Highly Illogical Behaviour

by John Corey Whaley

Sixteen year old Solomon has agoraphobia. He hasn't left his house in three years, which is fine by him. At home, he is the master of his own kingdom--even if his kingdom doesn't extend outside of the house.

Ambitious Lisa desperately wants to go to a top tier psychiatry program. She'll do anything to get in.

When Lisa finds out about Solomon's solitary existence, she comes up with a plan sure to net her a scholarship: Befriend Solomon. Treat his condition. And write a paper on her findings. To earn Solomon's trust, Lisa begins letting him into her life, introducing him to her boyfriend Clark, and telling him her secrets. Soon, Solomon begins to open up and expand his universe. But all three teens have grown uncomfortably close, and when their facades fall down, their friendships threaten to collapse, as well.

At turns hilarious and heartwarming, 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.

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Mental Health, LGBT, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Mental Illness

258 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 10, 2016

About the author

JOHN ‘COREY’ WHALEY grew up in the small town of Springhill, Louisiana, where he learned to be sarcastic and to tell stories. He has a B.A. in English from Louisiana Tech University, as well as an M.A in Secondary English Education. He started writing stories about aliens and underwater civilizations when he was around ten or eleven, but now writes realistic YA fiction (which sometimes includes zombies…). He taught public school for five years and spent much of that time daydreaming about being a full-time writer…and dodging his students’ crafty projectiles. He is terrible at most sports, but is an occasional kayaker and bongo player. He is obsessed with movies, music, and traveling to new places. He is an incredibly picky eater and has never been punched in the face, though he has come quite close. One time, when he was a kid, he had a curse put on him by a strange woman in the arcade section of a Wal-Mart. His favorite word is defenestration. His favorite color is green. His favorite smell is books. He currently splits his time between Louisiana and Los Angeles.

Where Things Come Back is his first novel.

NOGGIN, his second novel, is out on April 8, 2014.

Reviews

[Jesse (JesseTheReader)]

I really liked where this story ended up, but I had issues along the way. It was nice to see how each of the characters had grown throughout the story. They're all pretty flawed, but they all grew a little in their own ways. My main issue lied with the climax of the story. To me it just kind of felt a little over the top and unnecessary.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly Illogical Behavior is a sweet coming of age story that dives into topics of agoraphobia, anxiety disorders, and accepting who we are. John Corey Whaley does so blending humor with heart while being sure to write with a touch of empathy that readers will also experience.

The book is written in third person and told in alternating perspectives between Solomon and Lisa.

Solomon is a sixteen year old boy with agoraphobia. He hasn’t left the house in three years. Not since the fountain panic attack incident. He has an anxiety disorder. He’s homeschooled and smart. Sol loves books, movies, and Star Trek.

Lisa is determined to get into her college of choice. She wants to get accepted into this prestigious psychology program and will do whatever it takes to get there. Even befriend Solomon, that kid who disappeared after that fountain thing, and “fix” him. She may view this as ambitious. I’d say manipulative.

Letting Sol into her life and bringing her boyfriend Clark into the mix was only to help her earn Sol’s trust. As Solomon opens up more, Lisa begins questioning her own relationship and plan. What begins as a project turns into a friendship, but it might all come crashing down as secrets get revealed.

This is a story of learning to accept yourself and come to terms with who you are. It depicts agoraphobia and anxiety in a respectful way, but also a very real and raw way. The characters, though some unlikable, were also relatable. I appreciate how realistic they are. John Corey Whaley has the ability to write a novel that’s charming, funny, and moving. That’s a gift in itself. He also manages to leave a lasting impression with deeper virtues sinking in. Compassion and empathy are beautiful lessons to be learned. And so, so important.

There are a bunch of references to “nerdy” things like Lord of the Rings and Star Trek, so rejoice! I think those who love Everything, Everything by: Nicola Yoon will really enjoy this.

[Whitney Atkinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This was pretty enjoyable! I think this is the second book I've read by John Corey Whaley, and I can't help but thinking that his books don't live up to the hype for me. I didn't enjoy Where Things Come Back very much, and this one just missed the target for me a bit, too. I was super interested to read a book about a gay main character with anxiety, and I knew that JCW would write this realistically because he has personal experience with both of these life phenomenons. I just was super irritated by the premise of this book. A girl studying to be a psychologist saying she's gonna try and "fix" this guy's anxiety sounded like a great social commentary, but it was literally just a story about this manic and manipulative girl trying to cure him. I did not like her at all, not even in an anti-hero sort of way which she was meant to be portrayed. I loved Solomon and Clark, and this book just took several turns that were questionable, and it never fully resolved. The end was SO rushed and didn't end off with a clear resolution, or a clear message about anxiety.

Although this was cute at points and I liked the nerdiness aspects of it, it was just not the best. It's hard to describe.

[emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

The problem with books about deliberately annoying characters doing intentionally annoying things is that they're still annoying.

This, for example, is about an annoying teenaged girl who decides to use a gossiped-about mentally ill peer, deciding she will ~fix him~ in order to write a kickass application essay to...psychology school.

This is a not good thing. The author knows that, the reader knows that, the characters either know or come to know that.

That doesn't make it more fun to read about.

Likewise for the aforementioned teenaged girl assuming said to-fix boy (who is gay) is in (reciprocated) love with her boyfriend and attempting to hook them up.

And likewise for the expletive-ridden essay this girl ultimately writes about the whole thing.

Especially considering 90% of the book details these things happening, and the last little bit attempts to tie it all up and forgive it.

Bottom line: Annoying stuff is annoying!

