Stone's third YA novel is a thoughtful romance with a strong message about self-acceptance. On the surface, Samantha McAllister has it all ccess in the pool as a competitive swimmer and a group of popular friends. But inside she struggles with a secret that she fears could unravel everything: her purely obsessional OCD. At the start of junior year, Sam meets Caroline, who helps her manage her obsessions and draws her into the secret Poet's Corner, where she meets AJ, whom she falls for hard, and who is equally falling for her. But now that she has found her tribe, does she need to keep up the ruse of being "normal"? This sensitive novel boasts strong characterizations and conflicts that many teens will relate to. She deftly grounds Sam's OCD support system with both her mother and therapist and gives readers an endearing romantic lead to root for. A twist toward the end will surprise many readers, yet what follows falls perfectly in line with the story's hopeful message. Eminently readable.

Having spent five years hiding her OCD from friends who value "normalcy and perfection," sixteen-year-old Sam discovers clandestine Poet's Corner, where she meets new friends she can trust, perhaps even with her secret. Thoughtful first-person narration uncovers challenges of life with OCD. Unfortunately, despite the acknowledgment that Sam's difficulty distinguishing fantasy from reality isn't part of her OCD, it muddies the portrayal.

Gr 8 Up-Sixteen-year-old Sam spends her summers training at the private club pool, working to earn the county title and a college scholarship. Her school-year counterpart, Samantha, is tied to a toxic group of popular besties-for-life, trying to keep her Purely Obsessional OCD a secret. Running with a crowd who takes hostile notice of every social misstep, every misapplied bit of makeup, and any move that is less than normal, keeping her diagnosis a secret is not easy. Out of the blue, Samantha meets Caroline, who introduces her to a secret society called the Poet's Corner. Slowly, Samantha begins to discover how she can remain Sam and be true to herself outside of summer and the pool, and even trust the cute musician AJ enough to fall in love with him. Just when Sam begins to feel confident in herself, the very thing that helped her feel normal is what ultimately makes her question her sanity. Approached in a very respectful and informative manner, this story of coming to terms with a difficult diagnoses and being less-than-normal is in no way didactic. While the beginning is slow and requires some suspension of disbelief, the climax and resolution are resounding enough to rise above any shadows of doubt. VERDICT While the story's romance falls almost too easily into place, this title will do well in libraries where Sarah Dessen and Stephanie Perkins are in high demand. Brittany Staszak, St. Charles Public Library, IL