The Babysitter Murders

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 Peña'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