Multiple Choice

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is the subject of this clever first-person novel from the author of Tru Confessions. Teenage Monica obsesses ""98.762 percent"" of the time. She invents little rituals to ward off bad luck; she can't bear it when things aren't neat and even; she plays endless word games in her head. Trying to stop the mental processes that she knows are killing her spirit, she invents a multiple choice game to relieve her of some of her compulsive behaviors. She gives herself four choices for a given situation (A through D), then draws a Scrabble tile out of a pouch which determines the course of action. But while at times the choices liberate her and uncover her creativity, at other times they call for her to act unkind and irresponsible. She finds she cannot stop the game, loses her best friend and puts a child's life in danger. Help is on the way in the form of a free-spirit guidance counselor, and Monica learns to share her feelings with friends and family. Even better than the satisfying conclusion, though, is the delicious fun of Monica's magical thinking and wordplay. Her brainy creations start each chapter: ""TROUBI'MLE/ (I'm in trouble),"" she writes. Anagrams are her specialty: ""I PITCH MOLECULE/ becomes/ UPHILL ICE COMET/ becomes/ MULTIPLE CHOICE."" Less intense than Terry Hesser Spencer's Kissing Doorknobs, this energetic, enjoyable problem novel is a must-read for wordsmiths. Ages 10-14. (June)