Blurb:
Normal is just a setting on the dryer.
The Roosevelt, Book 1
High school graduate Jeremey Samson is looking forward to burying his head under the covers and sleeping until it’s time to leave for college. Then a tornado named Emmet Washington enters his life. The double major in math and computer science is handsome, forward, wicked smart, interested in dating Jeremey—and he’s autistic.
But Jeremey doesn’t judge him for that. He’s too busy judging himself, as are his parents, who don’t believe in things like clinical depression. When his untreated illness reaches a critical breaking point, Emmet is the white knight who rescues him and brings him along as a roommate to The Roosevelt, a quirky new assisted living facility nearby.
As Jeremey finds his feet at The Roosevelt, Emmet slowly begins to believe he can be loved for the man he is behind the autism. But before he can trust enough to fall head over heels, he must trust his own conviction that friendship is a healing force, and love can overcome any obstacle.
Warning: Contains characters obsessed with trains and counting, positive representations of autism and mental illness, a very dark moment, and Elwood Blues.
Tracy's Review:
Jeremey got quiet, and after a long pause, Dr. North spoke for him. “Jeremey worries a great deal about people being angry with him. He often assumes he’s done something wrong.”
5+ Stars
I wish I could give this more than 5 Stars!!
This was an amazing book!! I couldn't put it down!! I had to keep turning the pages to see what would happen. I loved Emmet and Jeremey(with 3 "E's"). They had a chemistry that was out of this world. They were sweet and you just had to root for them. You wanted them to overcome the obstacles and challenges they faced so they could be happy together. You wanted their love to win out over all else.
As good as this book was, it was a tear jerker and it was hard to read at times. I see a lot of myself in Jeremey. I know what it's like to not want to get up in the morning, to feel life is hopeless and you aren't worth being here. The biggest thing I identified with, with Jeremey is thinking people are angry at you. That you've done something wrong and they are mad at you, even when they have no reason to be. Sometimes you can't reason with your brain to get past that. It nags at the back of your brain no matter how much you try to push it aside.
I read the following paragraph and thought, my god Heidi picked my brain. This is SO the way I would react too.
Jeremey glanced at Dr. North, but he stayed quiet. Jeremey couldn’t look at me. “I thought you didn’t sit with me because you were upset with me.” “But why would I be upset with you? You haven’t done anything.”
Depression is not something you can just get over, and you need professional help and meds to make it better. It won't just go away no matter how much you try to wish it away. Heidi did and extraordinary job in the medical research she put into this book. I learned a lot about autism I never new, and all of it was informative and interesting. I was captivated by these two young men from the time I opened this book, until I was done. This was nice sized book, but I was still left craving more of Emmet and Jeremey when I finished!
This book took me on an emotional roller coaster. It was sweet, funny, heartbreaking and heartwarming as well. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me go "awe", and it made me want to watch the Blues Brothers, and maybe start a flash mob in Target!! I can't say enough how much I loved these boys and their story. I can't wait for book two!
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