Perfect Escape

Jul 19, 2012 Giselle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, own, favorites, contemporary

Road trip books can go from kookie to serious to fun to depressing. Perfect Escape is a beautiful story that has the perfect blend of happy and sad, leaving us with a heartfelt tale about a girl trying to escape her life, and, hopefully, her brother's OCD.

Overshadowed by her brother's illness her whole life, Kendra is struggling to achieve perfection. She's become an overachiever so that she can balance out Grayson's imperfection. We don't notice Kendra's crumbling mental state at first. She's s...more Road trip books can go from kookie to serious to fun to depressing. Perfect Escape is a beautiful story that has the perfect blend of happy and sad, leaving us with a heartfelt tale about a girl trying to escape her life, and, hopefully, her brother's OCD.

Overshadowed by her brother's illness her whole life, Kendra is struggling to achieve perfection. She's become an overachiever so that she can balance out Grayson's imperfection. We don't notice Kendra's crumbling mental state at first. She's strong-willed and selfless. Later, as the story moves along, as we learn how hard hard she is on herself, as we see how deeply one person's OCD affects a whole family, we begin to notice the cracks in her seemingly perfect facade. Her character grows and evolves throughout the story, making her someone I could easily sympathize with. I understood her instead of condemning her for her hasty, sometimes terrible, decisions. Her brother Grayson is equally, if not more, compelling. Having OCD, he's a fascinating character study. I've always been intrigued by mental illnesses and we get a first look at all the ups and downs of an often misunderstood disorder. With these highs and lows comes great character depth; Grayson is a very well-rounded, three dimensional character that will wedge himself right into your hearts. The siblings relationship that these two have is by far my favorite part of this novel. They bicker and disagree, they relive memories and laugh about old times - they know each other to through and through, and love each other unconditionally despite it all. I adored this. This impenetrable connection and fierce protectiveness that they share for each other is simply wonderful and glows right through the pages.

Unlike many road trip novels, we don't meet a slew of colourful, though irrelevant, characters over the course of their trip. The people we do meet have a big impact on the story. They weave their way into Kendra and Grayson's journey, becoming exceptional characters that will forever leave a mark on their hearts - and ours. The many adventures and stops on the way is filled with amusing anecdotes and tender moment, in addition to more serious, emotional developments. Though not abrupt, it's not a straight up, cut and dried ending filled with closure. Like life, we don't get everything resolved, we get hope. Hope and belief that everything will work out. Because oftentimes in life, it's the only thing we've got.

Highly character driven and dealing with very real issues, Perfect Escape will make you feel every emotion you can muster. If you loved Saving June, and fans of contemporary novels focusing on mental illness and sibling relationships must add this to their reading list!

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Sep 24, 2012 Mickey (I'm A Book Shark) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, arc, ala12

See full review here!

I received this ARC at ALA2012. Here's my honest review:

Something about this didn't connect all the way with me. I still enjoyed it and read most of it in one sitting, but I didn't feel it 100%. I did like that it was really different from most YA novels I've read lately. There was no real love story, let alone a triangle. It's a road trip story, but it's also kind of a runaway story. And there were layers to this one. It isn't just what's on the surface. The book isn't supe...more

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Jun 10, 2012 Riya rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-july, road-trip, review-copy-own, stories-of-my-life, contemporary, siblings, family, tear-jerker, hard-hitting, ocd

Originally posted at www.teenbookguru.com

**This review is based on an Advance Readers Copy (thank you so much, Jennifer!! <3)**

Perfect Escape is touching, heartwarming, and poignant... I LOVED Jennifer Brown’s latest novel! It actually brought tears to my eyes... but in the best way possible. After reading this, I felt sad, happy and really grateful that I was privileged enough to read this amazing novel before it is released. Thank you, Jennifer! <3

It’s a story about siblings, and family...more Originally posted at www.teenbookguru.com

**This review is based on an Advance Readers Copy (thank you so much, Jennifer!! <3)**

Perfect Escape is touching, heartwarming, and poignant... I LOVED Jennifer Brown’s latest novel! It actually brought tears to my eyes... but in the best way possible. After reading this, I felt sad, happy and really grateful that I was privileged enough to read this amazing novel before it is released. Thank you, Jennifer! <3

It’s a story about siblings, and family -the best kind!- and how no matter what happens, they are always going to be there for you. It made me feel oh so thankful and happy to have my family here and present... there were times when I felt like running up to my mom and giving her a big hug for no reason!! Perfect Escape really makes you appreciate everything - from being able to go to sleep without worrying about cockroages, to just having your brother or sister safe and happy with you!! :’)

I really enjoyed getting to know all of the characters as well! They were all really relatable and so different and complex. Especially Kendra, who I personally found to be very relatable. She makes mistakes, and in the beginning she was always trying to please everyone, and she was running away from all of her missteps and failures, but towards the end she started to realize that sometimes, you just have to face your mistakes, and also, that sometimes, the person you have been looking for has been there all along... right by your side. She’s a bit of an overachiever, which I TOTALLY get, and she’s always trying to make up for her brother, which definitely adds to the stress and kind of pushes her over the edge. Her character definitely hit home, for me. I guess everyone makes mistakes, and finds it hard to own up to them, and at times it seems like it's the end of the world, just like Kendra, so I think (and hope!) that everyone will love her just as much as I did and will feel a strong connection with her.

