Want a NOOK? Explore Now
Today has to be perfect.
Magic.
I look at the clock.
10:14 AM.
Ten fourteen. One plus one is two plus four is six plus ten is sixteen minus one is fifteen minus two is thirteen. OK.
I turn from the clock and walk into the hallway. "Ready."
Saturday will be the third state soccer championÂship in a row for Jake Martin. Three. A good number. Prime. With Jake on the field, Carson City High can't lose because Jake has the magic: a self-created protection generated by his obsession with prime numbers. It's the magic that has every top soccer university recruiting Jake, the magic that keeps his family safe, and the magic that suppresses his anxiety attacks. But the magic is Jake's prison, because sustaining it means his compulsions take over nearly every aspect of his life.
Jake's convinced the magic will be permanent after Saturday, the perfect day, when every prime has converged. Once the game is over, he won't have to rely on his sister to concoct excuses for his odd rituals. His dad will stop treating him like he is some freak. Maybe he'll even make a friend other than Luc.
But what if the magic doesn't stay?
What if the numbers never leave?
Acclaimed author Heidi Ayarbe has created an honest and riveting portrait of a teen struggling with obsessive compulsive disorder in this breathtaking and courageous novel.
Jake is a teen just trying to live his life, but his OCD makes it difficult to appear normal. His only real friend is Luc, and even he knows that Jake has something going on with him. But Jake keeps it hidden. He tries to be the soccer champ everyone wants him to be, and his sister helps him appear put together in front of his father...whose broken down by his wife, who deals with her own OCD. Jake has an obsession with numbers. This is something that starts almost every new section and chapter throughout the book. It definitely starts to grate on you as you read, but I think that's part of the point. You get a small peek into the madness of Jake's mind and what he must deal with. I'm pretty sure I have some form of OCD, so I could definitely relate to the repetition of things in your head and how you just want to MAKE. IT. STOP. The overall story is how Jake is desperate to win his upcoming soccer championship. The numbers stop when he plays, and if he can win, he might be able to make the "magic" last and be "normal" for once. Everyone thinks that Jake is some sort of star, but he's just trying to hold on. It was interesting to see inside his family life and how his little sister has to protect him, and how he wishes desperately to help her, and how their father tries to block out the bad, and how their mother is dealing with her own mental issues and how it all affects the way they live. Wow. Long sentence. But that's just it. It's kind of a neverending circle of life they live in, without fully opening up and showing that they need help. Not everything changes in the end. I suppose it can't. But it gets better in ways. It gets closer to a happy ending.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.'m draw to books about mental illness. Maybe that's what having a degree in psychology does to you. So, I immediately wanted to read this book based on the OCD fact alone. While, I had a hard time getting into the story, it did not disappoint.
While I was intrigued be Jake, I had a hard time with him at first. I didn't understand his OCD and what he was doing to calm himself. And, I was really confused by the "magic". For a little bit I was afraid it was going to have a paranormal accept. It seemed like Jake believed that the numbers actually gave him a magical element. Turns out I was wrong on the fact and then the OCD begins to make sense. He has his rituals which he must go through everyday before he can leave the house. Plus, any time he sees a number (on the clock, etc), he has to add/subtract/ whatever to make it a prime number. It's really crippling him because its starting to effect his everyday life. As the all important soccer game draws closer, Jake's life goes into a tail spin. He think that if he can win that big game and earn a college scholarship, his OCD will go away.
But, as with any mental illness, things go crazy. His OCD has lead to one to many tardies and he's in danger of not being able to play in the big game. When the morning before the big game doesn't go according to plan, he's forced to skip class so he can start the day right. But that's not his only problem. His sister has high social aspirations and wants to cement her place before he goes off to college. He makes a deal with her, but his OCD basically lands her in the hospital.
This was roller coaster ride for me. I really enjoyed watching how Jake's OCD controls him. I liked watching him get to that point when he realizes he needs help. I also loved who and how he finally reaches out for that help. From about half way through the book I was hooked. So, the 3 rating comes from the slow start and the excessive use of the "F" word.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 6, 2012
This had me sitting on the edge of my seat.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted December 20, 2011
I liked this book it just got a bit confusing at the end after the party.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted December 31, 2011
No text was provided for this review.
Overview
Today has to be perfect.
Magic.
I look at the clock.
10:14 AM.
Ten fourteen. One plus one is two plus four is six plus ten is sixteen minus one is fifteen minus two is thirteen. OK.
I turn from the clock and walk into the hallway. "Ready."
Saturday will be the third state soccer championÂship in a row for ...