
A secret friendship challenges Sam's sanity and her place among the popular crowd.
Samantha McAllister hides her Purely-Obsessional OCD behind a perfect facade, fearing her popular friends' judgment. When she meets Caroline, Sam discovers Poet's Corner, a haven for misfit students. Drawn to this hidden world and a talented guitarist, Sam begins to feel more herself. But as she balances her secret life and her mental health, she faces a new challenge that could unravel everything. Can Sam find her true self without losing her mind or her place in the world?
The New York Times bestselling, BookTok sensation, deeply moving novel of friendship, first love, mental health, and belonging, perfect for fans of Girl in Pieces and The Summer of Broken Rules If you could read my mind, you wouldn’t be smiling. Samantha McAllister looks just like the rest of the popular girls in her junior class. But hidden beneath the straightened hair and expertly applied makeup is a secret that her friends would never understand: Sam has Purely-Obsessional OCD and is consumed by a stream of dark thoughts and worries that she can’t turn off. Second-guessing every move, thought, and word makes daily life a struggle, and it doesn’t help that her lifelong friends will turn toxic at the first sign of a wrong outfit, wrong lunch, or wrong crush. Yet Sam knows she’d be truly crazy to leave the protection of the most popular girls in school. So when Sam meets Caroline, she has to keep her new friend with a refreshing sense of humor and no style a secret, right up there with Sam’s weekly visits to her psychiatrist. Caroline introduces Sam to Poet’s Corner, a hidden room and a tight-knit group of misfits who have been ignored by the school at large. Sam is drawn to them immediately, especially a guitar-playing guy with a talent for verse, and starts to discover a whole new side of herself. Slowly, she begins to feel more “normal” than she ever has as part of the popular crowd . . . until she finds a new reason to question her sanity and all she holds dear.
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