This is one of those books that is almost impossible to put down, while at the same time almost impossible to keep reading. The story, told in the first person by teen soccer star Jake Martin, basically recounts the moment-by-moment struggle he undergoes to hold on to his self-control and appear "normal" to his friends. Jake suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder; in his case, he must constantly check clocks, his watch, and at times the number of words in a conversation, to make sure everything works out to prime numbers. If not, he freezes and fights nausea, pain and the sense of spiders attacking his brain. Whew.
Jake is also tied to daily routines which, if they're disrupted, threaten to make him totally nonfunctional. The tension that permeates this narrative comes from knowing that sooner or later (probably sooner) something is going to upset his routines. A series of events outside of his control threatens to turn the upcoming championship soccer match into a disaster. If only he can win that game and meet the expectations of his teammates and the whole school, Jake believes he will finally be free from his living nightmare.
Jake's family is dysfunctional--his mother rarely comes out of her room and is fragile both physically and mentally. His father is burdened with debt. Jake's younger sister, Kasey, is his closest friend, but even she is not aware of his illness. Although some of Jake's friends come across chiefly as stereotypes, author Ayarbe makes Jake a convincing and compelling character. Recommended.
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