A Highly Logical Book Choice

I was a quirky teen and found my peer group in Reach for The Top and friends who were not outcasts, but not top of the social heap that is high school. As I was reading John Corey Whalen’s Highly Illogical Behavior,  I felt I had found my peeps.

This slim novel, a mere 256 pages, is a quick read narrated by two characters: 16-year-old agoraphobic Solomon and 17-year-old Lisa,  who wants to befriend Solomon, cure his agoraphobia and use this as the basis for scholarship application to a psychology program.

Publisher’s Summary: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, introducing him to her charming boyfriend Clark and confiding her fears in him. Soon, all three teens are far closer than they thought they’d be, and when their facades 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 in which we hide ourselves from the world—and the ways in which love, tragedy, and the need for connection may be the only things to bring us back into the light.

Although it addresses serious issues, the book is really funny! Lisa is the aggravating overachiever, sort of like Hermione Grainger. But you can’t help liking her in spite of her determination. She has her own issues going on at home. Solomon is a   Star Trek: The Next Generation  fan with a “holodeck” painted on the walls in his garage. Yes, readers, you can get your geek on with this book.

In the same way that Exit, Pursued by a Bear was the ideal situation for the crisis in that story, this is perhaps an idealized portrayal of agoraphobia and friendship. It is well written and feels realistic. Don’t worry. You don’t have to be a  Star Trek: The Next Generation fan to enjoy the story and have your heartstrings tugged a little.