And Grayson. Oh, Grayson. He kind of scared me at times! And, I really pitied Kendra at times for having to live with him, even though I know that’s mean. I mean, imagine living and spending your whole childhood with a perfectly normal, capable, sweet and smart brother, but then having to watch his OCD change him into a completely different and scary person?? The flashbacks that Brown put into the book of when Grayson was ‘normal’ completely broke my heart!! I wanted that little boy back... not only for Kendra, but for myself!! Although, I have to admit... Grayson REALLY surprised me in the end! He showed a side of himself that I never really knew was there anymore. But that’s all I can say about the ending, cause I don’t want to give anything away to you guys!!

I got to watch both Kendra and Grayson grow and change in their own ways, and face their own challenges- mental and physical- along the course of the novel, and it really was such a magical thing, getting to know these wonderful characters. The journey was a long one, and I honestly had no clue how it would end. Would they make it to California, or would they turn around and start heading home? Would their parents find them??? But, the wait was definitely worth it, and after it was over I was one sloppy, tearful bundle of happiness. Weird, I know!

Perfect Escape was one very long, messy, and beautiful road trip, full of laughs, tears, and sibling rivalry and love. I loved it, and I can’t wait for all of y’all to read it, because I’m sure that you’ll absolutely love and adore it too!! :’)

5 Muffins - Positively Enticing!(less)

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May 10, 2013 Barbara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: abusive-relationships, animals, bullies, facing-fears, families, friendship, gifted, humor, road-trip, romance, school, self-esteem, special-ed

I love books written by Jennifer Brown. She explores romantic and sibling relationships and family dynamics honestly, and I always finish one of her books having learned something and still thinking about an issue she has raised. While this book marks a departure from her other books since it doesn't focus on a relationship between Kendra, the main character, and a boyfriend [her older brother Grayson, though, had strong ties with Zoe, her best friend, years ago], it is nevertheless deeply invol...more

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May 07, 2013 Jordyn Mcgrath added it

The book I read for my book report is called 'The Perfect Escape'. It was written by Jennifer Brown. The type of book this book is, is a fiction book. It covers about a month worth, while you're reading it, it seems more long because she goes into detail about every day. This is the authors 3rd book. I've also read all the other books that she wrote, I would have to say that this one was not as good as the others. It was in the perspective of the sister. The main plot of this book was the brothe...more

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Apr 26, 2013 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

What could be more interesting and exciting than going on an impromptu road trip across the country with your brother? Going on a cross country road trip with your brother who suffers from manic OCD and anxiety. Perfect Escape is heartwarming, funny, and simply a great read. The relationship between the main characters Kendra and her brother Grayson is so true to form. The love they feel for each other while at the same time being frustrated and even hating each other was so well done and realis...more

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Apr 01, 2013 Silverina La Mees rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: in-between-great-and-likeable

CONTAINS SPOILERS.

Yet another book of Jennifer Brown that was about nothing. Though this was much less about nothing than Bitter End.
I hate books where the protagonist isn't succesful in obtaining her goal. Where the purpose of a journey is gone. Where - instead of the protagonist landing on the last page in a heap of succes/happiness/something close to that - she lands on the ground from the same place she jumped. (She doesn't even have to land in succes - just make her --- I don't know! How c...more CONTAINS SPOILERS.

Yet another book of Jennifer Brown that was about nothing. Though this was much less about nothing than Bitter End.
I hate books where the protagonist isn't succesful in obtaining her goal. Where the purpose of a journey is gone. Where - instead of the protagonist landing on the last page in a heap of succes/happiness/something close to that - she lands on the ground from the same place she jumped. (She doesn't even have to land in succes - just make her --- I don't know! How can everybody else do it? Even when someone dies in Jodi Picoult's books I don't feel flat! I feel like I have gained something. A wow. A feeling. Some emotion.)
It's like reading a book about nothing. I once read a book about a boy and a girl who went on a journey to find something and when they came to the specific place, they found nothing and went home again.
I hated that book's guts. So much.
Why write a book with no attainable goal and make the reader feel flat?
This book felt like that when after they reached California, Zoe wasn't Zoe anymore. And I know it's realistic and logical (that Zoe didn't respond to Kendra's mails and messages and thus would have changed) but why make the whole journey's purpose someone not? Why make the book look like it might have a great end when it really doesn't?
I mean, I knew in my guts that Zoe had moved on and wasn't answering any of Kendra's mails and messages because of that.
(Here I want to ask why Zoe has moved on and why there is no explanation and how could Zoe just forget her best friend? Only three years went by! I understand that you can get new friends and start new relationships and be happy but how can she ignore her once-best friend? I am so confused! How can she forget her best friend? How can she just be like that?)

And shall we speak about Kendra's frequent changes of thoughts? Half the time I thoguht that Kendra understood that her brother was this and that but then she would suddenly change her mind and tell him the opposite and when some time went by she would go back to the "I understand this and that about my brother and he is this because of that and he can't something" and then again back to the yelling and screaming.

