Addition [Paperback]

Toni Jordan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2, 2010

Grace Lisa Vandenburg orders her world with numbers: how many bananas she buys, how many steps she takes to the cafÉ, how many poppy seeds are in her daily piece of orange cake. Every morning she uses 100 strokes to brush her hair, 160 strokes to brush her teeth. But Grace's life is about to change on a day when all the tables at her regular cafÉ are full, and a stranger, Seamus Joseph O'Reilly (19 letters in his name, just like Grace's), invites her to sit with him. Because no matter how organized you are, how many systems you put in place, you can't plan for people, who are unpredictable and full of possibilities. And suddenly, Grace may be about to lose count of the number of ways she can fall in love.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Grace Lisa Vandenburg, the narrator of this pleasant neurotic-girl-meets-boy debut, is 35 years old and has been addicted to counting since she was eight. She lives alone in Melbourne, Australia, and is on sick leave from her teaching job, filling her weeks with counting—steps and syllables and bites and things—and sticking to her rigid routines, which include trips to the cafe and phone calls from her mother and self-absorbed younger sister. The only person in her life Grace relates to is her 10-year-old niece, Hilary, who is as quirky and charming as Grace is. Things are fine until Grace meets Seamus Joseph O'Reilly, an Irish transplant who works at the local movie theater. Grace has not been on a date in two years and six months and hasn't been in love in forever, but as things progress with Seamus, she realizes what she has been missing. With some gentle encouragement, Grace agrees to test her boundaries and tries to find a happy medium between her obsession and living a full life. The novel does everything a sweet, agreeable romantic comedy should. (Feb.)
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Review

“(An) engaging romantic comedy.” (The Times (London) )

“An unusual and intriguing novel.” (Daily Mail (London) )

“How will Grace Lisa handle change? The messiness of falling in love? One thing is sure. You can count on an amusing few hours with this debut novel.” (USA Today )

“A poignant love story with a truly original heroine.” (Wisconsin State Journal )

“Jordan’s book is not just about a woman with OCD. It is, of course, also about fitting in, about accepting ourselves and our loved ones as they are, about coping, compromise and conformity. The writing is witty and quick.” (Minneapolis Star Tribune )

“In her insistence on holding fast to the parts of herself she likes best, Grace challenges concepts of illness and health, brokenness and wholeness. I love her for this, and for the way she aches, bristles, back talks, and shines her way toward an off-kilter equilibrium, a ramshackle splendor.” (Marisa de los Santos, author of Love Walked In and Belong to Me )

“Grace Lisa Vandenburg’s self-described ‘counting thing’ goes far beyond a charming quirk. Often funny, always lovable, this endearing novel of obsessive compulsive disorder and romance is outstanding.” (Pick of the Week) (Boston Globe )

“The turns this tale takes, by its final few pages, leave you breathless. Once you begin the story inside, this love story that’s unlike any you’ve read before, you’ll be turning pages long after you should’ve called lights out.” (Buffalo News )

“Jordan strikes a fabulous blow for resolute individuality, with redemptive love in a supporting role.” (Sunday Mail Queensland )

“Sparky, gutsy and snappy.” (Weekend Australian )

“Toni Jordan has created such a real character in Grace that you are cheering her on. . . . Jordan’s voice is distinctive and refreshing.” (Sydney Morning Herald )

“A witty heroine with a crippling case of obsessive-compulsive disorder is at the center of this gemlike debut-think The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. A smartly written comedy that cheekily suggests recovery may not be for everyone.” (Kirkus Reviews (starred review) )

“[A] spunky debut…Addition is witty fun…Number of times I laughed out loud: 23”(3 ½ out of 4 Stars) (People )

“Told with great warmth and humor, Jordan has created a strong female character that needs to confront her demons, accept them and move on. This is a love story without the frills. An enjoyable read all the way through.” (Reading.com.au )

“Toni Jordan has created such a real character in Grace that you are cheering her on, willing her to get on the top of the staircase, intact and unharmed. Jordan’s voice is distinctive and refreshing.” (Sydney Morning Herald )

“A delight of a debut novel. Toni Jordan has created an unforgettable heroine, charming, vulnerable and real.” (Emily Giffin, author of Love the One You're With )

“Toni Jordan’s debut is mature, witty and entertaining.” (Irish Times )

“Grace is a quirky, funny and endearing character. Very entertaining.” (Imogen Stubbs, actress )

“Count on a good read from a fresh voice.” (Fort Worth Star-Telegram )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: A Polebridge Press Book published by HarperSanFrancisco; 1 Reprint edition (February 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061582581
• ISBN-13: 978-0061582585
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (63 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,271,357 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Toni Jordan's debut novel, the international best-seller Addition, was published by Text in 2008 and shortlisted for both the Barbara Jefferis award and the ABIA best general fiction book, longlisted for the Miles Franklin Literary Award and won best debut fiction in the 2008 Indie awards. Addition was a Women's Weekly Great Read and in the UK was a Richard and Judy Summer Read, and it won best themed fiction from the UK Medical Journalists Association. Addition was published in 16 countries and has been optioned for film. Her second novel, Fall Girl, was published in November 2010 will be published next year in the UK, Germany, France and Taiwan.
 
