QBD Reviewsday: Highly Illogical Behaviour

9780571330447Solomon Reed is a sixteen year-old boy who suffers from agoraphobia and anxiety. He hasn’t stepped outside of his house – not even into his own back yard – for three years. Prior to Solomon not leaving his house, he had a panic attack at school which resulted in him ending up in the school water fountain, and nobody has seen him or heard from him ever since.

Lisa Praytor is an over-achiever. She excels at everything academically and socially, and she wants to gain a scholarship in university to one of the best psychology courses there is. In order to do that, she needs to write an entry essay on her own personal experience with mental illness. Lisa remembers Solomon, and finds a way to get in touch with him to ask if he’d like to hang out some time. Not knowing Lisa’s plan, Solomon accepts, and so begins their friendship. Lisa’s boyfriend, Clark, isn’t happy with the entire situation because of the wrongness of it all, but he will let her do just about anything if it makes her happy.

How long can Lisa and Clark keep the plot under wraps until Solomon discovers the real reason that Lisa contacted him in the first place?

 

Highly Illogical Behaviour discusses mental illness and what the support of good friends can do to help you cross bridges you never thought you’d step foot on. The trust that Solomon puts in Lisa, and then Clark, is incredible, and the love they all form for one another is so heartwarming!

The main thing I loved about this book is that the author confronts the reality of agoraphobia and steals the stigma behind it. They talk about the fear and complexities of the illness, and they also talk about the difficulty of attempting to overcome it – they show that although someone may be trying their absolute hardest to conquer their disorder and come out the other end, it isn’t going to happen in one step and it definitely doesn’t happen if strength and courage aren’t involved in the process.

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