I was greatly disappointed. This and I still haven't talked about the end that was hanging in the air and and I haven't talked about Kendra whom I started not to like somewhere in the middle.
Jennifer Brown told her readers that this book was about sibling relationship.
I seriously thought that it was about being a sister to someone with OCD. That's yet another thing that confused me. Why fill a book with a lot of information to make the reader get confused about what this book is really about? Couldn't her brother just be a normal brother and then highlight the sibling relationship on that road trip?
I seriously don't know but two disappointments in a row is just too much.
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Jan 16, 2013 Abby rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone

This is probably one of the most realistic representations of a sibling relationship that I've ever seen. Kendra and her brother, Grayson, are so real. Their relationship is flawed. They live in each others' shadows. They criticize each other and mock each other and tear each other to pieces. The fact that Grayson has OCD makes it all the more interesting, causing even more challenges that the two of them have to overcome. And they do overcome them. They overcome them together, and I love them f...more

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Dec 31, 2012 Claudia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-book-challenge-160-books

My last book of 2012. We all love Jennifer Brown, and we never know what to expect from her...this book is completely different than her others, and than other books I've recently read. This one isn't as intense as Hate List or Bitter End, but I think it may be stronger...

Kendra feels like she must be perfect, to somehow make up for her brother, Grayson's severe OCD. Overachiever and troubled genius, they both seem to understand their role in the family. But, with Gray suddenly back from his lat...more My last book of 2012. We all love Jennifer Brown, and we never know what to expect from her...this book is completely different than her others, and than other books I've recently read. This one isn't as intense as Hate List or Bitter End, but I think it may be stronger...

Kendra feels like she must be perfect, to somehow make up for her brother, Grayson's severe OCD. Overachiever and troubled genius, they both seem to understand their role in the family. But, with Gray suddenly back from his latest 'cure' and Kendra's life coming apart at the seams, all bets are off.

Kendra found an obstacle she couldn't overcome: calculus. She had no coping skills for how to deal with a hard task, so she succumbed to cheating...we don't learn the details of the cheating scandal until the very end, but she's in big trouble, weeks before graduation. Since she'd never faced failure before, Kendra runs away...with Grayson in the car...with none of his medicines. She decides the answer to everyone's difficulties is to visit their friend Zoe...Zoe, who WAS Kendra's best friend and WAS Grayson's girlfriend, before Zoe's parents began calling Gray crazy, and finally moved half the continent away, to California.

Kendra thinks, somehow, if they reunite with Zoe, Gray won't suffer from OCD anymore, and she won't have cheated. So, off they go, in a beat-up car, with their mother's credit card and $300 in cash Kendra won't talk about.

The trip is funny, touching, sad beyond measure, and enlightening. And sooo worth the time.

I think what I appreciate about Brown's books is the level of research she invests in her characters and settings. She even gives readers a page of resources into the issues of her books.

Here, she's carefully shown the effects of mental health issues on siblings, and the roles they play in families. She's gotten Gray's OCD exactly right, and Kendra's attempts to play the perfect child for her parents. She got the road trip right, and the stops along the way.

She nailed the complicated relationship siblings share, whether they want to or not...and she's given us two (actually three, but I'll let you be surprised as I was) characters we really grow to love, and wish the best for.

Can't wait to share it when we go back to school!(less)

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Nov 28, 2012 Wafiyah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: anticlimactic, favourites, family, interesting, great-protagonist, tragic

I don't know if I ever said that I have a cousin who's autistic. A couple of years back, I went back home and he and his family from America met us there. He's about my age, a few months older. We spent a month in the same house, my grandparents', and even though I'd seen him and his sister a few times before, I was able to interact with him in a different way that time. I never really realized what one goes through, having deficiency mentally. Even saying "deficiency" makes me cringe, so I was...more

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Nov 08, 2012 Katy Jane rated it 4 of 5 stars

I loved this book but not as much as her first two. Mainly because it was lacking romance which through me off since the other two had it.
1. The most interesting part of the book to me was Rena. I'm not quite sure why she was in the story, but I liked her. Her backstory with men, her current situation with Archie, and her personality were intriguing. Maybe she was in the book so Grayson could see that he could be a little normal? Or that Kendra's problems didn't seem so bad after all?
2. I have...more

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Sep 19, 2012 Coranne (The Best Books Ever) rated it 5 of 5 stars

OCD runs in my family. That is what originally drew me to this book. I was curious to see what it would be like to read about a sibling and family relationship where one member has serious OCD problems. This book didn't disappoint. I thought the problems between the siblings were handled very wisely and respectfully.

I didn't like Kendra to start out with. I thought she was incredibly selfish and didn't seem to care much for the people around her. As the story moves along, and more is revealed a...more

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Sep 16, 2012 Sally Kruger added it

I often hear people say something triggers their OCD tendencies. It usually involves organizing something or a superstition about some upcoming event or activity. The person mentioning this is most likely referring to a minor quirky behavior that makes them feel a bit self-conscious or has been commented on by a friend. To truly understand the serious effects of OCD, I suggest you read Jennifer Brown's new book titled PERFECT ESCAPE.

