Not As Crazy As I Seem (Paperback)

~ (Author) "A knock on my door interrupts the words flowing through my brain..." (more)
Key Phrases: amphibians poster, advanced biology, vinyl chair, The Baker Academy, Cancel Cancel, Little Sasha (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-10-Devon Brown, 15, may be anxious, even weird, but he knows he's not crazy. He just has a fixation on the number four, an obsession about germs, and an intolerance of untidiness, all of which have afflicted him since his grandfather's death when he was eight. When his parents decide to move to the Boston area, the teen must adjust to a new private school and a new therapist. In a frank and humorous first-person narrative, he relates his midyear entrance into The Baker Academy as he copes with opinionated teachers and tentatively begins friendships with Tanya, an African-American girl, and Ben, an angry, purple-haired boy, but he shies away when they try to get closer. Despite his intelligence, Devon has a remarkable lack of self-knowledge. The crisis comes after he sees Ben spray paint the epithet "Nazi" throughout the school and takes the blame himself. It strains credulity that even in the face of his parents' profound disappointment, the harsh words of the headmaster, and two weeks' suspension, Devon refuses to implicate Ben, who is not a close friend. In a cathartic spree, he rips up the neatly buttoned shirts in his closet until his formerly distant father comes in and wraps his arms around his son, and Devon confesses he feels responsible for his grandfather's death. The positive news is that Devon can use his willpower, not a pill, to overcome his compulsive behaviors, and a rosy reunion with Tanya wraps up a novel that may have bibliotherapeutic potential.
Susan W. Hunter, Riverside Middle School, Springfield, VT
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Gr. 7-10. Fifteen-year-old Devon does everything in fours. He eats four quarters of a sandwich and four M&M's for lunch, is the fourth person to walk into school, and buys paperbacks that are 4 1/4 x 6 3/4 inches for his bedroom bookshelf. He also covers his hands before opening doors, refuses to eat in the school cafeteria, and washes his hands constantly, all to protect himself from germs. Devon has obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and this is his life--a life his mother is trying to comprehend, his father abhors, the kids at school ridicule, and Dr. Wasserman is helping to change. Harrar paints a very human picture of Devon, his family, and his friends, revealing the frustration of a teen afflicted with OCD who yearns to understand himself, fit in, and stay out of trouble. At once humorous and poignant, frustrating and sympathetic, this will leave readers wondering if they could be a little obsessive-compulsive themselves. Frances Bradburn
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Graphia (October 25, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618494804
• ISBN-13: 978-0618494804
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #746,904 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Believable and engrossing, February 2, 2005

By	Research Mom "Author and Avid Reader" (Westport, CT United States) - See all my reviews

My 12-year-old daughter loved this book, and asked me to read it when she finished. I was surprised to discover how engrossed I became in the story, and how attached I became to the main character. He is a bright teenager struggling with OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder), finding strategies for hiding his compulsions from others, and avoiding his parents' efforts to "change" him. I was touched by the way he is forced to confront his problem and allow others into his inner world. Unlike many young people's books about adolescents with special issues, this book is not heavy, depressing, or heartbreaking. It's interesting, fast-paced, and thought-provoking without being preachy. Anyone who knows a person with OCD or suspects it in themself will find the book to be a revelation. Those who do not will gain a deeper understanding of everyday people who struggle with mental health issues. I highly recommend it for parents who are trying to enrich their children's reading lists or broaden their understanding of human diversity.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A story about a boy who has OCD, January 6, 2004

By	Ali (New York, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Not as Crazy as I Seem (Hardcover)

This book review has very brief language. Not as crazy as I seem by George Harrar was a very entertaining book about a boy, Devon who has tendencies, as his mom calls, it as known as OCD (obsessessive compulsive disorder.) Devon wont eat in the school caf (a germ swamp as he calls it). He has to go to a shrink and he wont sit on the chair there "I cant bring myself to sit on it (the chair) just think of all the kids squirmy asses that have touched it!"
This story is a real page-turner, it also was an eye popper - I know realize how lucky I am to just be ordinary.
I would recommend this book to people age 12 and up because it has brief language and it has things that younger kids might not understand. This book has 202 pages.

5.0 out of 5 stars Not as crazy as I seem, April 28, 2009

By	Rae A. Grisius - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This was the only place I could find this out of print book for a class my daughter was taking at school. The school only had two copies of the book and the public libs. in the area had already loaned there supply. We were very happy with how quick the item was shipped and the price was good.