young adult, contemporary fiction
I enjoyed John Corey Whaley's book Noggin, so when I saw this at the library I thought I'd give it a try. Highly Illogical Behavior has some wonderful moments and characters; I adored Solomon, his parents and grandmother, and Clark and every one of their interactions. Unfortunately Lisa, one of the main characters and the entire reason for the plot to move forward, was kind of a horrible human being. I loathed the way she used Solomon for her own benefit and, even more, I hated how dependent on her Solomon became.
I can't speak to whether or not Solomon's mental health issues are realistically portrayed but that didn't affect my feelings toward him or the story. If not for Lisa, I think I would have loved this book but her character infuriated me time and again, making it difficult for me to really embrace the story.
Still, the friendships that the book explores, particularly the one between Solomon and Clark, left me feeling hopeful. I think a younger reader would be more forgiving of Lisa & her behavior so I definitely recommend this for book for folks in high school and maybe even college- I think they'll see something to relate to in these pages.

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