Kendra's older brother Grayson suffers from severe OCD (obsessi...more I often hear people say something triggers their OCD tendencies. It usually involves organizing something or a superstition about some upcoming event or activity. The person mentioning this is most likely referring to a minor quirky behavior that makes them feel a bit self-conscious or has been commented on by a friend. To truly understand the serious effects of OCD, I suggest you read Jennifer Brown's new book titled PERFECT ESCAPE.

Kendra's older brother Grayson suffers from severe OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder). His condition has caused him to leave school by his junior year, enter treatment facilities numerous times, and totally change the dynamics of family life for Kendra and her parents. For as long as Kendra can remember, Grayson has gotten all her parents' attention and interfered with family activities. Kendra has learned to stay focused on trying to be the perfect child. Her goal is to do all the things Grayson can't and make her parents proud.

In her effort to maintain her perfection, Kendra finds herself deeply involved in a cheating ring near the end of her senior year. When it appears her involvement might be discovered, Kendra panics. She heads to the nearby quarry that has frequently offered sanctuary for her brother, and she climbs the fence hoping to forget her troubles. Instead, Kendra discovers her brother, newly released from a treatment program, obsessively counting rocks. Something snaps in Kendra. She coaxes her brother into the car and starts driving. The farther they get from home and all their problems, the more Kendra realizes that distance might just be the answer.

Without sharing her plans with Grayson, Kendra decides to drive from Missouri to California to seek help from their best friend Zoe. Zoe and her parents had once been their neighbors, but Grayson's condition caused an irreparable rift between the families, and they packed up and move away. Now Kendra is convinced that seeing and talking to Zoe again will solve her problems and spending time with her brother will allow her to cure his OCD. Thus begins their adventure.

Author Jennifer Brown once again explores serious issues using relatable characters in a story teens won't be able to put down. PERFECT ESCAPE will not disappoint her many fans.
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Aug 26, 2012 Sandy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: library, ya

You can only fix yourself and sometimes that is not always easy. For Kendra, she never saw it this way. She wanted to fix her brother and she thought if she did that, then perhaps the pieces of the life would start to fall into place. She has always blamed her brother Grayson for her problems, for the way she lost her friends, for the way she had to live her life, and for the way she always had to be perfect. At least that is what Kendra thought. What's Grayson's world like? Counting, obsessivel...more You can only fix yourself and sometimes that is not always easy. For Kendra, she never saw it this way. She wanted to fix her brother and she thought if she did that, then perhaps the pieces of the life would start to fall into place. She has always blamed her brother Grayson for her problems, for the way she lost her friends, for the way she had to live her life, and for the way she always had to be perfect. At least that is what Kendra thought. What's Grayson's world like? Counting, obsessively counting. Knowing that others are analyzing your every move. For Grayson world revolved around his OCD and to be a part of Grayson’s world you never knew what to expect next. This all changed one day when Kendra stepped out of her perfect world and entered unknown territory. Doing an unspeakable act at school, she does not know where to turn until Grayson’s comment about running away, leaving it all behind and just being normal has the brother and sister duo doing more than just putting miles on the car. Traveling with an OCD teen has its highs and lows and Kendra tries to push Grayson to be the brother that she once had. Since going into treatment Kendra needs to become reacquainted with the brother that she misses. Dirty hotels, mom-and-pop diners, and unique individuals round out the players in the book that help Kendra and Grayson find each other and help them discover what is really important after all.

I loved the relationship with Kendra and Grayson. There was this battle between them but also this deep down love for each other. Kendra and Grayson never really knew each other on a deep level and spending all this time in the car, they got to see each other in a different light. Kendra kept thinking that she was doing this trip for Grayson but in the end, I think she got the most out of it. We live in our own world and I think when we step outside our world we really see ourselves and I think that is what happened to the both of them. The author did a great job with a variety of individuals that they met and circumstances that occurred to help the characters grow and yet give them time to be alone and deal with the situations at hand. There were times I felt I was in the back of the car with them or taking the picture from Kendra’s cell phone. This was truly an adventure, one that will open many eyes.

Few swear words (I think so), no sex and no drugs. Good clean book.(less)

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Aug 17, 2012 Star (The Bibliophilic Book Blog) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

In “Perfect Escape”, Kendra has felt as if she’s lived in the shadow of her brother’s Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) her whole life. She’s taken this to a whole new level as she tries to be perfect in everything she does just to get some attention for herself, not as ‘weirdo’ Grayson’s little sister. However, life is never perfect and Kendra has to deal with the consequences of a bad situation she created at school. Instead of facing her mistakes, she takes Grayson on a road trip to Califor...more

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Jul 22, 2012 Emma rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: high-school, love, struggle, road-trip, difficulties

Wow. Jennifer Brown has really done it again. I love how Jennifer keeps it believable and her characters are easy to connect with. I read Bitter End and Hate List (I would totally recommend it), so I was REALLY looking forward to Perfect Escape.
This book gave a lot of knowledge about OCD, which believe me, I do not plan on misusing the term EVER again.

