The Goldfish Boy

The Goldfish Boy
by Lisa Thompson

The Goldfish Boy

Grades 5 & up

Mystery

The Light Jar

Book Summary:
Matthew refuses to leave his room. His parents aren’t sure how to handle it, and he isn’t sure how to tell them what’s going on. He has Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, or OCD. His habit of staring out the window and recording the comings and goings of his neighbors turns out to be of interest to police when a crime happens.

Book Review:
I'm glad to find books about characters with OCD, and it's written so that readers who aren't afflicted with OCD can have a better understanding about the condition. This book shares several similarities with OCDaniel, in that OCD is the defining characteristic of the protagonist, and both books become mysteries. I think the mystery in this book is embedded more naturally, although the resolution is a bit rushed. I was not so interested in the quirky neighbors in this book, but I thought the relationship between Matthew and his parents was very compelling - especially the distance that the disorder puts between them.

"What people didn't seem to understand was that dirt meant germs and germs meant illness and illness meant death. It was quite obvious, when you thought about it. I needed things to be right, and in my room I had complete control. All I had to do was keep on top of it." p. 12