Toni teaches Novel in RMIT's acclaimed Professional Writing and Editing course. She has a weekly column in the Age and her short stories and articles have appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald, the Courier Mail, the Herald Sun, the Australian and the Monthly. 

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 1+1 = Lots of Fun, February 5, 2009

By 

K. Johnson (Twin Cities, MN) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Addition: A Novel (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

After reading the description of this book, I knew it would be an interesting read - at least for me. The main character is a counter, which is one form of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Everyone has some level of OCD. My OCD is a very mild form of counting. I like fours and multiples of fours. It is not debilitating in any way, but I often find myself going through the proverbial motions. I tell you this not to portray myself as a weirdo, but to set the stage for my state of mind while reading. Grace, the protagonist, is a counter in the extreme sense. Her number of choice is ten. She counts steps to and from her apartment to the grocery store. She counts the poppy seeds on her cake, and subsequently eats it in the corresponding number of bites (which proves quite difficult if the number is less than 15 or more than 30).

I really like Grace. She has an astounding sense of humor and a high level of intelligence. She knows she's a little different and accepts her life as it is. She lost her teaching job due to obsessive counting of children instead of teaching them to count. She loves her family, but has no friends. She has a very structured meal plan and her clothing selections are planned out indefinitely.

Everything changes for Grace when she meets Seamus. Seamus is an average-looking but persistent man who won't take `no' for an answer. He pursues Grace until she agrees to go out with him. Their relationship blossoms and she becomes so distracted at times that she often forgets to count. Things get even more complex for Grace when she agrees to seek help for her problem.

I can't say any more without giving away the story. Suffice it to say that Grace really does know what she wants from life. Seamus is an amazing man. Best of all, this is a quite good story. It drew me in from the first page and I couldn't put it down until I got to the last.

Bottom Line - Grace is a real `character' and is sure to make you laugh. Although the book has a few tense scenes, the author delivers difficult subject matter with a lighthearted approach. I'd certainly be willing and interested in reading more by this author.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Maybe I was expecting too much, December 31, 2008

By 

Fizzlesticks - See all my reviews

This review is from: Addition: A Novel (Hardcover)

'Addition' isn't an awful book, and I admit I *had* to finish it. I guess you could say it was a page-turner in an irritating way.

My first gripe is with the love story, which I really didn't believe. I found Seamus bland, and couldn't really see what either of the protagonists saw in each other. It almost seemed to be a relationship of convenience. Also, Jordan's description of semen as 'pearlescent' made me laugh so hard I couldn't take the relationship seriously thereafter.

Secondly, I thought the story trivialised OCD--made the condition look somewhat 'charming' and 'easy'. I don't claim to be an expert on the condition, but I'm not sure Grace would magically forget about counting just because a nice man's in her apartment. Her journey through therapy, too, seems extremely simplified.

The last thing I found irritating was the sheer number of numbers one had to read. I skipped a lot. Call me insensitive, but a page on the description of a toothbrush and its bristle count isn't the most stimulating text I've ever read.

But, as a piece of chick-lit, it *was* entertaining, most of the time.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sweet and quirky romance, September 1, 2008

By 

Julia Flyte - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Addition (Paperback)

Grace has a type of OCD which means that she is obsessed with counting and measuring her world. Numbers and routines dictate her life. For example, the number of poppyseeds on her cake determine how many bites she must take to eat it (between 20 and 30 is optimal). She shops in multiples of 10 and when she discovers one day in the supermarket that she has only 9 bananas, she swipes one from the shopper behind her. Which is how she meets Seamus.

I thought the subject matter of this book might make it a somber read, but it's not at all. Grace is a witty narrator and the books tears along - I easily read it in a day. The story is about her relationship with Seamus and how they come to terms with her condition. In many ways it's a celebration of the way that we are all unique. It's a sweet, quirky, warm little book, which I thoroughly enjoyed. It's hard to believe that this is Toni Jordan's first novel. I look forward to seeing what she comes up with next.