(view spoiler)...more Wow. Jennifer Brown has really done it again. I love how Jennifer keeps it believable and her characters are easy to connect with. I read Bitter End and Hate List (I would totally recommend it), so I was REALLY looking forward to Perfect Escape.
This book gave a lot of knowledge about OCD, which believe me, I do not plan on misusing the term EVER again.

(view spoiler)[ So we have our protagonist, Kendra, who considers herself Perfect Kendra. She feels like she is constantly pushed back by her brother Grayson, who has OCD. She also feels that her parents don't pay any attention to her. A lot of the book is also going back and looking when Kendra considered Grayson "normal".
In the beginning, Kendra came home from school, and finds Grayson back after his three months of treatment. For the night, Kendra stays out of the way Grayson, but she still receives a call from a girl who bought a (stolen) test from Kendra. The next day, Kendra goes to school with her sort-of friends Lia and Shani. Her "real" friend is Zoe, who moved because of her brothers OCD (and also the fact that Grayson and Zoe were in love). But, the same girl who called her, shows her that the teachers are planning to open lockers to find out who stole the tests. Kendra gets stressed out because it could affect her college plans for Standford. This makes her cut class and go to the quarry, where she finds Grayson counting rocks (part of his OCD). Eventually, she convinces Grayson to go on a road trip to see the Hayward Fault (I don't really understand what that is though), but her real destination is Zoe, because according to Kendra, Zoe fixes everything. On the way to California, Kendra meets an eighteen year old girl named Rena, who is married to an OLD man and has a son named Bo. After Kendra and Grayson leave, they find Rena walking away with Bo. They pick her up as a hitch hiker and bring her with them.The three of them bond really well skinny dipping, seeing Jackalopes and driving together. Grayson starts to seem better. Bo then starts to get really sick so the three of them go to the hospital, and Bo gets better. But Grayson calls their mother and asks for his medication. So their parents get mad at Kendra, which fuels her fire to leave. Grayson follows her. They finally reach Zoe's house in California. When they get there, the mother tells Kendra to leave, and Zoe texts her from her window to leave to. Kendra, who didn't consider this a possibility, throws a tantrum (rock throwing included) not only about Zoe, but I think her whole life. Grayson saves the day, and they go to a park and have an all out, which helps them realize that they aren't perfect. Then they visit the Hayward Fault together, accepting each other. (hide spoiler)](less)

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Jul 17, 2012 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

See My Full Review Here: http://www.hippiesbeautyandbooksohmy....

First Impressions: I’ve been waiting for Perfect Escape to come out for what seems like forever! I absolutely love this author and the books that she writes. I adored Hate List and Bitter End and I seriously hope that Jennifer Brown continues to write for a long time to come. I can’t tell you how much I admire authors that aren’t afraid to deal with the tougher topics of life and who are able to do it in a classy, realistic fashion...more See My Full Review Here: http://www.hippiesbeautyandbooksohmy....

First Impressions: I’ve been waiting for Perfect Escape to come out for what seems like forever! I absolutely love this author and the books that she writes. I adored Hate List and Bitter End and I seriously hope that Jennifer Brown continues to write for a long time to come. I can’t tell you how much I admire authors that aren’t afraid to deal with the tougher topics of life and who are able to do it in a classy, realistic fashion. Jennifer is one of those authors. Perfect Escape went straight to the top of my review pile once it arrived at my home. I was interested in reading about a kid with OCD, a sister who has an obsession of her own (perfection) and a road-trip. It sounded like a great read for the summertime!

First 50 Pages: The beginning of this book pulled me right into the story. I think Jennifer did a good job setting up her characters and all of the various settings. That is one thing that I really enjoyed about Perfect Escape, all of the different settings the characters are placed in since the majority of this book is set on a road-trip. I also really liked how the two central characters met new people along the way, so the story never felt like it was getting dull and boring. The pacing felt just right, not too fast or too slow. If I have any complaints, I guess I would say that PerfectEscape didn’t feel very original. I feel like I have read this story before or have seen something similar in a movie or on TV, but I can’t name something specifically. I’m not saying that this was a horrible thing, just that it didn’t seem overly creative compared to other books on the market.

Characters & Plot: The plot of Perfect Escape is very straight-forward and I don’t think it had a whole lot of mystery to it (but it really didn’t need it!) Kendra is our main character, a teenaged girl who has always felt out of place in her family. Her brother has a very severe form of OCD, or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and because of his disorder, Kendra’s family has to spend much more time with him then they do with Kendra. It’s not really because her parents love Grayson more, but Kendra feels left out. Grayson’s OCD affects many aspects of Kendra’s life and she has had to make many sacrifices for him. In a way, Kendra has her own OCD and its called perfection. Being perfect is her way of shining a light on herself. But when Kendra does something at her school that is far from perfection, she runs away and takes Grayson with her. She makes excuses along the way as to why she decided to take this impromptu road trip, but in reality and further along in the story, she realizes the real reason she left.

