Did I like it? Loved it to the power of infinity. Now how much does that make?
You'll love it if you liked: It's for anyone looking for a good read, really.
Aura: Light, yet bears depth. Not something you'll forget in a while.
Read If: You're looking for something that is a light read yet has depth and meaning, and you're looking for a perfectly balanced YA read.
Narration: First Person
Main Character: Leigh Nolan, 18 year old female
Themes: Indecisiveness, Overanalysis, Friendship, Respect, Relationship, College
Plot: 9.5/10
Narration: 9.75/10
Characterization: 9.95/10. It's THAT good.
Overall: 9.75/10
Did I get bored anywhere? HECK NO.
Did any part confuse me? Nope, not really,
Line/ Page Skippability: 1/5. Only when Leigh is talking at length about something, but only a line or two.
Writing Style: Midlength Sentences, Fun, Descriptive, Graphic, Vivid, Informal.
Uniqueness: 9.8/10
Predictability: 0.5/10. Just the ending.
Favourite Quotes: ""Hey there's one Coke left in the fridge. What would jerkface do?"
'Take it?' "No. He'd pee in it, and then he'd take it."
"I do it, too. Make up stories to pass time as I lie in bed?" 'Oh yeah? What are yours about--cats?' "No...are yours?"
"I'd always been a wader. It was time I did a cannonball."
Cover: 9.5/10
Song(s) to go with book: Anything upbeat!
Imagery: Doled out in perfect amounts. Thou canst visualize.
Ending: Cute and sigh-worthy. Slightly fairytale-ish, but you'll love it! It's nothing impossible and you could believe it can happen in real life.
Reading Priority: Must, Must, Must Read
Reading duration: Fast readers-Approx. 7 hours, Slow readers- Approx 11 days.
Synopsis:
Using the skills you've learned so far in Introduction to Psychology, please write a brief self-assessment describing how things are going in your freshman year. Presenting Concerns: The Patient, Leigh Nolan (that would be me), has just started her first year at Stiles College. She has decided to major in psychology (even though her parents would rather she study Tarot cards, not Rorschach blots).
Patient has always been very good at helping her friends with their problems, but when it comes to solving her own...not so much.

Patient has a tendency to overanalyze things, particularly when the opposite sex is involved. Like why doesn't Andrew, her boyfriend of over a year, ever invite her to spend the night? Or why can't she commit to taking the next step in their relationship? And why does his roommate Nathan dislike her so much? More importantly, why did Nathan have a starring role in a much-more-than-friendly dream?

Aggravating factors include hyper-competitive fellow psych majors, a professor who's badly in need of her own psychoanalysis, and mentoring a middle-school-aged girl who thinks Patient is, in a word, naive. Diagnosis: Psych Major Syndrome.

WordVore Prod's Review:
I’m in love.
I stayed up until 4 in the morning finishing Psych Major Syndrome.
It was one of the best books I’ve ever read. Not because of endless depth of the story, not because of Shakespearean lingo—but because of the perfectly balanced constitution of all the elements that is behind the making of a great book. I laughed out so many times that i've lost count. Leigh was charming, funny, loyal, intelligent in her own way, afraid of change, over-analytic to a fault and absolutely adorable. Reading the summary you would think that you’ll be blasted away with over-the-top over-analyses from the main character, but lo and behold. It’s completely believable how she fusses over small details a little too much—in fact, she’s someone you know could exist right at this moment but yet be unique. Like Cassie from Wintergirls, I found myself rooting for her and cheering her on as she realized the hollowness of her relationship with Andrew. The path to her self-discovery as well as realizations and decision-making involves the reader. Basically, there is sizzling chemistry between the reader and the story. And by sizzling, I mean acid-to-water sizzling. Downright explosive. There are things that are explained without any confusion, and then there are things that the readers realize themselves so as to create a certain level of intimacy with the plot and characters. I mean seriously, do you have your best friend give you play-by-play of his/her emotions and motives? I bet you figure a lot out yourself and that's what cements the relationship further.
The relationships in the book are tied together in an adroit manner. The friendship between Leigh and Ami is something you’d keep craving for all your life (and Ami rocked! So witty, funny and unique!), and the relationship between Leigh and Andrew reminds us how much respect matters in a partnership. I was absolutely impressed by how Ms Thompson brings up issues like sex and teen pregnancy and advices readers without even letting them know she’s doing so. Therefore you need not be afraid of even a hint of preachy tone. Imagery was a perfect quantity—I could visualize everything yet not be bored by droning of details, since they weren’t long-drawn. Another mind-blowing aspect of the book was the depth and individuality each and every character bore. Even Leigh’s parents were characters by themselves and not stupid shadows that have to be in the story just for the sake of it. Leigh's decisions give us a prime example of how change is not always for the worse but sometimes for the better. The story teaches us how sometimes you should root for your own happiness, and also seize the day without worrying about tomorrow. Carpe diem, bay-bee, carpe diem.
The part I’m getting to definitely deserves a separate paragraph of its own—the chemistry between Leigh and Nathan. Oh my. Nathan is absolutely remarkable, with his smarts but charming reclusiveness, his depth of emotions, maturity and also, hotness. Leigh is consumed by the supportiveness, respect, attention and friendship Nathan offers, while Nathan is mesmerized by the uniqueness and good heart that Leigh is beholder of. However, he is irritated by how Leigh sticks out her relationship with Andrew just for commitment’s sake and doesn’t stand up to him for all the less-than-deserving treatment she has received from him.
I was just a little irked by the absence of much insight into Nathan’s character because sometimes he may fool the reader as a Gary Stu, but then you realize that it’s just because we don’t know all that much about him. I would also have liked a little bit more time taken on the development of Nathan and Leigh’s relationship—not because what’s there is vacantly inadequate, but because it’s so intricately woven and so beautifully portrayed that you can’t help but ask for more. The book is pretty clean of cliché and has surprises jumping at you every page or the other. Even Leigh’s name has a surprise behind it. I kid you not.
Overall, it’s an amazing read and you must, must, MUST, read it. It’s one of those books that goes far beyond the summary at the book and one that you’ll read a gazillion times yourself and then pass it on to your great-great-great descendants until one of them finally decides to eat up the pages (being a toddler, of course. I wasn’t suggesting your descendants were herbivores/pagevores or insulting them, I swear). Reading this book feels like watching the waterfalls or a sunset by the beach for the first time while sipping Starbucks. Now that’s gotta be good.
Now, back to business. I want my Nathan. NOW. Is he available for pre-order on Amazon?

Labels: Alicia Thompson, Friendship, Going to College, Overanalysation, Psych Major Syndrome, Realistic, Relationships, Respect, WorDissection

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

WorDissection: An Off Year by Claire Zulkey