The Reality of Growing Up With Ocd in OCDaniel

With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, it can be challenging to come up with the perfect gift to show your friends how much you care. Gift-giving can be even harder for friends than for partners, as you want something special that won’t break the bank. Check out last week’s blog post for some ideas.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme. Read the rules and more teasers at The Purple Booker. Anyone can play along.

This week’s post is for OCDaniel by Wesley King. Yay for YA books exploring mental illnesses like OCD. King has mirrored his own childhood/teenage experience of growing up with OCD without understanding what it was, keeping it hidden from everyone including his parents. Main character Daniel comes to understand OCD through his friend and a book that she gives him, and gradually comes to accept who he is and that this is something he can share with his family and get their help and support.

King throws in a few subplots as well — Daniel’s part in the school football team playoffs, the two girls he is interested in, and an investigation into the possible murder of his friend’s father, all popular tropes in YA literature.

“…What do you have to lose?”
“My dignity, pride, and self-respect.”

Wesley King, OCDaniel