I definitely enjoyed both Kendra and Grayson, and I feel as though I was able to connect with both characters. Jennifer Brown does a really nice job explaining Grayson’s OCD and how his disorder has progressed to the point it was at. He tries so hard to be a good brother and you can tell that he loves his sister very much. The connection between Kendra and Grayson was very sweet, and bittersweet at times, too. Kendra had to grow on me a bit. I wasn’t sure that I liked her much at first, but I was able to understand why she did the things that she did. Having someone that close to you with OCD must be a difficult thing to live with and I think she was also handling it the best way that she knew how. The family dynamics in this book were so realistic and handled with care, which I appreciated.

Final Thoughts: Perfect Escape is another wonderful book from this author. I don’t think that it was as powerful as Hate List, but it isn’t far behind. I would happily give a recommendation for this book to anyone who knows someone with OCD, enjoys books with tough contemporary issues, or anyone looking for a great summertime read. I’m excited to see what Jennifer comes up with next!(less)

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Jul 12, 2012 Nancy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Jennifer Brown has been one of my favorite YA authors since her first publication. She takes on tough subject matter but with enough tact to hand it to even a younger teenager without insulting an older reader.

Of the many books on obsessive compulsive disorder, this is the first book written specifically for the sibling of the squeaky wheel. While Grayson suffers mightily with his OCD, settles into the identified "sick" family member, accepts the enabling parents help, cringes at the oversimplif...more

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May 08, 2013 E. Jayne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites-2013

From Blue Butterfly Books.

Rating: 4.3/5

I love Jennifer Brown. Her first book, Hate List, blew me away so much, I was feeling and crying for days afterwords. Even now, I'm like, "Man, that book," whenever I think about it. With Bitter End, I enjoyed it, but not as much as Hate List, and I'm afraid that's the same for this one as well. I enjoyed it. I very, very much enjoyed this book, so don't think I didn't for one second just because it didn't live up to Hate List. Jennifer Brown set such an in...more From Blue Butterfly Books.

Rating: 4.3/5

I love Jennifer Brown. Her first book, Hate List, blew me away so much, I was feeling and crying for days afterwords. Even now, I'm like, "Man, that book," whenever I think about it. With Bitter End, I enjoyed it, but not as much as Hate List, and I'm afraid that's the same for this one as well. I enjoyed it. I very, very much enjoyed this book, so don't think I didn't for one second just because it didn't live up to Hate List. Jennifer Brown set such an incredibly high bar for herself (and for others, really) that it's going to be hard for me to feel the same way about another one of her books. But I still loved this, and I love Jennifer Brown.

What kept me from giving this a five rating was that I never truly bought the believability for this road trip. Reflecting back, I understand that it could definitely happen and Brown did great with Grayson's reaction to it. My problem lied with Kendra. I very much loved her character and I related to her well, but I don't think we got enough of the feeling in the beginning of who she was to her parents and to the others around her. We're told she had to be Miss Perfect, but I never really saw that before they were on the road. I think if we would have gotten that feel and saw more of her treatment and what was expected of her beforehand, that would have solved my problem.

Speaking of the road trip, I loved it. It wasn't a typical, let's go here, let's do that. Kendra had a plan to reach her best friend in California, who she hadn't seen in years, or even heard from in nearly a year, Zoe. It's a secret she keeps from her brother, who used to be in love with Zoe (and Zoe with him) before Zoe's family ripped her away from Grayson and their family, because of his mental illness. It was a nasty tear and ripped at my gut because it felt genuinely real, this feud between their families, who used to be best friends since before the kids were born. And I loved even more how Brown handled the outcome of the road trip, once they arrived in California. It wasn't what you hoped, only sort of what you expected (or not, depending), and it stirred a lot of feelings.

On the road, we meet a young woman in her late teens who's married to a 50-something-year-old man with a baby. As soon as we met her, I hoped she wouldn't become one we knew for one chapter and then she was gone. And luckily Brown didn't do that. She joins the duo, on a journey for her own escape, searching for her own "there." I really enjoyed her character. She was broken and a teenager at heart, but a soul who had lived through much hardship. Her baby drove me a bit nuts, though. Seriously, I heard it crying in my sleep, which, I mean...is technically a good thing, but another reason I'll never have children.

As for the main storyline, Kendra's escape from her scandal while she tries to cure her brother of OCD, for herself really. Not for him. It's different. Slightly unbelievable for me, like I said, but overall very, very engaging. Their relationship was done perfectly. There were some moments, like toward the end, where I felt Kendra shifted a bit too quickly from love to hate, which I get it, that happens, but the lovely moment was just cut a bit short for me, and after what happened, I would have loved to have seen a bit of a shift in how they talked to each other before the big blow up.

Now, I have OCD. It's not to this extreme, but I do have it and it is incredibly hard to deal with, especially if you have family and friends who are impacted by it. Brown dealt with that so well. I connected to Grayson and loved how realistic Brown made it feel. I felt his frustration and pain without being in his head. It was Kendra, however, that I can't decide if I liked or loved. Because at some moments, I loved her. I connected with her and felt for her, but other times she felt as though she were contradicting herself vs. just changing her mind, so I never truly knew her motive behind bringing Grayson along. For him or for her or for what. I mean, I know *why* she did it, but the narration just had me wondering a lot if that was the truth. Maybe that was the point, though, and I missed it. I'm not sure.

