Kissing Doornobs

Rating:
Summary: Kissing Doorknobs by Terry Spencer Hessser
Review: Obsessive-compulsive disorder is, I'm sure, a hard thing

to deal with being a teenage girl and all. Just ask Tara

Sullivan, the main character of Kissing Doorknobs by Terry

Spencer Hesser. When this highschooler is faced with having to

walk by herself to school because she counts the cracks in the

side walk, repeatedly prays every time someone cusses, lines up

her rice perfectly (even if it takes hours), kisses doorknobs

(with even pressure of course), and constantly worries about her

parents dieing, it all together cracks her mind...and everyone

else's around her. Unfortunately, this isn't something that she

either wants to do, enjoys doing, or can stop. This is where

the OCD comes in.

The book has a great plot, except I really do think that

the author could have done something much better with it.

Spending too much time on unimportant things and trying to be

humorous at inopportune times didn't add to the fact that the

book was already too drawn out. 90% Of the story is fluff, it

doesn't really get interesting until Tara starts to cope.

This book is an extremely easy read (like only a couple

hours long). It is on the level of an eleven year old.

Comprised insufficient vocabulary, for example, even the main

character, when in highschool, "didn't know exactly what

symmetry was, but she had heard of it before". This book is

somewhat useless because although it is on an eleven year old's

reading level, who wants children reading a depressing story

about a teenager who battles against OCD and whose best friend

smokes starting at 13 and gets pregnant at 17? I would give it

one star and only recommend it to someone who has OCD and

doesn't want to win it over.


Rating:
Summary: What a Great Book!
Review: excellent book based on the authors own experiences, it helps to really understand the ocd mindset

Rating:
Summary: Kissing Doorknobs
Review: Kissing Dorknobs is the story of a young girl growing up with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Like many children with OCD, the narrator's symptoms develop and change over time. When Tara enters kindergarten, she acts like most five-year-olds, except that within her she hides unusual fears that cause her great anxiety. Slowly her fears become apparent to those around her. During fire drills she cries, fearing that she will die without her family. Even with the constant assurance and support of her friends and family, Tara's fears and obsessions grow. 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 also begins to pray any time anyone uses profane language in an effort to keep them from going to hell. The harder Tara tries to control her thoughts, the worse they get. Eventually Tara develops a habit in which she touches the doorknob and kisses her hand thirty-three times every time she goes in or out the door. They are a source of bafflement to herself, her friends and parents and become profoundly disruptive to her personal and school life. Tara does not understand what is happening to her and is ashamed and fearful that she is "crazy". She becomes secretive and tries to hide her rituals from others. Similarly, her parents worry that Tara is indeed crazy and make every attempt to prevent her from engaging in her rituals. This results in an escalating sequence of family arguments and occasional physical violence between Tara and her mother. Visits to several psychiatrists result in little or no benefit and Tara accumulates an assortment of "diagnoses." Finally, a teacher recognizes that Tara has symptoms similar to those of a student with OCD. Tara is introduced to the boy in question and to his therapist who prescribes exposure and response prevention, a form of behavior therapy. The story ends on a hopeful note for Tara who begins therapy and learns to take control of the "tyrants" in her head. But Tara's friend is simultaneously in the midst of a relapse, highlighting the ongoing battle that most individuals must wage against this illness. Since the author has suffered from OCD herself, the book includes a lot of factual information. It not only portrays the effect of the disease on Tara, but also on her family and friends. The author includes other issues (anorexia, pregnancy, and alcoholism) that affect Tara's friends. This gives the reader a needed break and shows that everyone has their own demons to battle.

Rating:
Summary: Rachel's Review
Review: This book tells the life of a girl with OCD named Tara. It goes into major detail of the outbreaks she has. It tells what it is like for her and how she misses being normal. My favorite part is in the end when her friend Sam has an outbreak. She tells him she will help him through it. She is strong for him even though she doesn't know how to be strong for herself. If you like to know how and why things happen to people then you will enjoy this book. But if you don't, then you won't enjoy it as much. I really enjoyed this book. I learned a lot. A good lesson was don't tease people for being different they may not have a choice.