Highly Illogical Behavior By: John Corey Whaley

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  16 year old Solomon hasn't left his house since the 7th grade. His condition is widely referred to as agoraphobia, the fear of going outdoors. In Solomon, like most cases, it developed from a panic disorder. He's carried this all his life, and in 7th grade he climbed in a fountain and decided he was fed up with it. He hasn't left his house in almost 4 years, and he's fine with it.

Lisa on the other hand is not. Ambitious High School Senior Lisa has her sights set on a future in psychology. But, to get into her future school she needs a project that sets her apart from the other applicants. This project being Solomon. She will go to any means to, "fix" Solomon and introduce him back into the real world. Through time Solomon, Lisa, and her boyfriend Clark all become insanely close, maybe too close? When jealousy and confusion strikes, tragedy threatens to pull the new found friendship apart. Will Solomon finally be able to rejoin the world, or will Lisa's attempts at help leave him damaged far worse than before.

Filled to the brim with a lovable cast of characters, everyone can find somebody to connect with in John Corey Whaley's novel exploring the interesting world of an Agoraphobic teenager. This book is nothing short of a masterpiece. Highlighting an interesting viewpoint on the complex and ever changing world of the American teenager, it leaves you breathless. 5/5 stars to John Corey Whaley's accurate representation of the fears of coming of age and growing up, all while dealing with the day to day pressures of the world.

The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak: The most reading fun I've had in a long time!

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Guys. This book is so much fun. This book is read until it's too late to finish your homework fun. It's you forget to text your friends back fun.

Written by Missouri author Brian Katcher, The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak is a story from two points of view. Ana is straight-laced, and lives with very controlling and demanding parents. her life revolves around her college applications and living up to others' very high expectations. Zak, on the other hand, is a slacker. He'd much rather being playing video games or table-top RPGs than working on school work or joining a club.

When Zak's attempt at plagiarism goes awry, he and Ana are forced to compete together in state Academic Bowl championships-- forcing Zak to miss Washingcon, his favorite even of the year. While Zak does end up being able to attend his nerdy convention, it's definitely not in the way that he originally thinks-- and a very angry Ana is along for the ride.

This book is as fun as it sounds and more. Don't get me wrong-- it has serious moments and moments that will make you upset, but it's definitely a feel-good book. I loved being able to see the two different sides of the story. Zak and Ana have such different perspectives that the book stays very lively and interesting throughout. Books don't often make me laugh out loud, but this one certainly did.

This book is on the list of Gateway novels for 2016-- so there are some places that are a little mature. There's some swearing and a few inappropriate jokes, but it's certainly fine for a PG-13 reader.

I'd give this book a 6 out of 5 stars, but we made the rule last year that 5 out of 5 would be our max.