Thursday, November 16, 2006
[Book Review] KISSING DOORKNOBS by Terry Spencer Hesser
Fiction/Young AdultWendi Glenn reviews KISSING DOORKNOBS by Terry Spencer Hesser (Delacorte Press, 1998):
Tara Sullivan is a girl with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). It started when she was 11 years old and involved the popular rhyme, "step on a crack, break your mother’s back." For Tara, avoiding cracks in the sidewalk became just the first of many obsessions. She would get mad if someone or something interrupted a ritual. She would have to start over to insure nothing terrible happened if she didn’t complete it correctly. Neither her friends nor her family understood why she did this.
In this book, you get a feel for what Tara goes through on a daily basis. You can sympathize with her and her family. She meets a boy named Sam who also has OCD. They share stories about their compulsions and help each other through behavioral therapy. Readers will enjoy this book because it’s real and easy to relate to. Everyone either has or knows someone who has a disorder that drastically affects their day-to-day activities.
In thinking about what attracts me to a book, I've found that I'm drawn to stories that are realistic. I tend to gravitate toward books with characters that I can relate to. Working in teen services, I read more young adult fiction than anything else. Our teen book club has read Born in Sin by Evelyn Coleman, Miracle's Boys by Jacqueline Woodson, and The First Part Last by Angela Johnson. These stories all have characters trying to overcome an obstacle. I think that the teens can relate to this. It gives them the sense that they're not alone in this world. We all have troubles and have to learn to deal with them.
Wendi Glenn, Raleigh Branch Library
Labels: Reviews by Wendi Glenn, Young Adult
[permalink] posted by Memphis Reads : 5:44 PM
Comments:
personally i dont like this book and the language is very inapropriate for people of all ages. this book is not a must read book and i dont recomend for anyone to read it
# posted by 
: January 02, 2009 4:05 PM
: January 02, 2009 4:05 PM
Personally, I loved the book. It was very insightful and sheds light on a taboo subject. Mental illnesses are so often shunned from conversations and this book gives a glimpse into a troubled girls struggle with OCD.
# posted by : January 29, 2009 2:14 PM
: January 29, 2009 2:14 PM
I loved this book because i can relate because i also have OCD and do a lot of wierd this like that!
# posted by : February 18, 2009 3:25 PM
: February 18, 2009 3:25 PM
I loved it because i can relate because im a teenager struggling with OCD and do some wierd things just like her.
# posted by : February 18, 2009 3:26 PM
: February 18, 2009 3:26 PM
I absolutely LOVED this book! I'd recommend it to any reader, yes some content/word usage is inappropriate for a very young reader, however it puts emotion into the story. It is an easy read, I couldn't put it down the entire time reading it. She really puts a comical spin on having OCD-enables the reader to obtain valuable information AND enjoy the book. AWESOME
Personally i think this book was amazing, i read it two years ago, and im still thinking about it, im gunna read it again soon, im not sure how you guys thinks its not a good book, and who cares about the language. It was a very well writen book and i would recomend it to anyone.
# posted by : April 16, 2010 12:35 AM
: April 16, 2010 12:35 AM
I loved this book it is one of my favorite books, and i dont like many books.
# posted by : January 13, 2011 7:00 PM
: January 13, 2011 7:00 PM
I am 12 years old. I learned a lot from this book, and I would love it if they made a sequence. I would read it again if I had to. This book is amazing! If anyone had to read any book in the world and wanted it to be about OCD or something that a young adult would enjoy. I would recommend this book. Kissing Doorknobs is the best book I have ever read yet. :)
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# posted by : September 05, 2011 8:51 PM
: September 05, 2011 8:51 PM
