I work in academia and thought I would enjoy this book. I was not disappointed. I probably come into contact with someone like Gloria or Henry regularly. When I started reading the book, I wanted to shake both of them. I wanted Gloria to get counseling, and Henry to clean up his room and his life. I kept reading, and found that it wasn't that simple. Once their families were introduced, I understood more about them. Gloria's mother trained her daughter well in the rituals of OCD. Henry seemed to be looking for attention. When Gloria found out about her roomate, I thought she would contact someone and have her room changed. That she didn't, indicates that she was very timid, or lonely, or both. The interactions between them and the character development were interesting. I did not figure out Henry's secret until just before the author introduced it. It explained a lot about Henry and why he seemed to give up on life, until he met Gloria. I was amazed that two such dysfunctional families could produce two such wonderful young adults. The book was believable, and kept my interest. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.