When Dani, a popular teenager, begins to envision herself stabbing the boy she babysits, she confesses to the child's mother. While no charges are filed, rumors rapidly spread, accusing her of being a child killer. She seeks mental help but finds her own life threatened. The squirm-worthy third-person narration uncomfortably forces readers to experience Dani's horrifying thoughts as they brew in her mind.

Dani adores Alex, so why is she thinking about killing him? Once a random thought crosses Dani's mind, she can't get rid of it—even when it's completely contrary to her nature. She lives in fear that she's blurted out inappropriate sexual thoughts about her teacher or rude remarks about her best friend's newly revealed lesbianism. Worst, though, are the thoughts of harming the little boy she babysits. She decides to quit her babysitting job, and—responsibly, she thinks—does so in person. Alex's mother hears only that Dani's thinking about killing Alex and calls the police. Dani's committed no crime, so she's not arrested, but word gets out, and Dani falls prey to the smear tactics of a vigilante group called Protect Our Kids. Under a therapist's treatment, Dani learns to deal with her rare type of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Her attempts to heal backfire when Alex's mother overreacts again, tricking Dani into a confrontation with Malcolm, a creepy guy with his own obsessions. The somewhat shallow plot is offset by alternating points of view; the detached tone of seamlessly interwoven snippets from online chatrooms, blogs and newspaper editorials effectively demonstrate modern parental fears that danger lurks everywhere. Teens who feel misunderstood will relate to Dani's struggles to maintain her reputation in a society that tends to view them with suspicion. (Fiction. 12 & up)

In this provocative exploration of a community's response to the mere possibility of a horrific crime, Young employs elements from her first book, The Opposite of Music: the present-tense narrative; the Hawthorne, Mass., setting; and the reassuring presence of Gordy Abt, who appears as the boyfriend of 17-year-old Dani Solomon, who is worried because she has TMI-Too Much Imagination. It comes out in daydreams about mocking (and harming) her mother, outing her best friend, and even killing the little boy she babysits. Dani both wants reassurance that she's not a murderer at heart and to escape these frightening, persistent thoughts, but she can't find the words to explain how she's feeling to the people closest to her. When her secret does finally emerge, the repercussions change many lives, even those of people Dani has never known. Young's writing style is assured, and the tension stays high throughout, as local reaction escalates, complete with tabloid headlines, a cesspool of Internet commentary, and the threat of vigilantism. It's a realistic and disturbing look at our cultural response to mental illness. Ages 14-up. (July)

Gr 8 Up-Dani Solomon, 17, has a rare form of obsessive-compulsive disorder and is plagued by disturbing thoughts that play over and over in her mind. She thinks about outing her gay best friend, groping her music teacher, insulting her mother, and, worst of all, hurting the little boy she babysits for. When she confesses her thoughts to the child's mother so she will understand why she cannot babysit anymore, Dani becomes the subject of vicious gossip and rumors and eventually the target of a vigilante group. Intensive therapy helps her name her disorder and begin to deal with it. This book's take on OCD is unique in YA literature, and the focus on public overreaction to what is essentially a thought crime is a new wrinkle. However, the characters and dialogue just don't ring true in many parts of the novel. Matt de la Pena's Ball Don't Lie (2005), Terry Spencer Hesser's Kissing Doorknobs (1998, both Delacorte), and Crissa-Jean Chappell's Total Constant Order (HarperCollins, 2007) are all better choices for novels about teens with OCD. Anthony C. Doyle, Livingston High School, CA