---------------
pre-review

hm.

review to come when my primary thought isn't how annoying the audiobook voices were / 2.5

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tbr review

thinking about stealing this title for my memoir

---------------

reading all books with LGBTQ+ rep for pride this month!

book 1: the gravity of us
book 2: the great american whatever
book 3: wild beauty
book 4: the affair of the mysterious letter
book 5: how we fight for our lives
book 6: blue lily, lily blue
book 7: the times i knew i was gay
book 8: conventionally yours
book 9: the hollow inside
book 10: nimona
book 11: dark and deepest red
book 12: the house in the cerulean sea
book 13: the raven king
book 14: violet ghosts
book 15: as far as you'll take me
book 16: bad feminist
book 17: a song for a new day
book 18: one last stop
book 19: to break a covenant
book 20: honey girl
book 21: check, please!
book 22: the subtweet
book 23: if we were villains
book 24: everything leads to you
book 25: you have a match
book 26: ziggy, stardust, and me
book 27: all the invisible things
book 28: heartstopper
book 29: boyfriend material
book 30: extraordinary birds
book 31: every body shines
book 32: you know me well
book 33: difficult women
book 34: call down the hawk
book 35: highly illogical behavior

[Jennifer Masterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Completely Adorable Stars for "Highly Illogical Behavior" by John Corey Whaley!!! Young Adult is not my genre of choice so 4.5 says a lot about this book!

"Highly Illogical Behavior" is about Solomon Reed, a 16 year old who hasn't left his house in three years. Solomon has agoraphobia due to anxiety and panic disorder. He has no friends until one day an old classmate of Sol's, Lisa, comes into his life. Sol's mother is Lisa's new dentist. Lisa has a boyfriend, Clark, who seems to enjoy spending more time with Sol than with Lisa. Is Lisa truly Sol's real friend or does she have other motives? Does Lisa's boyfriend truly love her? You will have to read this book to find out because I'm not giving any spoilers.

I never would have thought to read this book if it wasn't for my friend, Larry Hoffer. I cannot do the novel justice. Please click on the link and check out his review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I listened to the audio version of this book. The narration is wonderful. Julia Whelan is fantastic!

Highly recommended!!!

[April (Aprilius Maximus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I related to this book so, so much and really loved it, but it didn't blow me away or anything and I'm trying not to give out five stars willy nilly, ya know?

[Riley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5

[Trina · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main character of this book is gay and has agoraphobia (a type of anxiety disorder that causes the person to never, or rarely leave their home), and the author is writing from experience with both.

This was a nice look at how anxiety can affect socialization. It also shows common misconceptions the world has about mental illness through the character of Lisa who wants to "fix" Solomon. There isn't a super hard-hitting message here, but there doesn't have to be. It's just a look into a life. I enjoyed the friendships and getting to know these characters.

Although I don't have agoraphobia, I do have anxiety that sometimes prevents me from going to new places. As a teenager I knew someone who never left their house and had many of the same interests as Solomon. I also have a Psychology degree, so to some extent I can understand Lisa's drive to help him. So this book rang true in many ways for me personally and I really enjoyed it!

[beautyliterate · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 stars

Video Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIUiX...

Really enjoyed this book! Flew through it and even though the book was extremely short I still felt satisfied with everything.


***I was sent this book by Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review, all opinion are my own***

[Chelsea (chelseadolling reads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was absolutely delightful. I just finished it and I'm honestly tempted to pick it right back up and read it again. So, so good. Perfect mix of of seriousness and laughter. I'm so impressed by this little story.

[Larry H · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading his third book (following Where Things Come Back and Noggin ), I'm seriously becoming a John Corey Whaley groupie. Not that I wasn't already a huge fan, but I absolutely fell in love with the heart and humor of this book, and as always, his writing is funny and sensitive and warm without being too clever.

Solomon Reed is 16 years old. He hasn't left his house in three years, since a panic attack compelled him to sit in the fountain at his school until his parents came to take him home. He's smart and funny, he loves movies and books and Star Trek: The Next Generation , but the thought of leaving his house makes him hyperventilate to the point he cannot breathe. So while his parents worry about his future, for now they're content to let him go to school online and spend his life inside his house, with only them and his spry, sassy grandmother for company.

Lisa Praytor is determined to escape her hometown and make something of herself. She has her sights set on attending the second-best psychology program in the country, but there's a catch: her essay must deal with her personal experience with mental illness. After a chance encounter with Sol's mother, she finds a solution to that problem—she's going to "fix" Solomon (whom she remembers from middle school) and get him to leave his home again. She knows it will be hard work, but isn't realizing her academic dreams worth a little effort?

It's not long before Lisa realizes that Sol may have problems, but he's far from the boring, crazy person she expected. The two develop a strong friendship, filled with movies and games and confiding in each other. Eventually Lisa introduces Sol to Clark, her good-looking, athletic boyfriend, whose lack of ambition has Lisa questioning what she means to him. The three become an inseparable trio.

Sol doesn't realize how much he needed friends, and Clark and Lisa are all too happy to oblige, more out of sheer enjoyment than her original ulterior motive. But as Sol shares his secrets, and starts to think about life outside his house, Lisa starts questioning her relationship with Clark, and what Sol's role might be in the problems they're having. And of course, Sol is not the only one caught in the crossfire.

When we're at our most vulnerable, how do we let our guard down to let people in when we've done just fine on our own (or so we think)? At what point do we put the needs of others over our own needs, and why do we let others force us to act in ways which make us uncomfortable? Highly Illogical Behavior is about what it's like to just let go and put your faith in others, even as your heart and your head are telling you not to. It's a book about coming to terms with our fears and accepting who we are, even if we don't fit the mold most people expect us to.

While obviously the idea that parents would allow their teenage son to stay in their house for three years without leaving seems a little implausible, this issue doesn't detract from the beauty and heart of this book. Yes, we all know I'm a sap, but this book made me laugh and made me think even as it made me tear up. Solomon is such a fantastic character, and while Lisa's motivations certainly were questionable, I really liked Clark and many of the book's supporting characters as well.

Bravo again, John Corey Whaley. I promise not to stalk you, but I will be eagerly awaiting your next book, because I love the way you write. And I wouldn't mind if you wanted to bring a little more Solomon back into my life some day, too.

