Kissing Doorknobs [Hardcover]

Terry Spencer Hesser (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 11, 1998

In her first novel, Kissing Doorknobs,  Terry Spencer Hesser has written an inspiring, often humorous novel about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, a topic that merits discussion and compassion.

Fourteen-year-old Tara Sullivan has always been a worrier.  On the surface, she has been able to behave like a normal girl.  But when she is 11 years old, she hears a phrase that changes her life: Step on a crack, break your mother's back.  Now, everywhere she goes, Tara must count every crack in the sidewalk.  If she gets interrupted or loses her place, she has to go home and start all over again.  As she gets older, her "habits" don't get better--they change and increase.  She has to arrange her meals, recite prayers, and chat with her dolls, over and over again.

Tara does not know why she has these habits, she just knows that she has no choice: she has to complete the rituals.  Then one day, before leaving the house, she finds herself kissing her fingertips and touching the doorknob . . . .


Terry Spencer Hesser is a screenwriter and a documentary filmmaker. Kissing Doorknobs is based on her personal experience with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Despite recent media attention, obsessive-compulsive disorder remains perplexing to those who haven't experienced the illness firsthand. In her compassionate debut novel, Terry Spencer Hesser skillfully and credibly explains exactly what OCD feels like, as well as the effects it has on surrounding friends and family. Tara Sullivan first encounters her compulsive behavior at age 11, when she hears of the sidewalk game "Step on a crack, break your mother's back." Most people have had the experience of toying with this rhyme, but for Tara, it becomes something worse: "I couldn't not think the thoughts. And I couldn't not count the cracks." In one of several compulsive rituals, she must count every sidewalk crack between her house and school. If she is ever interrupted or loses her place, she must run back to the beginning and start over, or her mother's spinal health will be endangered. She recognizes this as absurd behavior, and gets absolutely no pleasure from the exercise, yet nonetheless feels inexplicably compelled to perform it.

Hesser traces the arc of Tara's illness through several misdiagnoses, the expansion of her compulsive behaviors (obsessive prayer rituals and the need to touch the doorknob then kiss her fingers 33 times before leaving the house), and the reactions of her loved ones. Tara's sister responds by beating up anyone who makes fun of the compulsions, her anguished mother's answer is increasing violence toward her daughter, and friends alternate between acceptance and frustration. Deftly illustrating the depth of Tara's strained relationships, Hesser also addresses anorexia, shoplifting, drug use, and unsafe sex, subtly reinforcing the idea that these behaviors--though perhaps compulsions as well--are different from OCD in that they inspire some measure of enjoyment for the participant. Nominated by the Young Adult Library Services Association as one of 1998's Best Books for Young Adults, Kissing Doorknobs addresses a cutting-edge issue with grace, humor, and insight. While the novel refuses to make false promises, it provides an inspiring message of hope. (Ages 12 and older) --Brangien Davis

From Publishers Weekly

Hesser's unusually polished debut novel brings a singularly compassionate wit to a singularly painful topic. Tara Sullivan does not know how or why she lost "possession" of her thoughts, but she can trace her terrible problem to her 11th year, when the rhyme "Step on a crack, break your mother's back!" begins to run insistently and ceaselessly through her head. Propelled by a series of irrational fears, Tara counts sidewalk cracks on her way to school and then enacts other equally bizarre rituals (among them, praying aloud when anyone swears; kissing her fingers after touching the doorknob). Her strange behavior puzzles neighbors, alienates her friends and drives her mother into nearly murderous rages. Through Tara's first-person narrative, Hesser compellingly expresses both the anguish and the dark humor of the heroine's obsessive-compulsive disorder (identified near the end of the book, when she begins therapy). At times descriptions of her entrapment are so vivid and intense that readers may need to come up for air. But the lively characterizations (especially of Tara's closest friends and pugilistic younger sister) prevent the protagonist's psychological confinement from becoming claustrophobic to readers. Hesser's thoroughly credible narrative ("I have experienced some of the obsessions and compulsions I have written about," Hesser states in her acknowledgments), and fascinating story promote both an intellectual and emotional understanding of a treatable disease. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (May 11, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385323298
• ISBN-13: 978-0385323291
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (92 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,245,889 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is an incredible book!, March 6, 2000

By 

7th Grade Student (Grand Rapids, Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kissing Doorknobs (Hardcover)

I think the book Kissing Doorknobs is a must read. It's an incredible story and gives a lot of information on OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). This book is about a girl named Tara who discovers she is paying more attention to the cracks on the sidewalk after she hears the rhyme, "Step on a crack and break your mother's back." Slowly her problems get worse she talks to trolls, kisses the front doorknob every time she wants to leave the house, prays every time someone swears in front of her, worries about her parents staying out late, stays up until they get home, and organizes her food before she eats it. These problems become noticed by classmates who begin teasing her. Her sister, Greta, wants to defend Tara and will even beat people up for her.

Tara's mother gets really frustrated with Tara and hits her every time she kisses the doorknob. She repeatedly goes to psyciatrists that can't seem to help her. This continues until Tara's dad has a visitor over. This visitor knows about OCD and suggests that OCD might be what is causing Tara's problems. He gives her the name of a special psychiatrist that can help her, and the name and number of one of the doctor's patients. Tara does visit the "special" psyciatrist even though she "hates" her. She meets Sam, who has problems with washing his hands to often, and they begin to get involved...until and unexpected event happens and it changes everything

Thsi book is one of the best books I have read in a long time. I couldn't wait to pick it up and let the book pull me in and fill the environment around me with it's vivid details. I had to be forced to put it down because this book was the kind of book that you want to finish reading once you start it because of the suspense. I woiuld recommend it to anyone because of it's quality. I loved this book and hope there will be a sequal because of how abrupt the ending was.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This was an AWESOME book!!!, May 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Kissing Doorknobs (Hardcover)

Terry Spencer Hesser is an awesome author and she really knows how to make situations real. She made the novel "Kissing Doorknobs" a intresting story- also heartwarming. This book is about a girl named Tara facing OCD. Eveyone around Tara is falling apart because of her strange rituals-even her own family. Every time her mother swears she always prays and her mother hates it. Throughout the book Tara goes through many changes in her OCD.Such rituals include touching the doorknob and kissing her hand, countin cracks in the sidewalk and walking over every crack, having hideous thoughts that her mother or father were dead in a ditch somewhere. Whenever someone would make fun of Tara her little sister Greta would go beat them up for her. Greta got suspended about three time throughout the book.Tara has a bunch of friends. One of her friends is a evil person. Donna her friend smokes and shoplifts. Tara once tried to shoplift but she turned herself in. Towards the end of the book she meets a boy who has OCD too. She never knew anyone else had the same thing she had. Sam (the boy with OCD) introduces Tara to a therapist for OCD. Tara goes to therapy and stops her rituals. Sometimes she can't help but to them but other times she can stop herself. I think people of all ages should read this book because its has good facts in it. This novel also presents another exellent idea. You should never treat a person with OCD any different from another person. Tara's friends only treat Tara different when Tara was freaking out. If you want a good book to read go to your library and check out "Kissing Doorknobs" I guarentee that you won't want to put it down once you pick it up.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, Sad, March 28, 2006

By 

Sarrah (Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kissing Doorknobs (Laurel-Leaf Books) (Mass Market Paperback)

Story about a girl's downward spiral through obsessive compulsive disorder. Realistic details that anyone suffering OCD can relate to. It's a wonderful book. I cried after the first page because I knew how this girl felt.

It's the only novel I have ever read about OCD that I wanted to read again. It's written for young adults, but, is enjoyable for all ages.