Highly Illogical Behaviour by John Corey Whaley

Pages: 246
Publish date: May 26th 2016
Publisher: Faber and Faber
ISBN: 0571330444
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU 

Highly Illogical Behavior:

I received a copy of Highly Illogical Behaviour by John Corey Whaley from Faber and Faber in exchange for an honest review, this has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book. 

I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about this book as it’s highly problematic and at first, the female protagonist was hitting the wrong spots. However, as it went on the easily it got to go with the characters and their journey. 

Highly Illogical Behaviour follows the protagonist, Lisa an ambitious teen who wants to get into the second-best psychology program for college. But to do that she must write an entry essay lets just say that she wants to beat the rest. Lisa wants to do something no one has done before – and that is ‘fix’ Solomon.  

Solomon is agoraphobic, hasn’t left his house in three years and before he left school, he left a mark. His fine with the way his life is, but then Lisa starts to creep in; slow but steady and she brings her boyfriend along for the ride. 

I always like to read books that contain some sort of mental illness, I find them interesting and oh so important. Highly Illogical Behaviour  deals with no only the sufferer of agoraphobia, but everyone around them, showing how there is a domino effect in life and sometimes we have to knock it down. 

Told from dual perspectives, Highly Illogical Behavior enables the reader to dive into the mind and lives of two very different people. One full of determination and the other crippled by a health issue that has taken over. The reader is able to tell the difference between whose point of view we are in, without having to read the name. They both have strong voices that capture the reader.

At first, Lisa was very hard to ‘get along’ with. She has this determination (that I admire), but she lets it cloud her judgement and influence what is right from wrong. Over the course of the book, I grew to understand her determination and why she wanted to help. But it wasn’t for the best of reasons. However, she was also a jerk for a lot of the book. Not so much to Solomon’s face, but the fact that she is still trying to ‘fix’ him and write about – was hard to overcome. 

Solomon was my favourite, he is this precious cinnamon roll that I wanted to cuddle and hold. He was totally adorable and the reader is able to see him grow into someone who believes in himself. Solomon was also relatable, he had quirks, likes, dislikes. Even though Lisa tries to ‘fix’ him, he ends up finding himself on the way. 

I thought that Lisa’s boyfriend Clark was going to completely destroy what had been built between Lisa and Solomon, but Clark fitted right in, like a puzzle piece. 

The representation of anxiety in Highly Illogical Behaviour was beautifully done. And although not all panic attacks are not the same, everyone can relate to it, in one way or another. 

I loved that Solomon wasn’t ‘fixed’. He wasn’t cured of his mental illness, but now he’s not living it alone –  people who want to help him, love him and will always be there for him.

Highly Illogical Behaviour was a poignant, funny and important read. It takes the reader on a journey through heartbreak, panic attacks, friendship and what it’s like to be a teen. Overall, although I did have some problems with it, Highly Illogical Behaviour is a quick read that is important. 

Have you read Highly Illogical Behaviour? Did you like it? Are you going to read it? What are some other books that incorrpoate mental illness that you like? Let’s Chat!