Thanks to First to Read and Dial Books for making available an advance copy of this book, in exchange for my unbiased review!!

See all of my reviews at http://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blo....

[Katerina Kondrenko · Rating 4 out of 5]

9 out of 10

Ревью в моем блоге/This review on my blog
Living A Thousand Lives (please use Chrome/Yandex browser or Android/IOS to see the page; otherwise, spoiler-tags I use to make my post compact may not work)

Short-Soundtrack:
Jason Mraz – Life is wonderful
Coldplay – Don't Panic
Gavin Degraw – Free

Genre: contemp, YA, realistic fiction
Stuff: agoraphobia, queers, panic attacks
WOW: writing style, realism of the story, Sol
POV: 3rd-person, she/he
Love-Geometry: seeming

Quote-Core:

"Sometimes it doesn’t matter where you are at all. It only matters who’s with you."

I would pass by Highly Illogical Behavior if not for the Russian publishing house Clever and their offer to translate this story for them. I didn't expect to actually love the book. I'm not a fan of contemporary *shrugs* But I DID. This is not a typical novel with a lame and predictable outcome or with purple prose about nothing. So I'm happy it found me and crawled under my skin.

We have a boy named Solomon who has agoraphobia, suffers from panic attacks, and hasn't left the house in three years. And we have a girl named Lisa who's eager to leave the town, get a degree in physiology and help people. But first, she has to write an essay about her personal experience with mental illness to win a scholarship. I guess you know what she's gonna do. She'll use Solomon by helping him leave the home. So kind and outrageous, yeah?

Solomon Reed is sixteen, handsome and smart, he might be a star among teens, but he doesn't know how to deal with the world and stay calm at the same time. After a great letdown in public, he started homeschooling and never went outside again. He's weird and dorky and cute, a very likable character. He also got a jackpot of a family. His parents and granny (this woman is made of pure wisdom and humor) are awesome and very supportive. I could say I wish I had the same pips in my life, but, fortunately, I already have them xD

Lisa Praytor is the more questionable heroine, and even after a good deal of her inner growth, I'm still not sure whether I like her or not. Ambitious know-it-all, a wheelbarrow without a wheel and genius. Yeah, she can't be immoral, can do mistakes, but after all her crazy plans bear fruits.

Lisa's boyfriend, Clark Robbinson, isn't your classic popular student and hot athlete. He's gorgeous, but not narcissistic. He's honest, funny, and tired of his so-called pals who drink, mock other people, and discuss only sex and girls. Clark isn't ideal. He's lazy and hides from serious problems, but one can't resist his charms. Also, Lisa considers him gay, 'cause he wouldn't sleep with her even under the gun.

Also, you'll meet Janis Plutko, Lisa's bestie and gay-radar all together. Her friendship with Lisa isn't ideal or perfect, thus feels so real. And, you know, the author is male, but he really knows how we, females, do stuff. Not even once I wanted to scream, "Dude! You need to learn womanalogy better!".

That leads me to the writing. Mr. Whaley has one of my favorites ways to reveal a story. He doesn't try to impress you with weird figures of speech and even weirder metaphors. He uses simple constructions and shows bigger things through the minor ones. He jokes about serious things (the man knows how to crack a joke) and thus emphasizes their seriousness. I love when authors can build intricate stuff upon common grounds. And John Corey Whaley is one of those authors. He plays with words. He plays with readers. And, yes, I loved it to pieces. As well as the manner in which he starts and ends his chapters (and the book). He measures his words and meanings as an alchemist who tries to turn stories into gold.

What's also remarkable is how the author handles the illness part. That's what I call well-done research. I had some kind of panic attacks in the past, just for a while. They weren't caused by mental problems, I drunk a lot of caffeinated stuff during my last University year and my heart started to fight back. I remember the symptoms. You feel like dying. That's scary. But unlike Solomon, all I need to do is quit caffeine, take vitamins, and do sport. His problem is way bigger and Mr. Whaley will show you as much.

The plot has its twists and if you think you can guess every page's event and also the ending, think twice. The whole picture is obvious, yes, but the details... You're up for some breaks of your heart, for tears, laughs, surprises, and thoughts. This book made me wonder and feel and act...

The older I get, the smaller my world gets.

And I wanna push my borders.

The final. Oh... that was emotional and realistic. I won't tell you what kind of feelings I got from the last chapters. I won't spoil anything. Just beware of life to come over and slap you hard. That would be unpleasant, yeah, But that also be useful. Do I agree with everything that happened? Probably not. Am I not satisfied? I wouldn't say that either. The more I think about everything, the harder I do believe that the ending is actually perfect. Plus it's open-ish, so... we can always Holodeck it the way we please.

All in all, I don't know whether you'd love this book as much as I did. I'm corrupted, we spend together a loooot of time, so maybe this is the reason I'm so touched. But give it a chance anyway. Maybe his book was looking for you too.

PS: Star Trek: Next Generation, now I wanna to see you, bro.

[Elyse Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked "Noggin" a lot....
I liked "Highly Illogical Behavior" even more!!!! ...(both are Young Adult books)

Have you ever tried to 'fix' someone? Try to help a person with a problem? How'd it turn out?
It can be exhausting expending energy giving advice, trying to help others. At times our advice is not empowering or effective.
Also......
What if you're enjoying a new friend or friends...(six month investment),
You're excited. You're sure they're excited.
Then,.... 'something happens'. You feel hurt. You pull away. You suddenly stop talking.
Many times this is the end of the story....
This is what I call 'the quiet cold war'. The friendship is never the same. Everyone stays quiet...and hides away.

However...in this story, Solomon has a wise grandmother....( the type we all wish we had in our lives). She reminded Solomon that he was happy with his friend, Lisa. Grandma told Solomon that maybe Lisa was not perfect, but who is? Did Solomon miss Lisa? his grandmother asked.

