John Corey Whaley’s new novel, “Highly Illogical Behavior,” is an intriguing, tear-jerking novel that keeps the reader hooked. To begin, the last memory Solomon Reed has of school is taking off his clothes and jumping into the fountain when he had a panic attack. Embarrassed, he hasn’t returned to school, or even left his house for the last four years. Now, at 16 years old, he still suffers with agoraphobia, an extreme fear of crowded, public places, and his only friends are his parents and grandma.

Hearing about Solomon’s agoraphobia from his mother, Lisa Praytor, the girl who believes in herself more than anyone, is determined to save him from isolation. Egotistically, she does this to escape inland California and go to the psychology college of her dreams, but she isn’t able to fund her education. To fix that, she plans to write a scholarship essay about him; however, this isn’t the only problem she has, she has to make Solomon agree to meet her. With perseverance, patience and many emails later, they decide to meet one another.

Clark, Lisa’s boyfriend, does not like that she is spending time with another guy rather than himself. Now, Lisa needs to learn how to balance everything in her life between writing her essay, spending time with Clark, and fixing Solomon’s agoraphobia.

Whaley storytelling throughout the novel feels effortless. He ties humorous yet surreal moments hand-in-hand, making the story feel relatable to any teenager. Readers go through the novel thinking they know everything, then approach a plot twist that changes their outlook completely on the characters. Additionally, Whaley portrays each of the characters with honesty and genuine. He tugs on the reader’s emotions, making them feel empathetic and personally connected with the characters.

Not only is the novel enjoyable, it also is informative. Indirectly, Whaley introduces positive messages that anyone could relate to, like it good to help those who need it. Since this targets young readers, it impacts many kids to be aware of other’s problems and try to help them.

“Highly Illogical Behavior” is an easy, quick read every student should take the time to read.