CW: Agoraphobia ( )

I didn't intend to read this book, I just looked at the first page and couldn't walk away from it after that. You can't peg these characters - they are not going to be squished into any easy stereotypes, and their voices are so compelling. Great for fans of John Green and A.S. King. ( )

This is another Teen Book Club book I never would have picked up on my own. I would have read the book jacket, assumed I knew exactly what would happen, and set it back on the shelf.
But in Whaley's hands, this story was something special. It made me cry; it made me cheer. I'll be reading more from this author. ( )

teen fiction (agoraphobic who happens to be gay / non-romance but with human relationships). This is the first Whaley book I've read, so I can't speak for the author's writing overall, but this struck me as very "Rainbow Rowell, but with a gay guy" except shorter and maybe with fewer plot developments--charmingly geeky characters interacting with each other and making mistakes. Also, you don't necessarily have to be a Star Trek TNG fan, but it will help if you know what a holodeck is, among other details. ( )

YA Very interesting premise with ethical overtones. Solomon Reed has agoraphobia and an extreme panic disorder that has kept him literally inside his house for 3 years. This was precipitated by an event in 7th grade in which Sol suffered a panic attack so extreme, he stripped down and hopped into the fountain outside his middle school. He has stayed inside ever since operating on the idea: "Take away the things that make you panic and you won't panic." The event has faded into obscurity, except Lisa Praytor remembers it vividly, wrote a school newspaper article about it at the time, and has recently become acquainted with Sol's mom, her new dentist. Lisa, now a junior in high school, has her eye on college far away from Upland, CA and wants to pursue the second-best psychiatric program in the country. She decides to make Solomon her project to ensure she gets there. Solomon, meanwhile is pretty content with his life: he does school online, has awesome parents, Valerie and Jason that he enjoys spending time with, a close relationship with his Grandmother and all the TV he can watch and books he can read. He doesn't even bother with online relationships, preferring his very controlled, secure little world. It's a wonder then that he opens up to Lisa, but that is what happens when she reaches out to him. They begin a tentative friendship that grows stronger and sincere (though Lisa keeps her ulterior motives hidden). She even introduces Sol to her boyfriend Clark, and like many trios, she soon finds herself squeezed out as Sol and Clark become fast friends over common interests like Star Trek and bad jokes. Sol makes tremendous progress in his fears, even making it outside in his back yard after his parents build a pool to entice him/make good on a deal. But the weight of the secrets underlying this friendship threaten to ruin all of it. It all plays out a little predictably, but also satisfyingly. The narrator keeps an interesting detachment from the characters which has a strange feel sometimes, but the author really nails the dialogue of three smart, engaged young adults. Some mature sexual content to consider with younger teens -- wouldn't advise for middle school, but a lot to think about in the empathy category regarding lifestyles. ( )