Compulsion

"Today has to be perfect.
Magic.
I look at the clock.
10:14 AM.
Ten fourteen. One plus one is two plus four is six plus ten is sixteen minus one is fifteen minus two is thirteen. OK.
I turn from the clock and walk into the hallway. "Ready."
 -from Compulsion by Heidi Ayarbe

Mental illness is not fun.
Jake is a handsome high school soccer star, a popular teenager
but he's hiding a secret that's eating him up inside-
He suffers from OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.)
Having to "do-over" his day if the numbers don't add up
Time being sucked away from his life.
His mother's mental illness towers over him because his father won't talk about it
she hides away in her room and the family is left to pick up the pieces.
I wonder how much of his illness is real and how much is learned behavior from his mother?
Jake's younger sister and best friend carry him through the rough patches
but the toll is hard.
I thought that this was an interesting look into the mind of a person with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and a good book in general. 
 
On a personal note-  I read this because I have a son with mild OCD (not in anyway as extreme or debilitating as in the novel.)  It is a disruptive, frustrating condition for both family and the person suffering.   Luckily my son is now usually able to clue in when the OCD is taking over and stop the cycle.

For more information and help look at these sites:
OCD Help Guide
OCD Foundation
Books on OCD for Parents and Kids