The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B

by Teresa Toten

Two-time Governor General's Award nominee Teresa Toten is back with a compulsively readable new book for teens!

When Adam meets Robyn at a support group for kids coping with obsessive-compulsive disorder, he is drawn to her almost before he can take a breath. He's determined to protect and defend her--to play Batman to her Robyn--whatever the cost. But when you're fourteen and the everyday problems of dealing with divorced parents and step-siblings are supplemented by the challenges of OCD, it's hard to imagine yourself falling in love. How can you have a "normal" relationship when your life is so fraught with problems? And that's not even to mention the small matter of those threatening letters Adam's mother has started to receive . . .

Teresa Toten sets some tough and topical issues against the backdrop of a traditional whodunit in this engaging new novel that readers will find hard to put down.

• ISBN10: 0385678347
• ISBN13: 9780385678346
• Publish Date: 27 August 2013
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: CA
• Publisher: Tundra Book Group
• Imprint: Penguin Teen Canada
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 272
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/isbn/9780385678346

Reviews

[Sam@WLABB]

I think I love Adam Ross almost as much as Sweetie.

Toten did such a fantastic job building us a window to see into Adam's life. His struggles with his OCD, the stress of his parents' divorce, and his mother's own issues were written in such a way, that I shared his pain. I loved that he found a support group, who gave him support and friendship too. They may have had their own problems, but they were there for him, accepted him, and appreciated him. There are some really heartbreaking parts, but it was balanced out with humor, and well, Sweetie. Seriously, that kid always put a smile on my face.

Overall: A touching and eye-opening story of featuring family, friendship, first love, and OCD.

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[lisacee]

Such a wonderful book.

[Kelly]

Adam Ross. Remember his name, because there is no doubt you'll fall in love with him.
http://www.divabooknerd.com/2015/05/the-unlikely-hero-of-room-13b-by-teresa.html
The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B is a beautiful, poignant and an incredibly playful read that's written with a loving hand, dealing with a very serious and very real issue of obsessive compulsive disorder. Almost fifteen year old Adam falls in love the moment Robyn breezes into the room. She also suffers from the same illness, and has just been released from a residential program and has joined the group to increase her chances of recovery. Each member has taken on a different persona of strength, with all but one choosing a superhero alter ego. So naturally Adam has become Batman, fiercely protective of Robyn, putting aside his own recovery in a selfless plight to save her.

Adam lives between his father's new home, with new wife and son. Wendell is five, affectionately called Sweetie and already displaying symptoms of anxiety and finds comfort in numbers. Sweetie is highly intelligent, but relies heavily upon his big brother for comfort. His mother is a hoarder, their home cluttered which only increases Adam's illness to cross the threshold. Although Adam is determined to battle his own illness, he never puts himself first. He takes on the grievances of those around him, including the disturbing and threatening letters his mother has been receiving. I felt fiercely protective of Adam, his tender personality of selflessness left me on tenterhooks, worried about his loving nature being taken advantage of. The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B was written with such care and a respect for those who suffer from this debilitating illness. I was drawn into Adam's world and read the book in it's entirety in almost one sitting. It was not only entertaining, but so incredibly engaging and left me emotionally exhausted.

Borrow, buy or beg for a copy. This isn't another young adult novel about teens dealing with illness, it's an experience. Where most novels in the genre usually veer towards showing the debilitating side of mental illness, The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B shows obsessive compulsive disorder in a new light. That suffering from a mental illness is more than a feeling of darkness, it's also about learning to ask for help and learning to live in the moment, whether you're Adam, Robyn or even Batman. It was simply perfection.

[elvinagb]

Adam is not only dealing with being 14, his divorced parents and his very needy younger half brother Sweetie, he is also trying to cope with his OCD. He sees a therapist and attends a weekly group sessions with other teen OCD sufferers.
But it all changes when a new group member, Robyn, steals his heart and sets his OCD off on some new levels and the lies mount up. And his not so well mother is now hoarding to dangerous levels and is getting some very threatening hate mail.
This book really helped get into the mind of a person living and trying to cope with his OCD (the counting, the rituals to deal with everyday life) and just how out of control things can get and what therapy and drugs in balance can do to help. I love that Adam has friends and family that love him so unconditionally even when he thinks he's alone and that he eventually realizes that he doesn't have to be afraid to ask for help.