The wisdom is this little book is powerful. Everything is not fine in the world and in our relationships - but we need to learn to live with them - rather than stay quiet and hide away. Even if you've been a shitty friend - or or friend has been a shitty friend...
we 'can' get over it. Friends can recover - still watch movies together - talk about the things they talk about. "Highly Illogical Behavior" delivers an inspiring story about friendships...after there has been hurt.
Salomon, Lisa, and Clark take a dive in the pool... (risking their fears), to discover the deeper you dive, the warmer the water and deeper friendships become.

A few other notes of interests...
....The parents in the book are highly logical .. ( functional - supportable- lovable)
....First rate look at a teen dealing with agoraphobia
....Grandma is a kick-ass-spunky-rockin-woman!!!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.... ( a 3 hour reading treat)!!!!!

****Thank you to my friends Larry Hoffer and Jennifer Masterson .... my reading inspirations.

[Andrew Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solomon is a 16-year-old boy who hasn’t ventured out of his house in three years. He suffers from agoraphobia and had a severe meltdown one day at school. He has wonderful parents, and an energetic and fun loving grandma. He now settled to the fact that he may never leave the house. Lisa witnessed the school meltdown and it affected her. When she finds out, one day, that his mother is a local dentist she hatches a plan to make contact with Solomon. She does, however, have her own agenda for this meeting. Lisa’s boyfriend, Clark, is a squeaky clean water polo player. They’ve been going out for some time and seem infatuated with each other, though he seems to spurn her every attempt at intimate physical contact.

Such is the set-up for this short book, clearly aimed at an audience somewhat younger than yours truly. I liked Solomon and his family from the start – they joke around and don’t make a big deal out of his disorder or of the constraints imposed on him. Solomon himself is relatively happy with where he’s at. He’s being home schooled and he watches a good deal of television and goes online a lot too, and he doesn’t seem to miss the company of others of his own age. Lisa is likeable enough too, though I found her harder to believe in. She’s clearly ambitious and also kind, but I just couldn’t quite buy how much effort she was willing to put into this project. As for Clark, well I didn’t get him at all. He seemed to take little interest in anything outside of his chosen sport, though it was made clear that he’d tired of the antics of his fellow teammates and didn’t mix with them socially. But it was his relationship with Lisa that was the strangest thing. In fact, this just felt false to me – why would Lisa put up with his rejections of her physical promptings? The answer, I think, is that the sexual ambiguity this imposed on Clark was a ploy to inject a potential love triangle into the plot. It was clumsy and just didn’t work for me.

The story does play out in an enjoyable way and in the last portion of the book the pace picks up considerably, to the extent I was keen to see how it was all going to get resolved. In the end I did like the story, and I certainly had a lot of empathy for Solomon’s plight, but I just wish Lisa and Clark had been more credible characters.

[Aj the Ravenous Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just when I’m starting to think I can slowly move on from the YA genre, another book leaps out at me to remind me that I’m probably in for the long haul and why shouldn’t I be if I’ll get to read books like Highly Illogical Behavior which I have been meaning to read since its release but you know me, I only get my hands on new releases three to four years later when they’re already up on sales so there you go.

But the long wait is totally worth it because this is yet another wonderful, memorable, and very important YA read as it gives a closer look at agoraphobia. Solomon or Sol, one of our main characters has agoraphobia and hasn’t left his home since he was 13. He’s 16 at present.


"What Solomon had was unforgiving and sneaky and as smart as any other illness. It was like a virus or cancer that would hide just long enough to fool him into thinking it was gone. And because it showed up when it damn well pleased, he’d learned to be honest about it, knowing that embarrassment only made it worse.”

“When he was home, he was better. He was calm and happy and easy to get along with. He wasn’t bored or lonely or sad. He was safe. He could breathe. He could relax.”

I really enjoyed the story and I find the plot very unique. I love the “documentary feel” to the plot because Lisa is set on helping Sol of his illness so she could write an essay about it for a chance at a college admission and scholarship grant at the same time. Her character is quite refreshing and it makes the story even better that it’s told in her and Sol’s POV. Clark is also a great addition to the story and I’m so glad that the characters aren’t your stereotypical teens and that most of the adult characters aren’t awful. Sol’s grandma is my favorite though. The following excerpt is from her.

“I can’t imagine how awful it must be. But, I know what it’s like to constantly think about a life you aren’t living. That’s exactly how I felt when I was sixteen and if there was anything I could have done about, I would have. I know it’s easier said than done. I know that, But, you have to try.”

It’s a quick, often funny, refreshing, thought provoking, educational, and unpredictable YA read that will definitely pull at the heartstrings.

[εllε · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewing books that have as their main topic mental illness is always very hard for me. This book felt so real and kudos to the author for the fine job she did describing Solomon's little world.

Solomon, a fragile teenager, suffers from agoraphobia. He hasn't been outside his house in three years. He has no friends and he spends his days reading, playing games or watching his favourite TV show, Star Trek.

Lisa, an ambitious teenager, enters Sol's life with the purpose to gain a scholarship, using Solomon as her experiment sample. But , along the way, she becomes his friend, she introduces him to her long time boyfriend Clark and Sol looks better than he has been in years, ready to take chances.

There are dramatic events, typical for YA books, heart breaks and sufferings but they're not overwhelming.

The story flows along and you can't stay mad at the characters, despite their adolescent mistakes.

I liked the side characters, Sol's family, his grandmother and her words of wisdom:

"Not a day on your calendar should ever be empty. It’s bad luck.
Twenty-four hours of wasted opportunity.


Solomon's illness felt so real. I felt so sorry for him and everything he has to endure. My heart broke several times.

The ending is so emotional and makes you feel hopeful.

[Kylie Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5 Stars*

This audiobook was very enjoyable and fast to get through.
The book was good but nothing was truly special about it. I liked Clark and Sol but I feel like I really would have wanted some more details in what is going on.

I also hate the trope of helping people or dating people to benefit your own situation and then the person finding out later on.