Overall, though, I thought this was fantastic. I read it in one setting. The "one more page" read. I finally got to meet Brown at the RT Convention in Kansas City this past weekend, where I got this book. She was fantastic and so sweet and since she's a local author, I'll be heading to her release party for A Thousand Words, which sounds fantastic too.

As this story went on, I found myself caring less about its believability and caring more about the characters on the page and what would come of them. I like that we didn't get an outcome. It leaves it to the mind, which, really, is such a perfect escape.(less)

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Aug 30, 2012 Bristol Public Library System rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-main-libary

Kendra learned early on that her brother's issues with OCD meant that she had to be the "perfect" kid her parents needed. After years of striving to gain their attention and praise, the pressure has finally cracked her. With just a few weeks of school left til graduation, the cheating ring she orchestrated is coming to light. In a moment of panic and desperation, she finds herself driving out of town with her brother Grayson asleep next to her. Her panic leads them out of their home state of Mi...more

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Jun 25, 2012 Kelly Hager rated it 5 of 5 stars

Kendra's whole life is spent almost atoning for her brother. Grayson has extreme OCD, the kind that makes it incredibly hard for him to function. As a result, he gets sent away for treatment from time to time. He's back home now, though, and while Kendra would normally be happy to see him, she's weighed down by her own issues (kind of a spoiler, so no specifics). And then she has an idea: what if she ran away? What if she and Grayson took a road trip?

Intellectually, she knows that her problems...more

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Aug 08, 2012 Kris rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, ya-books, favorites, books-reviewed

I love books with a strong sibling relationship. Imagine my joy when I found a book centered on a sibling relationship. The story didn't disappoint; in fact, it was better than I imagined. It isn't all-around happy--Kendra has her fair share of frustrations, tears, and worries--however, I was perfectly happy reading this story. I understand the complexities of a sister-brother relationship (though I'm the older one in the relationship), and I can empathize with her feelings, though I haven't had...more I love books with a strong sibling relationship. Imagine my joy when I found a book centered on a sibling relationship. The story didn't disappoint; in fact, it was better than I imagined. It isn't all-around happy--Kendra has her fair share of frustrations, tears, and worries--however, I was perfectly happy reading this story. I understand the complexities of a sister-brother relationship (though I'm the older one in the relationship), and I can empathize with her feelings, though I haven't had to cope with her situation. Kendra has felt overshadowed by her brother and his OCD problems. While she realzies that it's not really his fault that he has these compulsions, she can't help but feel as though her life is run by him. His return added on top of her fear of having her future ruined by a cheating scandal drive her to run away with her brother, who also has had enough with his OCD issues, far from their problems at home.

The emotions run rampant in this novel. Kendra and her brother have their issues, Grayson dealing with people treating him as though her could have an emotional breakdown any moment and Kendra dealing with the pressures of being the perfect, normal daughter. Both think the other have an easier time and have their moments of jealousy. It is also true that Kendra has her selfish reasons for the trip and for trying to cure Grayson of his disorder. Nevertheless, she and her brother have a strong bond; they love each other and do their best to look after each other. I love them. Seriously. They're amazing siblings for all their imperfections; it is a human thing, imperfection. My eyes were tearing as I neared the end of the novel.

The story explores the impact of OCD on a family and how their friends and others view them. Grayson is a genius and a nice guy; however, people express their disappointment on how his OCD prevents him from reaching perfection, and they don't look further than his OCD to appreciate who he is as a person. Not many characters are introduced in this novel. Each one is important in how he or she influences the major characters, especially the ones that stick around for more than a few scenes. There are fun roadstops, bad jokes that made me and my brother laugh (I shared them with him, as he was in the room with me), and there were some stormy moments that tore at my heart when Kendra and Grayson released pentup emotions.

More than a story about two sibling on a road trip, more than a story about cheating and OCD, Perfect Escape is about family, friendship, and acceptance. It is about the imperfections that make us who we are. I wanted the story to continue, so we can find out more about what happens later. At the same time, I appreciate where this story leaves us because it's the moment of realization, and it's the point where Kendra needs to reach. This story left me feeling happy and satisfied. There's nothing more I could have asked of Jennifer Brown from this story. I look forward to seeing more books from her!

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For more of my reviews, visit my blog Imaginary Reads.

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Aug 06, 2012 Lyn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

Seventeen-year-old Kendra lives in the shadow of her older brother, Grayson. Grayson has OCD. His symptoms began at an early age. Kendra was six when she became responsible for dragging him out of Newman Quarry where he frequently hid out to count the rocks.

Because Grayson requires so much attention, Kendra doesn't want to make waves. Her parents don't have time to fix her problems so she never has any. She's the perfect student, the perfect sister and the perfect daughter. Grayson's weird behav...more

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Jul 05, 2012 Montana G. rated it 4 of 5 stars

I recently read Perfect Escape, a book that proved to be an extremely moving, touching story.

