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Obsessed
Cover of Obsessed
Obsessed
A Memoir of My Life with OCD
Borrow Borrow
A brave teen recounts her debilitating struggle with obsessive-compulsive disorder—and brings readers through every painful step as she finds her way to the other side—in this powerful and inspiring memoir.
Until sophomore year of high school, fifteen-year-old Allison Britz lived a comfortable life in an idyllic town. She was a dedicated student with tons of extracurricular activities, friends, and loving parents at home.

But after awakening from a vivid nightmare in which she was diagnosed with brain cancer, she was convinced the dream had been a warning. Allison believed that she must do something to stop the cancer in her dream from becoming a reality.

It started with avoiding sidewalk cracks and quickly grew to counting steps as loudly as possible. Over the following weeks, her brain listed more dangers and fixes. She had to avoid hair dryers, calculators, cell phones, computers, anything green, bananas, oatmeal, and most of her own clothing.

Unable to act "normal," the once-popular Allison became an outcast. Her parents questioned her behavior, leading to explosive fights. When notebook paper, pencils, and most schoolbooks were declared dangerous to her health, her GPA imploded, along with her plans for the future.

Finally, she allowed herself to ask for help and was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder. This brave memoir tracks Allison's descent and ultimately hopeful climb out of the depths.
A brave teen recounts her debilitating struggle with obsessive-compulsive disorder—and brings readers through every painful step as she finds her way to the other side—in this powerful and inspiring memoir.
Until sophomore year of high school, fifteen-year-old Allison Britz lived a comfortable life in an idyllic town. She was a dedicated student with tons of extracurricular activities, friends, and loving parents at home.

But after awakening from a vivid nightmare in which she was diagnosed with brain cancer, she was convinced the dream had been a warning. Allison believed that she must do something to stop the cancer in her dream from becoming a reality.

It started with avoiding sidewalk cracks and quickly grew to counting steps as loudly as possible. Over the following weeks, her brain listed more dangers and fixes. She had to avoid hair dryers, calculators, cell phones, computers, anything green, bananas, oatmeal, and most of her own clothing.

Unable to act "normal," the once-popular Allison became an outcast. Her parents questioned her behavior, leading to explosive fights. When notebook paper, pencils, and most schoolbooks were declared dangerous to her health, her GPA imploded, along with her plans for the future.

Finally, she allowed herself to ask for help and was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder. This brave memoir tracks Allison's descent and ultimately hopeful climb out of the depths.
Available formats-
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB eBook
Languages:-
Copies-
  • Available:
    1
  • Library copies:
    1
Levels-
  • ATOS:
    5.3
  • Lexile:
    760
  • Interest Level:
    UG
  • Text Difficulty:
    3 - 4


About the Author-
  • Allison Britz graduated with her BA and MA from Wake Forest University. When not spending all of her money on books, she enjoys cooking, three-day weekends, arguing with her OCD, and extensive Netflix binges. She lives in Manhattan with her husband and their dog. Obsessed is her first book.
Reviews-
  • Kirkus

    June 15, 2017
    Can a girl fall off a cliff in s-l-o-w motion? That's how Allison's life seems to plummet during her sophomore year of high school in this fine debut memoir.After awakening from a terrible dream, Allison is abruptly afflicted with obsessive-compulsive disorder--although she doesn't truly understand the reason that she's suddenly associating commonplace objects and activities with brain cancer. First she has to avoid cracks in floors, but this rapidly devolves into restrictions on every aspect of her life--controlling her behavior, relationships, eating, sleeping, and personal hygiene, and completely derailing her ability to do well in school. Within weeks, she goes from being an excellent student positioned socially on the fringe of the popular group to a pariah who may fail her classes. That her obvious distress flies under the radar of her parents and teachers for so long is especially distressing. After her parents finally do intervene, she begins seeing a specialist whose treatment, combined with Allison's brave determination, makes all the difference. Depicted with affecting honesty (and including quite a lot of dialogue), Allison's journey is at once gripping and agonizing. Allison is white; her trials are a universal experience. Readers willing to share Allison's evident pain and humiliation may gain insight into a troubling disorder, but it's the joy of her slow recovery that they'll savor. (Memoir. 12-18)

    COPYRIGHT(2017) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

  • School Library Journal

    August 1, 2017

    Gr 8 Up-When she was 15, Britz had the ideal life: straight-A's, a spot on the cross country team, loving parents, a core group of friends, and an amazing wardrobe. But a disturbing nightmare, in which she was diagnosed with brain cancer, convinced Britz that she was doomed. In order to escape such a fate, Britz began to avoid cracks, the color green, and pencils. Before long, her list of compulsions grew, and intrusive thoughts and "messages from God" overwhelmed her waking hours. Eventually Britz accepted the help her parents had so desperately wanted to provide. Diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Britz and her doctor worked hard to mitigate her obsessions. A lengthy memoir that reads like a novel, Britz's story starts at a slow pace and gains momentum as the severity of her condition increases. Readers will empathize with Britz, experiencing from her perspective the potential effects of OCD and cheering her along as she steadily improves. An ending note provides encouragement from the author along with a list of resources. VERDICT An important voice in the discussion of OCD, this book is a worthy addition to most teen memoir collections.-Amy Reddy, Lewiston High School, ME

    Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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    Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
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Obsessed
Obsessed
A Memoir of My Life with OCD
Allison Britz
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