OCD, The Dude And Me – Book Review
Many teenagers consider their senior year of high school the best time of their lives. Danielle Levine isn’t one of those girls. Adopted Danielle – with her “wild nest of red hair” and “thunder thighs” – perceives herself to be a social outcast at the special school she attends. You know the kind. The school for “high potential students with learning disabilities”.
Of course, Danielle isn’t all that interested in socializing with her classmates. Quite frankly, she’d rather spend her time doing more important things – like alphabetizing her personal library, organizing her snow globe collection, cutting up postcards to decorate her headboard, and participating in Friday night re-enactments of Jane Eyre – wearing authentic period costumes!
But, it’s Danielle’s senior year of high school, and Danielle’s parents, teacher and psychologist are intent on improving Danielle’s social life!
OCD, The Dude And Me by Lauren Roedy Vaughn is the highly original story of a young girl who is struggling to grow up while coping with OCD and other challenges. The story chronicles Danielle’s senior year of high school year and is told through Danielle’s writing, which include class essays, personal entries in her journals and me-moir, e-mails and postcards, personal rants and mental health missives. As you read the entries, you’ll simultaneously laugh, cry, shake your head in frustration, and marvel at the raw emotions and profound insights Danielle shares. You’ll love Danielle’s unique way of looking at things. Once in awhile, you may even see yourself on the pages!
The following excerpt, from Journal #5 of her England Trip, is one of my favorites:
Our lives are like that. We all probably change a little every day and we don’t really notice the changes. But if we look at ourselves today and think back to a year ago, we might be surprised by what we find. It’s hard to bring change into our lives, I think, and so that’s why it doesn’t really happen radically most of the time. Although, wait, sometimes things do change without our choice. I guess what I am talking about is conscious change. That kind of change I think takes time like the diet woman showed through her photographs.
I really loved this book and so did my husband. While not G-rated (Ms. Harrison, Danielle’s English teacher, is constantly chiding Danielle for her loose way with words), I totally agree with Kirkus Review: this gook is “a must-read”!
About Lauren Roedy Vaughn
Lauren Roedy Vaughn is especially equipped to write Danielle’s story. She has been a special education teacher and a writer for nearly 20 years. In 2005, she received the Walk of Hearts Teaching Award, and she serves on the Board of the International Dyslexia Association’s Los Angeles Branch. She was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and moved to Honolulu, Hawaii, when she was in elementary school. She came to California for college, met her husband at the University of California, Irvine, and they have lived in Southern California ever since. Together, they share a love of The Big Lebowski. When not teaching, reading, or writing, Lauren is usually on a yoga mat.
Her latest book is the contemporary humorous young adult fiction, OCD, The Dude And Me.
For More Information:
- Visit Lauren’s Website.
- Visit the OCD, The Dude And Me Book Tour Page.
- Connect with Lauren on Facebook and Twitter.
- Visit Amazon.
For more great books, visit Create With Joy – Book Reviews.
OCD, The Dude And Me – Book Giveaway
UPDATE: Congratulations to our Winner, Georgia Beckman –
Random Org picked Lucky #1 this time round!
Would you like to win a copy of OCD, The Dude and Me? I’m delighted to share that Lauren would like to award one copy of her book to one of my US/Canadian readers!
To Enter This Giveaway:
1. Required Entry: Please follow Create With Joy and let me know how – you’ll receive an entry for each verifiable entry! When you leave your comment, also let me know why you would like to win this book! Make sure you leave your e-mail address so that I can contact you if you win!
2. Bonus Entry(s): Share this giveaway on your blog and/or favorite social media platforms. Receive 1 bonus entry with each verifiable link you submit! Share buttons are included at the end of the post for your convenience!
Please spread the word on Twitter – you can tweet three times a day and receive 1 entry per verified tweet!
Please Copy & Paste The Following Tweet With Your Entries
OCD, The Dude And Me #Giveaway http://create-with-joy.com/ocd @CreateWithJoy1 @LaurieLooo 7/11 US/Can #Books #YA #MustReadBooks #BookGiveaways
Additonal Information
This giveaway closes on Thursday, July 11, 2013 at Midnight EST. The winner will be chosen using a random number generator. The odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. If the winning entry does not comply with all conditions set forth in the entry, another entry will be drawn. The winner will be contacted via e-mail and have 24 hours to respond before another winner is chosen. The author is responsible for prize fulfillment.
This giveaway is open to Create With Joy readers, ages 18 and over, who reside in the US/Canada. No purchase is necessary. Void where prohibited by law. All decisions by Create With Joy are final. By submitting an entry, you are indicating that you have read and agree to these Official Rules.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the author to review. I was not compensated or required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Copyright © 2013 by Create With Joy. All Rights Reserved.
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Twitter: georgiabeckman1
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I would love to win this book because it sounds like a funny read. And I can really relate to the OCD so it will be nice to read about someone else’s quirky habits, lol
georgiabeckman@hotmail.com
Twitter: georgiabeckman1
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I shared on FB:
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georgiabeckman@hotmail.com
Twitter: georgiabeckman1
says:
I tweeted about the giveaway:
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georgiabeckman@hotmail.com
Thanks for linking up to the BlogLovin Blog Hop hosted by Journeys at the Zoo and Spit and Sparkles!
Thanks for taking the time to read and review my book and for having me on your very cool site. I love the reminder to “create with joy and live with passion.” Happy reading and blogging!
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
says:
You’re so welcome! Thank you for creating such a memorable character and presenting her in such a creative way!
You are most kind, indeed. Namaste.
The reason I’d like to read the book is because:-
a) the whole OCD thing resonates with me LOL
b) I’ve heard great things about this book in the blogosphere
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