Sean Griswold's Head By Lindsey Leavitt

Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt
Release Date: March 1, 2011
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 288
Buy This Book: Amazon

Summary:  According to her guidance counselor, fifteen-year-old Payton Gritas needs a focus object—an item to concentrate her emotions on. It's supposed to be something inanimate, but Payton decides to use the thing she stares at during class: Sean Griswold's head. They've been linked since third grade (Griswold-Gritas—it's an alphabetical order thing), but she's never really known him.The focus object is intended to help Payton deal with her father's newly diagnosed multiple sclerosis. And it's working. With the help of her boy-crazy best friend Jac, Payton starts stalking—er, focusing on—Sean Griswold . . . all of him! He's cute, he shares her Seinfeld obsession (nobody else gets it!) and he may have a secret or two of his own.
In this sweet story of first love, Lindsey Leavitt seamlessly balances heartfelt family moments, spot-on sarcastic humor, and a budding young romance.

My Thoughts: We are introduced to Payton Gritas who is just your normal girl. She gets good grades, is super motivated in school, has a enthusiastic best friend, has awesome parents, and two brothers. The only problem in her life is her dad's newly developed disease which is MS. He's had it awhile now but Payton just finds out about it and freaks out. She decides she isn't going to talk to her parents because she's so mad they didn't tell her. She's organized, and mature, she could have taken it! Her parents decide she needs to see a counselor at school so off to the counselor's office she goes! The counselor decides she needs a focus object. Something to focus all of her energy on and analyze. To Take her mind off her current problems. 

She decides she will start focusing on Sean's head. The cute boy who has always sat in front of her since grade school. Their last names have always made them sit next to each other all their lives. Even though she's been close to him, she's never really paid much attention to him. She than starts finding out more and more about Sean and realizes there might be more to him than she ever noticed.

While all this is happening, she is also trying to cope with her dad's illness and she starts to ride a bike and train for a bike ride. Its to support MS.  She knows she can do the whole ride if she really tries. And Sean is also doing it, so that is another reason to do it. To prove to him she can.

I won't say much else or I'll give away everything.

Overall: Honestly, I loved this book. It was sweet, honest, and amazing. I loved how much time and energy she puts into analyzing his head. I loved her relationship with her family and I loved seeing how it all went down.

Cover: Love It! Isn't it cute! I love the chalkboard and most of all I love seeing the back of his head. 

What I'd Give It: