Review for Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley!
Quick View Review
Overall Rating: ** (2.5/5)
Amazon Rating: **** (4.4/5)
One Sentence Review: Read this book if you have nothing to read and just want a quick, awkward, coming-of-age, sort of depressing story of a dorky guy who hates the outside world; otherwise, read Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (so much better).
Full Review
Sixteen-year-old Solomon is agoraphobic. He hasn’t left the house in three years, which is fine by him. Ambitious Lisa desperately wants to get into the second-best psychology program for college (she’s being realistic). But how can she prove she deserves a spot there? Solomon is the answer. Determined to “fix” Sol, Lisa thrusts herself into his life, sitting through Star Trek marathons with him and introducing him to her charming boyfriend Clark. Soon, all three teens are far closer than they thought they’d be, and when their walls fall down, their friendships threaten to collapse, as well. A hilarious and heartwarming coming-of-age perfect for readers of Matthew Quick and Rainbow Rowell, Highly Illogical Behavior showcases the different ways we hide ourselves from the world—and how love, tragedy, and the need for connection may be the only things to bring us back into the light. (Summary by Amazon)
Honestly, I wasn’t that blown away by this book. At the time I read it, (it has been a few weeks now), I thought it was cute and interesting in a depressing way, if that makes sense. But one thing I always go by when reviewing a book is how I feel about it a week later, then a month later, and then a year. For example, if a week later, I realize the deep flaws of the novel, and that the romance in the moment overshadowed it, I can see that it doesn’t deserve a 5/5 stars. After a month, if I have completely forgot about it, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad book, but it also wasn’t that amazing either. After a year, you will probably forget even some of the better books from time to time, but the ones that you remember (when you aren’t looking at your bookcase), are the 5/5’s, that everyone must read. This book I haven’t quite forgotten about, but I also don’t constantly remember it. The characters were sort of cliche and bothered me constantly (which could just be me). The plot felt random, and at first the plot twist was expected, but then it all amounted to nothing, and after a week, I was wondering why the whole story even happened. Amazon gives it a 4.4/5 and I’m not sure why. The writing was good, nothing exceptional, and the message and themes of the story are starting to become old. Having said all that, in the moment it was a good read, but I would only suggest to read it if you don’t know what to read next and just need a quick, cute, slightly depressing coming-of-age story until you find a book that actually excites you. If you have a long list of amazing books, (or even favorite rereads, if you’re into that), then push this book to the bottom of that list.
This might seem cruel, but this is like a worse version of Simon and the Homo Sapiens Agenda. The plots are pretty different, but ultimately they give off the same, awkward, finding oneself vibe, but the novel mentioned above is 100 times better and definitely worth the read.
Make sure to come back next Wednesday for a new review!
Happy reading!
Xoxo,
Zoe
