Highly Illogical Behavior - by John Corey Whaley (Paperback)

About the Book

Agoraphobic sixteen-year-old Solomon has not left his house in three years, but Lisa is determined to change that--and to write a scholarship-winning essay based on the results.

Book Synopsis

From a Printz and Morris Award-winning author comes a quirky story of coming-of-age, coming out, friendship, love...and agoraphobia.

Sixteen-year-old Solomon has agoraphobia. He hasn't left his house in 3 years. Ambitious Lisa is desperate to get into a top-tier psychology program. And so when Lisa learns about Solomon, she decides to befriend him, cure him, and then write about it for her college application. To earn Solomon's trust, she introduces him to her boyfriend Clark, and starts to reveal her own secrets. But what started as an experiment leads to a real friendship, with all three growing close. But when the truth comes out, what erupts could destroy them all. Funny and heartwarming, Highly Illogical Behavior is a fascinating exploration of what makes us tick, and how the connections between us may be the most important things of all.

"At a time when young adult literature is actively picking away at the stigma of mental illness, Whaley carves off a healthy chunk with style, sensitivity and humor. . . . ELECTRIFYING."--The New York Times Book Review

"Tender and funny."--People Magazine, Summer's Best Books of 2016

Review Quotes

Now a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year!

"At a time when young adult literature is actively picking away at the stigma of mental illness, Whaley carves off a healthy chunk with style, sensitivity and humor. . . . ELECTRIFYING."--The New York Times Book Review

"Tender and funny."--People Magazine, Summer's Best Books of 2016

"Raw, funny, and unforgettable."--Buzzfeed

"A charming, heartwarming, and profound affirmation of the importance of connection."--The Huffington Post

"John Corey Whaley has never disappointed us before, and he carries on that tradition with his funny, heartfelt, and oh-so-JCW-style Highly Illogical Behavior."--Bustle

*"Solomon's descriptions of his anxiety are achingly real..Readers will easily come to care about these bright, wonderfully nerdy, flawed characters."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Printz Award-winner Whaley (Where Things Come Back) again tackles heavy, heady topics with a light touch, populating his perceptive and quick-witted story with endearing, believably flawed teens."--Publishers Weekly, starred review

"The alternating narratives capture the perspective of the bright, witty, and decidedly quirky protagonists...A logical choice for Whaley's fans, Trekkies, and sensitive readers of all stripes."--School Library Journal, starred review

Praise for Noggin
Noggin was a 2014 National Book Award Finalist, a 2015 Indies Choice Young Adult Honor book, and a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2014!

"Noggin--outlandish as it is--has such wonderful resonance."--The New York Times

"You can practically feel this book's big, beautiful heart beating in your hands."--Matthew Quick, New York Times bestselling author of The Silver Linings Playbook

"A winner of a book."--A.S. King, author of Ask the Passengers and Reality Boy

"Noggin is everything a great book should be."--Andrew Smith, author of Grasshopper Jungle

"The voice of Travis Coates is like the voice of Holden Caulfield--iconic and ageless."--Holly Goldberg Sloan, New York Times bestselling author of Counting By 7s

*"A tour de force of imagination and empathy."--Booklist, starred review

*"Will resonate with teens who feel the same frustration at being treated like kids and told to act like adults." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

*"This insightful story explores the challenges of intimate relationships and managing expectations." --Shelf Awareness, starred review

Praise for Where Things Come Back
Where Things Come Back was a Printz Award winner, Morris Award winner, a Time Best Young Adult Book of All Time, and a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2011!

"Beautifully and carefully wrought, this is a very fine book."--Jenny Han, New York Times bestselling author of To All the Boys I've Loved Before

"Every now and then a book rises to the top. Where Things Come Back soars."--Ellen Hopkins, New York Times bestselling author of the Crank Trilogy

"Beautifully written and wholly original."--Ruta Sepetys, New York Times bestselling author of Between Shades of Grey

"It's a good story told remarkably well."--Maggie Stiefvater, New York Times bestselling author of the Raven Boys series

* "In this darkly humorous debut, Whaley weaves two stories into a taut and well-constructed thriller."--Publishers Weekly, starred review

About the Author

John Corey Whaley's first novel, Where Things Come Back, was the winner of the 2012 Printz Award and the 2012 Morris Award. His second novel, Noggin, was a 2014 National Book Award finalist. He lives in Little Rock, Arkansas.