . As an adult, I do enjoy some books written for a teenage audience but I had a hard time getting into this book ; the style was a bit choppy. But that was appropriate for the nature of the book. It actually added to the book. I gave it five stars, The choppy structure gave a feeling of something being off-kilter which was appropriate for this therapy group. Persevere until you get past the first of the book.

This was a great book. I am an adult who is obsessed with YA books. The characters, the emotions, and the storyline all made this a winning book. I think people will also learn a much better understanding of what it means to live with mental illness.

bought as an anniversary present for my fiancee who was looking for books with an OCD theme. she really enjoyed it and said it gave her a good insight into what it is like to suffer with OCD.

I chose this book for my book club and was thoroughly delighted after I read it. Excellent read. I hope the other members of my Book Club like it as much as I did.

Great book, I loved the twist in the plot at the end. I loved the way they portrayed emotional rollercoasters

fair price. fast delivery.

If you want a book that will give an interesting introduction to living with OCD this is a good starting point. Although the book isn't signposted as being suitable for teens, the language points in that direction. The restricted vocabulary may be intended to reflect American teen talk but this seems to be unfairly stereotypical and can be faintly irritating at times. The plot moves pretty slowly until the end when an unlikely turn of events brings matters to a crisis. All that having been said, the eponymous hero has depth and his troubles were the device that kept me turning the pages.