[Gabby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Closer to a 4.5 stars
“We’re just floating in space trying to figure out what it means to be human.”
I absolutely adore this book. This is my second time reading a John Corey Whaley book and my second time loving a John Corey Whaley book. I think this one is my new favorite from him. Highly Illogical Behavior follows Soloman who is an agoraphobic who suffers from really bad anxiety attacks and he hasn't left his house in three years. This story blends humor and heart and handles Soloman's mental illness with such sensitivity, it's so refreshing. This book is told in third person alternating from Soloman's point of view and Lisa's point of view. Lisa is a girl in high school who wants to write an essay on Soloman and his mental illness so she can get a scholarship to her dream college, and Lisa attempts to "fix" Soloman. Also, I love that this book takes place in Upland, California. I used to live in the Inland Empire in California, just a few towns away from Upland and I've never read a book that takes place in that area before and I appreciate it a lot. It made me feel very homesick for California's Inland Empire.

This book is a wonderful coming of age story for Soloman, and I'm a sucker for a good coming of age story. Soloman's mental illness was so realistic and painful and I was sad to see him feeling so afraid of the world all the time. Even though this book is written in third person (which I usually don't like) I think it actually worked well for this story and I still felt very close with the characters. I really really really loved Soloman. I love how he's nerdy and awkward and I loved reading from his perspective. Sol and Lisa's friendship began with her wanting to study him, and she would come over to his house and hang out with him. I loved seeing Sol grow and develop as a character and slowly let his guard down with her. Sol tells Lisa that he is gay and he's never told anyone that before, and it was a cute moment. Lisa decides to bring her boyfriend Clark over to his house so he has another friend, and the three of them all become very close. I freaking loved Sol and Clark's friendship in this book and that was honestly the highlight of this book for me. I had this guy feeling that Sol was going to fall in love with Clark, and I was sad to find out I was right. But it was so sweet and I adored all their scenes together. I was hoping Clark would feel the same way back just for Soloman's sake. I really really loved the skinny dipping scene, when Clark and Sol both went skinny dipping and Sol was freaking out because Clark didn't know that Sol was in love with him. It was so funny and sad and cute at the same time. Lisa is the only character that kind of bothered me at some points, because her intentions weren't genuine and she was selfish in her friendship with Sol. I felt bad that she kind of manipulated him and attempted to "fix" him. I loved the confrontation scenes of Lisa accusing Clark of being in love with Soloman. Like she actually thought he was in love with him and it was sad that she told Sol that she thinks Clark is in love with him and she totally got his hopes up. I don't know why she would do that, poor Soloman. I really enjoyed that aspect of the story though, with Soloman falling in love with Clark, I thought it was so cute.

I really wish this book was longer, I wanted more time with these characters. That's my only real complaint about this book is that it felt too short, I wanted more. I did really enjoy the ending of this story though, even though it felt somewhat abrupt, I also thought it was very realistic. I love that Soloman finally left the house when his Grandma was in the hospital. That was sweet to see Clark and Lisa help him into the van and even though he never left the van, he still went to the hospital. I was so proud of him. Then at the end he immediately went back to the house and he doesn't want to leave again, but he has hopes that someday he will be able to and that's that. I think that's realistic, he's not going to be cured overnight. I also liked the addition of Lisa's essay for the scholarship at the end, and I appreciate how she admitted she was wrong for what she did. I respected her a lot more after that essay.

I wasn't expecting to love and adore these characters as much as I did and now I'm sad it's over. This was a wonderful, humorous and sensitive story about a sixteen year old boy with a serious mental illness and it has touched me. I highly recommend this book.

[grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Video review to come!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly Illogical Behavior. Hmmm…I can honestly say I’ve never acted or participated in any form of illogical behavior. Ha! Yeah right. Sometimes illogical is the only way to go.

Meet Solomon Reed, a sixteen year old with agoraphobia, who hasn’t left his house in three years. After an epic public meltdown in junior high involving a water fountain and his underwear, Solomon disappeared. That was the last anyone saw of him until Lisa Praytor made it her mission to find and fix him. Lisa is an over achiever to say the least. *whispers control issues* She goes after what she wants with gusto! And she wants a college scholarship, so she can escape Upland, California for good. She believes Solomon is her ticket to the perfect essay about mental health. All she has to do is befriend the boy that freaked out in the fountain and get him to go outside. Easy, right? Persistent (very close to stalking) questions and forwardness propel Lisa smack dab in the middle of Solomon’s little world. A world where he feels safe and secure with just his Mom, Dad, and Grandma for company. All that changes though when he decides to let Lisa in the door.

Lisa brings a new energy to the Reed house—along with her boyfriend, Clark. Clark and Solomon hit it off right from the word GO! They connect with games, humor, shared interests and geeky addictions. Their banter is sweet and geeky. Did I say geeky already? :D These two are adorkable! Both lifelong fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation—they quote, talk, and obsess about their favorite moments and characters. Solomon even has his own holodeck! But are these two more than friends? Questions and gossip start to swirl until Lisa begins to doubt and question her own plan and boyfriend. Perhaps everyone is holding on to a secret. How did Solomon’s world get so complicated?! He doesn’t even leave the house! Is Lisa really Solomon’s friend or is he just a means to an end? Will Solomon ever leave the house? Come knock on the door and join in! You have to find out.

John Corey Whaley is one of my favorite authors to stalk. He has such a warm, matter-of-fact quirkiness to his style and words that just rubs me the right way. And his characters are so layered and alive! I didn’t like all of Lisa’s layers, but it didn’t interfere with my love of the book. Lisa was written with honesty, flaws, and passion. I didn’t agree with her methods or attitude at times, but I could see and understand her. You will feel how much Solomon needed her. As for Solomon and Clark, well I adored them! Both bright and funny. Solomon isn’t written as a sad, tragic soul. He made me laugh and think. He did what he thought was right, what would make him better--“Take away the things that make you panic and you won’t panic.” But things change. They always do.

