Devon likes to do things his way. He likes to have
his shirts buttoned all the way to the top, while on the hanger in his closet,
arranged according to color. He likes to eat his food in groups of four. His
"tendencies" as his mother refers to Devon’s preferences are driving
his parents crazy.

Devon’s
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder bothers the people around him much more than it
bothers Devon. He has to have things a certain way but he realizes what he is
doing and that it is interfering in his everyday actions. His parents have had
to move the family due to Devon’s tendencies but Harrar portrays Devon’s
illness as more of a burden to those around him than actually to Devon. They
worry about his lack of friends but he enjoys being alone.

When
Devon does attract the attention of another boy at school, it ends up being a
case of careful what his parents wish for in terms of Devon having friends. He
is accused of a terrible crime in school, which has pushed his somewhat
supportive parents to their breaking points.

Harrar
does a nice job painting the family dynamic for the reader. He allows the
reader to feel Devon’s pain about a loss that he suffered as a younger child.
The reader is able piece together Devon’s background through his meetings with
his psychiatrist and his reactions to confrontations with his father.

Devon
is wise beyond his years after being in a mostly adult environment his whole
life. It is refreshing to see him act like a teenage boy around Tanya, his new
lunch companion. His OCD affects some of his interactions with her but
ultimately she is the one that just may help him leave his shirts unbuttoned.

© 2006 Amy Ridley

Amy Ridley
received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Boston University.

Categories: Children