The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B by Teresa Toten is an adult/YA fiction novel about teens who are dealing with obsessive-compulsive order.
Adam Spencer Ross is almost fifteen and dealing with your typical teen problems–friends, girls, school, divorced parents, a step mom and brother–add to that an obsessive-compulsive disorder that is ramping up and disaster seems inevitable.
But Adam is determined to turn everything around from the moment he meets Robyn Plummer. Adam is convinced that Robyn is his one true love and that he is going to save her. But to save Robyn, Adam will have to save him self first.
This was a recommendation from one of my book club members and I really enjoyed it. The audio is definitely worth a listen–the narrator does a fantastic job and I just couldn’t help laugh at his vocal interpretation of the humorous bits the author injects into the novel.
The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B is a serious, emotional novel with some really unexpected humor thrown in. I couldn’t help but smile to myself as some of Adam’s internal and, often untimed, external dialogue.
The group itself is full of diverse and dynamic characters, each struggling in their own way. And the adoption of superhero alter egos/pseudonyms, was a really an inventive way bring another dynamic to the story.
Adam’s journey throughout this book is both emotional and encouraging. As a reader, you almost can feel the frustration in the escalation of Adam’s cleansing rituals. And, looking back now, I think the story begins to ramp up as his compulsions do–the pace feels quicker, like the story is coming to a head just as Adam’s problems begin to spill over.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Some will relate strongly, others will not. And some will find themselves empathizing, while others just won’t get it. This one gets a solid 4 stars from me.
That’s all for now!
-M-