My favorite characters were Solomon’s parents, Jason and Valerie, and his Grandma. Their struggle to understand and accept their son and grandson was so powerful. Solomon’s anxiety affected the whole family and you will feel it. I could feel and see their acceptance and love, but the helplessness and fear was right there too. The fear of never being able to see Solomon have a life outside the house with love, friends, and shoes. My heart hurts just thinking about it! Listen to this line from Grandma...

“This world could be anything you want it to be. Maybe my time’s running out, but at least I’m living. And if that’s what this is for you, being here inside where nothing ever happens, where you think you’re safe, then stay. Stay right here and you let me know how that works for you. Because I’m guessing it’ll never really be enough.”

With directness, love, humor and speedos, Mr. Whaley captures Solomon’s struggle on the page beautifully. Solomon’s panic attacks are explained succinctly with loops or breath or movement. This boy broke my heart at times. But his story will show readers that no matter how hard you try, life comes a ‘knocking whether you want it to or not. We can’t lock ourselves away to avoid the fear and intensity. We need connections to feel the wonder and alive-ness of life. To laugh and smile & love and hurt.

This story’s simple, heartfelt message will tug on your heart and inspire you to get out there! Live life.

”The world is big and scary and unforgiving. But we can survive out here.”

Sometimes the simplest messages hit me the hardest.

Read this book.

**Quotes taken from ARC**

[Book Riot Community]

I haven’t cheered for a loveable geek this hard since reading Ready Player One. In Whaley’s latest, readers are introduced to Solomon, an agoraphobic teenager who loves nothing more than watching Star Trek and laying down in his faux holodeck in his family’s garage, and a girl named Lisa who thinks she can “fix” him. Right away, you can see the problem, and as Lisa tackles this mission for entirely selfish reasons, the two of them grow close, and the result is hilarious, heartbreaking, and impossible to put down. Out in May, I expect this one will be big. Look for it.

– Eric Smith



from The Best Books We Read In April: http://bookriot.com/2016/04/29/riot-r...

[Nastassja · Rating 3 out of 5]

“We’re just floating in space trying to figure out what it means to be human.”

“He was afraid of the world, afraid it would find a way to swallow him up. But, maybe everyone was sometimes.”

I am not a fan of contemporary genre and therefore read such books rarely, but after I've picked Highly illogical behavior, I regret nothing, because it is one of the sweetest coming of age stories I've read in a while. And thanks to my dearest friend Kat (click on the name to read her review), who translated this book for a Russian publishing house, I had a chance to read this story.

This book is fun and sad at the same time; it's about fantasy and real world; about friendship and love and family - simply, it's about life.

You will not find cheap drama in here, you will not find people with perfect faces, bodies and hairs, no love-triangles, no cheating or bitchiness - only real life in its beautiful and ugly forms.

It is a story of three different people, who despite their differences actually have more in common than they ever thought they had. Yes, they hurt each other, but also they help each other to be better, to look upon the world and not feel lonely. It's what friendship is also about, right?

I also find it so endearing that the characters look for wisdom in their favorite tv-show Star Trek. That is! Don't believe anyone who says to you that you are wasting your time watching tv or movies. Even movies and tv-shows can teach us wisdom and are great teaches, and the characters of this book prove it time and again, showing us examples of their favorite characters or situations from the show.

This book touches a topic of mental illness. The main characters Solomon has agoraphobia - fear of open or public places. I don't know much about this ailment or how people who have it act, but I can say that what the author shows us in this book feels real. It wasn't overloaded with scientific explanations, if any at all, but we followed through Sol's feelings what it meant to have agoraphobia and how it influenced his life. I believed Sol for 100%.

The last but not the least is the writing. Easy, familiar, funny, right on spot - the writing was simple but so good at showing the story and making me sympathize with the characters. And in the end I couldn't hold my emotions inside any longer: I cried form happiness and sadness and just because this story was so like life.

[Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

My god I hated this book. I hated this book with such a passion that it's probably unhealthy. There are so many people saying that it's a great contemporary but I just can't see how they could enjoy this. Allow me to explain.

So I went into this book with fairly high hopes. It's not often that a book handles topics like anxiety or agoraphobia so I was hoping for a masterpiece to show the world that these issues are real and they occur more often than you think. These hopes were smashed within the first freaking page when the person suffering with agoraphobia calls himself crazy. What kind of message is that going to send?

Now, this book is told from two POVs. One being Solomon, the agoraphobic, and one being Lisa, the aspiring psychologist hoping to cure him for the soul purpose of writing about him in a college entry essay. I. Hated. Lisa. She was just a generally horrible character for a number of reasons. She was shallow, selfish and people seem to gloss over the fact that she sexually harasses her boyfriend. I couldn't tell if she was designed to be hated but the idea that she was meant to be a protagonist is laughable.

I didn't completely hate all aspects of this book. As a lighthearted contemporary it probably would've worked. There were some good jokes worked in (especially from Solomon's parents - I loved them as characters) and there was some great character development at times. But my god it shouldn't have tackled mental illness (or LGBT+ themes for that matter). The treatment of mental illness by side characters made me sick and sent the wrong message entirely. How was this book meant to be supportive of mental illness if all the characters except from the main ones treat Solomon like he's insane? To me, I'm afraid this book proved more harmful than supportive.

[Melina Souza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Esse é o tipo de livro que eu poderia, sim, ter lido em um dia. Os capítulos intercalam o ponto de vista de dois personagens - Lisa e Solomon - e a forma que com eles são escritos nos fazem querer saber logo o que vai acontecer no próximo. Mas decidi ler esse livro aos poucos e intercalando com outras leituras para fazer com que ele durasse bem mais.

Solomon é um garoto de 16 que não sai de casa há 3 anos (nem pra ir ao seu jardim) porque sofre de agorafobia. Lisa é uma garota ambiciosa que sonha em estudar com bolsa integral na segunda melhor universidade de Psicologia do país. Para concorrer a essa bolsa, ela precisa escrever uma redação compartilhando sua experiência pessoal com saúde mental e é assim que começa a sua amizade com Sol.

