Compulsion [Hardcover]

Heidi Ayarbe (Author)

Book Description

Release date: May 3, 2011

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."

Saturday will be the third state soccer champion­ship in a row for Jake Martin. Three. A good number. Prime. With Jake on the field, Carson City High can't lose because Jake has the magic: a self-created protection generated by his obsession with prime numbers. It's the magic that has every top soccer university recruiting Jake, the magic that keeps his family safe, and the magic that suppresses his anxiety attacks. But the magic is Jake's prison, because sustaining it means his compulsions take over nearly every aspect of his life.

Jake's convinced the magic will be permanent after Saturday, the perfect day, when every prime has converged. Once the game is over, he won't have to rely on his sister to concoct excuses for his odd rituals. His dad will stop treating him like he is some freak. Maybe he'll even make a friend other than Luc.

But what if the magic doesn't stay?

What if the numbers never leave?

Acclaimed author Heidi Ayarbe has created an honest and riveting portrait of a teen struggling with obsessive compulsive disorder in this breathtaking and courageous novel.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Ayarbe exercises both enormous skill and restraint getting to the root of just how debilitating OCD can become, juxtaposing descriptions of the ways the mind’s compulsions can trip a trap of mental and physical anguish against a complex, credibly casted portrayal of teen social dynamics. A gripping, claustrophobic read. (Booklist (starred review) )

A compelling entrée into the claustrophobic world of an OCD teen. Taut, suspenseful and well-realized (Kirkus Reviews )

“Teen readers will be quickly caught up in the sheer momentum of Jake’s tale as he unwittingly reveals the source of his terrors and compulsions. This achingly believable novel is highly recommended for libraries serving young adults.” (Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) )

COMPULSION is a starkly honest, compelling read. It will grab you and plunge you into the unusual, yet strangely familiar mind of Jake Martin and you will come out different. (Francisco Stork, author of MARCELO IN THE REAL WORLD )

When I finished, I closed the book and said, “Wow.” When an author can convey emotions and struggles of a character in a powerful way, you have a winning tale. Language, dialogue, and pacing is very realistic and stays true without falling back on clichés and stereotypes. A must read. (YABooksCentral.com )

“Convincing and gut-wrenching. Jake’s story is a powerful one. If you’re up for a book that will drag your emotions in and hold them ’til the last page, Compulsion may be just what you’re looking for.” (melaniesmusings.net )

A compelling and convincing narrative voice. Both poignant and earthy. Numerous shadowy flashbacks help build tension throughout the novel. Older teen readers will be quickly caught up in the sheer momentum of Jake’s tale as he unwittingly reveals the source of his terrors and compulsions. Achingly believable. Highly recommended. (Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) )

One of the most realistic works of fiction portraying OCD that I have yet to come across. I’d love to see Jake Martin’s story discussed not just among YA readers but in psych classes and reading groups. (www.reclusivebibliophile.com )

This is [a book] I recommend to anyone. It will be eye-opening. (www.flippingpagesforallages.blogspot.com )

A must-read, especially for those who have an interest in psychology or who have some kind of experience with OCD. (ElliotReview.blogspot.com )

About the Author

Heidi Ayarbe grew up in Nevada and has lived all over the world. She now makes her home in Colombia with her husband and daughter. She is also the author of Compulsion, Compromised, and Freeze Frame.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Balzer + Bray (May 3, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061993867
• ISBN-13: 978-0061993862
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,120,964 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I grew up wanting to be a veterinarian/pilot so I could fly in my bi-plane to everybody's farm and cure sick cows. Yes. Just cows. I also wanted to marry a Labrador retriever. Apparently there's a law against a human marrying a Labrador retriever. Go figure. I was never told by anybody of literary authority that I "should" be a writer, but stubborn by nature decided I "should." With support of my family, friends, an intrepid agent and amazing editors, now I am. (A writer. Not married to a Labrador retriever). Things turned out a whole lot better than I dreamed!

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars find something better January 5, 2013

By Camille J. Turner

Format:Hardcover

This book was not worth the time invested into it. I realize OCD is an annoying disease, but this was an annoying read. Lots of unnecessary cussing. The whole book only described about a whole week, slowly creeping through counting the time over and over as it did. I've read plenty of good OCD books, this isn't one. I'd recommend "the boy who wouldn't stop washing" or an autobiography about a radio star with OCD (can't remember the name). You can try this one; hey, you may even like it, but personally, I regret wasting my time with it.

4.0 out of 5 stars Powerful September 11, 2011

By bookworm1858 VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

After reading Ayarbe's powerful Compromised earlier this year, I looked up what else she had written and saw that this book was upcoming. I put it in my to-read list and then requested it from the library. I've only seen two other reviews of this and was excited to read about a boy MC, still rather rare in YA, and OCD, something I've never seen tackled in a book (except for the Monk books).

In this case Jake Martin's compulsion is numbers, ideally prime or else he has to keep counting and calculating until they are prime. He has a specific routine that has to take just the right length of time or else his whole day would be thrown off. At the start of the book, he is preparing for his third soccer state championship victory, which would be the perfect day with prime number converging and preparing for his future. After that, he'll be normal; he'll be able to help out his family, he'll make more than one friend, he'll be able to hang out with girls, and the cobwebs won't cloud his vision.

It took me a while to get in to this book as I tried to understand Jake's compulsion. Sometimes he added numbers, sometimes he multiplied and that didn't make sense until I realized that this was Jake's compulsion and it didn't matter what I thought. As the book progressed, I had a growing sense of panic and nervousness because I knew that Jake's compulsion would not disappear like he thought and I was attempting to brace myself for something awful. And make no mistake, some awful things do happen but I'm not going to spoil that.

My favorite part of the book was how I was drawn into Jake's compulsion and recognizing that he needed help but being powerless to do anything. This also made me feel uncomfortable and helpless but also happy at how attached I felt to Jake. He was like the brother I've never had and I just wanted to reach through the book and share some of my quirks and get him to some professional help. Because he is a good guy, trapped in a bad situation and I loved him.

Overall: Another powerful read from Ayarbe; just took a while to really get going.

4.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too August 5, 2011

By TeensReadToo

Format:Hardcover

Jake is a teen just trying to live his life, but his OCD makes it difficult to appear normal. His only real friend is Luc, and even he knows that Jake has something going on with him. But Jake keeps it hidden. He tries to be the soccer champ everyone wants him to be, and his sister helps him appear put together in front of his father...whose broken down by his wife, who deals with her own OCD.

Jake has an obsession with numbers. This is something that starts almost every new section and chapter throughout the book. It definitely starts to grate on you as you read, but I think that's part of the point. You get a small peek into the madness of Jake's mind and what he must deal with. I'm pretty sure I have some form of OCD, so I could definitely relate to the repetition of things in your head and how you just want to MAKE. IT. STOP.

The overall story is how Jake is desperate to win his upcoming soccer championship. The numbers stop when he plays, and if he can win, he might be able to make the "magic" last and be "normal" for once. Everyone thinks that Jake is some sort of star, but he's just trying to hold on.

It was interesting to see inside his family life and how his little sister has to protect him, and how he wishes desperately to help her, and how their father tries to block out the bad, and how their mother is dealing with her own mental issues and how it all affects the way they live. Wow. Long sentence. But that's just it. It's kind of a neverending circle of life they live in, without fully opening up and showing that they need help.

Not everything changes in the end. I suppose it can't. But it gets better in ways. It gets closer to a happy ending.

Reviewed by: Lauren Ashley