Finding Perfect by Elly Swartz

Pages: 287

Intended Audience: Tweens and Teens

Genre: Contemporary / OCD

Notes for Parents: Some mature content.

The Back Cover

To twelve-year-old Molly Nathans, perfect is:

-the number four

-the tip of a newly sharpened No. 2 pencil

-a pad of crisp white paper

-her neatly aligned glass animal figurines

What’s not perfect is Molly’s mother leaving the family to take a faraway job with the promise of returning in one year. What if one year turns into two years turns into forever? So Molly hatches a plan to bring her mother home: winning the Lakeville Middle School Poetry Slam Contest. The winner is honored at a fancy banquet. If Molly wins, her mother will have to come home for the celebration. Right?

But as time passes, writing and reciting slam poetry become harder for Molly. Actually, everything becomes harder as new habits appear, and counting, cleaning, and organizing no longer are enough to keep Molly’s world from spinning out of control.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is the author’s first novel. It focusses on a girl dealing with the increased symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

What’s good?

Molly’s mom is supposed to be home in a month after being away for a year, but Molly is afraid she’ll change her mind and not return. As she gets more desperate to coax her mom home, Molly’s anxiety worsens. The author does a good job of showing how OCD can slowly take over a person’s life. At the same time, we see that the failure of her friends and family to recognize what’s happening isn’t neglect, but due to the fact that everyone is battling something. This story is about relationships and how we all choose different methods to cope with stressful situations. The plot is simple, and it’s a quick and easy read.

Best Part: Hannah is an awesome friend.

What isn’t good?

The market seems to be flooded with middle school books about dealing with OCD. This story isn’t anything new. It’s predictable and the plot is pretty weak. While the author does a good job of describing Molly’s chaotic mind, it’s uncomfortable to watch her spin out of control, and sometimes even annoying.

Worst part: Nothing is terrible.

Recommendation ☺☺☻☻☻ (2.5/5)

It’s a good book, even uplifting. But there are better books out there about OCD.

Swartz, Elly. Finding Perfect. New York: Scholastic, 2016.