Gostei muito da forma com que o livro tratou a questão da saúde mental de Sol e o final me deixou MUITO feliz. Esse é o tipo de livro que acho que deveria ser trabalhado em sala de aula para fazer com que as pessoas, desde cedo, passassem a respeitar e a ajudar o próximo.

Quantas vezes vemos pessoas fazendo piada com quem é diferente sem se preocupar em como isso pode afetá-la? Quantas vezes nós evitamos se aproximar de alguém por ela ser considerada "esquisita"?

Quanto mais aprendermos somo saúde mental e sobre empatia, melhor o mundo vai ser para todos.

[Kristin Hackett (Merrily Kristin) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted on Super Space Chick:

Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley is the kind of book that makes me want to get on a rooftop and scream about how much I love it (but since that sounds dangerous, I’ll just gush about it here in my review). Highly Illogical Behavior is told in dual perspectives and it follows a 16 year old boy named Solomon who suffers from panic induced agoraphobia and 17 year old Lisa who is determined to cure him and write a brilliant essay about her experience so she can get into college and move far away from Upland, California. Lisa remembers Solomon from middle school when he had the final incident that led to him living inside his parents house without being able to go outside (not even his backyard, driveway or open garage) for the past three years. She reaches out to him “by chance” and soon become a fixture in his life.

I instantly fell in love with Solomon. He’s a Star Trek obsessed sarcastic teenager who enjoys playing Munchkin, so yeah, his character immediately filled up some of my heart space. I love that while Solomon struggles with mental illness, a reader would never be able to use that as his main identifying characteristic. He is so much more than a kid who’s afraid to go outside. He’s a friendly and thoughtful person and his sense of humor, including the ability to make fun of himself, just adds to his charm. I actually found Lisa to be less sane than Solomon but I still had a soft spot for her. I don’t think her decision making is at its peak in this novel but her passion and determination are qualities I always admire in people. Then there’s Clark, who’s the quintessential good / nice guy. He seems a little lost about his own future and apathetic toward his fellow Water Polo teammates since all they care about is hooking up with girls while he’s respectful of his relationship with Lisa. Lisa inevitably introduces Clark to Solomon and we all know the saying “three’s a crowd.” Their relationship becomes complex in the most interesting ways but the tone of the novel remains the same. Dinners with Solomon’s equally funny parents and his firecracker of a grandmother help lighten the mood when things get heavy but they never take away from the issues present.

Final Thoughts: Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley is a must read for everyone. It’s impossible to judge how mental illness is portrayed because it effects everyone afflicted with it differently so while I cannot say whether it is accurate or not, I can say that to someone like me who has low level anxiety, it felt real. I’m just so utterly charmed by these characters and I’m amazed at how Whaley is able to tell such a full and satisfying story in such a short number of pages. Normally I am bothered by open endings but in this case I think it’s the right choice. Solomon, Lisa and Clark have so much life ahead of them to evolve and change and grow into who they’ll ultimately be. This book gets all the thumbs up and I sincerely hope you’ll consider checking it out.

[cors · Rating 5 out of 5]

review to come! It'll be freaking fantastic consist of words like "this book is great" and "this is fucking awesome" HAHAHAHA that's sarcasm btw. I suck at book reviews.

[rachel, x · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I recently read Whisper to Me and fell in love not only with the characters and the story but its heart-wrenching portrayal of mental illness. I didn’t think I’d find the book to rival it for years, let alone a mere few weeks later. Highly Illogical Behaviour in almost every way completely the opposite to that story but what ties these two books together is their portrayal of mental illness - agoraphobia coupled with a panic disorder in this story - in the most realistic and raw way possible. There is no romanticism or any literary liberties taken in these stories and their honesty, their relatability, is something that definitely drew me into both of these stories.

What made me truly fall in love with HIB, however, was the characters. Solomon is my precious little cinnamon roll and no one - no one! - shall harm him. I completely fell in love with his ridiculously adorable and dorky sense of humour. His bluntness about his own mental illness came as such a surprise and was something I didn’t know I needed in my life until now. I loved that he recognised his own limitations and never made empty platitudes to the people in his life about his condition or possible recovery. At the same time, though, he was able to celebrate his victories and knew when he was able to push himself. He was so self-aware! It was wonderful getting see how he grew over the story and I 100% - without a shadow of a doubt - fell in love with him… even if he likes Star Trek instead of Star Wars.

Clark was my other little cinnamon roll of preciousness. God, he is literally my favourite type of male character. No matter how often he was underestimated because he was a good-looking and an athlete (even if that sport is water polo), he remained the sweetest, most sincere person to grace this earth. I loved how carefree and easygoing he was but also how he had this massively dorky side and completely read social situations wrong, saying things he probably should have thought twice about. His sense of humour made me laugh out loud, and - again - his development across the story was nailed. I would literally date him in a second flat. I’m calling dibs...

I know that Lisa - our other protagonist/narrator - was a sore spot for most readers and I can definitely see why. She is one of those driven characters who know exactly what they want and will stop at nothing to get it. In another story, she could have been a villain or evil overlord but that’s also something I loved about her. Yes, the decisions she makes at the beginning of this story are selfish and unethical - that is something completely irrefutable - but she learns from her mistakes. She grows to understand why the choices she made were not the right ones and in the end, what more can you ask from a character? No one is perfect but the people that get the closest are the people who learn from their past and continue to evolve as a human… just like Lisa. I think that’s why I really came to care for her character in the end. Was she the most lovable character? Definitely not. But I admired her passion and ambition and thought that her development made her a much richer character.

I also need to point out how bloody well-done the family dynamics of this story were handled. Solomon is very lucky to have the most supportive and beautiful parents and grandmother - who I thought was absolutely wonderful, in particular - that I have personally read about. I loved their complexity and that they played an important role in the story. They were the right blend of parental and friendly and wow, the banter that Solomon had with his family was just so darn adorable. I wish more YA books had such a beautiful emphasis on familial relations.

The plot itself was completely character-driven. There was a climax which was a little predictable but the ending could not have been written better so it more than made up for it. The pacing was a little weird at times with the general passing of time feeling a little rushed, but I can see that the repetitive nature of Solomon’s daily life would have gotten quite tiresome if too long was spent on it. The ending is a little open but it was the right amount of open in my opinion. Enough aspects of the story were tied up that you weren’t left completely hanging but there was still the room for a little bit of… hope, I guess.

Literally, the only thing that stopped me from giving this five stars was that from the synopsis alone you can tell what the point of conflict in this story is going to be: Solomon uncovering Lisa’s selfish reason for instigating their relationship. I hate predictability so this was more than a little infuriating for me, especially because every other aspect of this story was so darn glorious.

Overall?

If you couldn’t tell, I loved this book! The writing captured the tone of this story perfectly. I completely fell in love with the characters - especially Solomon and Clark - and admired the way that Whaley managed to develop all of them so successfully across the story, even Lisa. There was honestly so little to fault that I would recommend HIB to anyone who enjoys contemporary stories (especially when they are largely character-driven) or has any interest in mental illness. This is definitely something that should be on your radar!

[Stanislav Lozanov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Скоро не ми се беше случвало да прочета книга за по-малко от 24 часа.
Определено си заслужаваше чакането!
Видео ревю: https://youtu.be/uMeEH-x8Y5Y

[Teodora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bulgarian review: https://bookishipster.wordpress.com/2...

'Highly Illogical Behavior' was such a pure, beautiful story which i loved so much! I got into the book with almost no expectations, didn't even know what it was about and i was so surprised by how quickly i read it and how much i enjoyed it. Solomon is an amazing character, Clark too, he was such a good friend. I didn't like Lisa very much, i don't support her idea of 'fixing' someone but everything else was great! Loved it!

[Деница Райкова · Rating 5 out of 5]

Джон Кори Уейли - "Крайно нелогично поведение"

Няколко пъти започвам да пиша и се отказвам.
Ако това ревю беше писано на ръка, щеше да е пълно със задраскани думи, "етажирани" изречения /изписани един върху друг варианти на това, което искам да кажа/, и вероятно няколко мастилени петна. Слава на технологиите, няма да го видите в такъв вид.
Но, да.
"Крайно нелогично поведение" е книга, за която ми е много трудно да пиша. Защото, макар да се води тийнейджърска и нейният главен герой да е 16-годишен младеж, тя засяга много сериозна тема.
Представете си, че сте принудени да прекарвате целия си живот само в дома си. Не защото не можете да ходите. Не защото сте затворници. А защото това е единственото място, където се чувствате сигурни. Външният свят е враждебно място, което ви плаши.
Това е животът на Соломън Рийд.
И това, което голяма част от хората приемат като "крайно нелогично поведение", или дори "глезотия" от негова страна, всъщност е сериозно заболяване, наречено с термина "агорафобия". Иначе казано - страх от открити пространства. Страх от външния свят.
Представихте ли си го?
Добре. Да продължим нататък.
Когато живееш в такъв свят, около теб има твърде малко хора. И всеки, който иска да влезе в света ти, трябва да докаже, че може да бъде наречен твой приятел.
Лиса Прейтър решава да опита.
Лиса е от онези момичета, които бихте искали за приятел - мила, свястна, открита. Но... и върло амбициозна и решена на всичко, за да се измъкне завинаги от родното си градче. И открива своя "шанс за измъкване" именно в лицето на Соломън. Как - ще разберете, ако прочетете книгата.
Не ми се случва често да изпитам такова рязко и внезапно отвращение като това, което предизвика в мен планът на Лиса. Имах лошо предчувствие и дори мислех да спра. Не спрях. Продължих и стигнах до края - и се радвам, че го направих, защото нещата в крайна сметка си дойдоха на мястото.
Хареса ми начинът, по който бяха представени трите основни персонажа в историята - Соломън, Лиса и Кларк. Можех да си ги представя, докато четях, не смятам, че имаше нещо изкуствено или неправдоподобно в тях.
Книгата ме накара да се замисля за някои неща. Независимо дали го признаваме, или не, всеки от нас има някакъв собствен свят, в който се чувства защитен и сигурен. Свят само за него и неколцина "избраници". Приемаме като свое право да имаме такъв свят и сме готови да се борим срещу всеки, който опита да нахлуе неканен в него. Защо тогава понякога сме склонни да отказваме това право на онези, "различните"? Защо понякога изпитваме нуждата да се изживяваме като спасители и непременно, ама на всяка цена, "да измъкнем някого от черупката му"? Да, знам, ще кажете, че агорафобията е истинско заболяване, а на болните трябва да се помага. Но това едва ли става с нахлуване в съкровения свят, в личното пространство, с обяснения, че "там навън" няма нищо страшно.
"Крайно нелогично поведение" ми въздейства наистина силно. Затова и ми е трудно да подредя мислите си и навярно това, което пиша, звучи разхвърляно. Е, аз ви предупредих.
Умишлено не се спирам подробно на несъстоялата се връзка между Соломън и Кларк. Не ми е важна, за мен истински интересните образи бяха Лиса и Соломън. И си мислех, че вероятно биха били хубава двойка.
Тази книга ми беше препоръчана с думите, че донякъде е подобна на "Аристотел и Данте откриват тайните на Вселената" на Бенджамин Алире Саенц. Прилики действително има, това също допринесе да я харесам. Соломън наистина ми напомняше за Ари, но по-уязвим от него.
"Крайно нелогично поведение" е книга, която трябва да се чете с отворен ум и отворено сърце. Препоръчвам я на хората, които харесват нестандартните истории и са готови да приемат различните - не само на думи, а наистина. На тези, които "се престрашат" - приятно четене!