Perfect Escape follows Kendra, a girl who’s brother, Grayson, suffers from an extreme case of OCD. Kendra feels like she has to be perfect to make up for her brother’s fault, but ends up running away from it all when she makes a mistake that can ruin her whole reputation. She takes along Grayson with her on a road trip to California, in hopes of curing both him and herself. Along the way, they have to co...more

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Aug 27, 2012 Jodi Papazian rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-reads

Kendra learned early on that her brother's issues with OCD meant that she had to be the "perfect" kid her parents needed. After years of striving to gain their attention and praise, the pressure has finally cracked her. With just a few weeks of school left til graduation, the cheating ring she orchestrated is coming to light. In a moment of panic and desperation, she finds herself driving out of town with her brother Grayson asleep next to her. Her panic leads them out of their home state of Mi...more

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Dec 03, 2012 Alex rated it 3 of 5 stars

2.5 stars.

I never got the "perfect" thing Kendra so clung to. It was shoved in your face the whole entire book, and as much as I think these perfection ideals would make a good topic to explore, it should just work for me in Perfect Escape. Kendra doesn't realize that no one is perfect (and, I mean, how can you not? Really?) nearly fast enough. Nor does she really come to terms with it all that well.

I really wanted to like the themes and messages of Perfect Escape, but the results didn't really...more

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Aug 17, 2012 Chelsey Jensen rated it 3 of 5 stars

I really liked the idea behind Perfect Escape however there are several flaws in it that I can't really seem to get my mind past. First of all as someone who suffers form mild OCD I hate how Grayson seems to be so capable of getting over his obsessions so easily. I know for a fact that if I were in Graysons position I would not be handling it so easily. I understnad the need for him to have some co-operation in order for the book to progress, I just feel that it all went a little to smoothly and...more

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Jul 01, 2012 P.M. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Kendra must be perfect because her older brother Grayson is far from perfect. He suffers from OCD and has been hospitalized several times while his parents search for a cure. Now Kendra's perfect reputation is in jeopardy because not only did she cheat on a calculus test but she also sold the test to other classmates. To cope with it all, Kendra decides to fix Grayson by taking him to see their best friend who moved away three years prior. Along the way, they pick up a hitchhiker with a baby and...more

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May 20, 2012 Suzanne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Perfection really is a sort of link between sister Kendra and older brother Grayson. She has veered towards overachievement in large part to compensate for his extreme OCD. While he stops trips to Grandma's at Christmas with total screaming breakdowns in the car because he can't handle their driving on overpasses, she moves closer and closer to the top of her class, even when they both lose their perfect neighbor Zoe. Kendra's best friend and Grayson's first love. Her parents can't stand weirdo...more Perfection really is a sort of link between sister Kendra and older brother Grayson. She has veered towards overachievement in large part to compensate for his extreme OCD. While he stops trips to Grandma's at Christmas with total screaming breakdowns in the car because he can't handle their driving on overpasses, she moves closer and closer to the top of her class, even when they both lose their perfect neighbor Zoe. Kendra's best friend and Grayson's first love. Her parents can't stand weirdo Grayson's attentions on their little girl, treating his condition as contagious and destructive.

In the three years since Zoe left Missouri for California, Grayson has tried to cope by dropping out of school and completing treatment programs. Kendra has found substitute friends, dated a bit, and attempted to be the perfect daughter for her parents who just barely hang on in dealing with such a needy son. Then disaster hits the perfect child: she has been caught cheating in Calculus, a class that she just couldn't do perfectly, not even close. Kendra only slowly reveals the depth of her offense, but she rapidly flees the school for the town quarry when she sees the principal and teacher searching her locker. The quarry has been a locus for Grayson, who would walk the three miles, cimb the fence and count and sort rocks in the thousands, only coaxed away by Kendra or her parents with great finesse and difficulty.

How surprising that Kendra should find Grayson, only just home from treatment, there when she runs. There are times when we just drive, even when we know that we only delay facing our problems. It's knee jerk reaction for Kendra to pull Grayson into her escape and just go in Hunka, her crummy old car. It's only later that she devises a destination: Zoe. That's when things went from bad for Grayson to so much worse. Maybe a real best friend can help Kendra figure out what to do to get her ass out of the fire. However, Kendra doesn't think about how hard it is to travel with a brother who can't eat or sleep most places that seem fine to the rest of us--or with a brother off his meds. She just keeps driving, making it up as she goes along.

The first of the cheap motels Kendra chooses for a crash offers her a road friend, Rena: only sixteen, she, too, is a runaway, but one that landed with an ornery old dude who knocked her up. When she and Grayson get back on the road, they are surprised to see Rena, baby car seat in hand, walking away from that life. And so two becomes four, and escape has moments of road trip, and a whole lot of angst and problems for Kendra to try to solve.

I never quite lost the nervousness some narratives full of difficulties instill in me when my vicarious experience keeps me unsettled and worried for the characters. That's a little uncomfortable for the reader but perhaps a victory for the author. Seems a realistic and eye-opening portayal of OCD, which is too often played as a sort of joke, but appears to be quite legitimately debilitating. Realistic sibling relationship was a strength as well. Not the most fun road trip, but I'm not sorry I took it.

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May 17, 2013 Molly Grimmius rated it 2 of 5 stars

I'm not sure if I'm just a little sick of young adult lit at the moment and need an adult break, but I just didn't love this book.

The plot moved SO slowly at times...which is why I skimmed. I did really appreciate the flashbacks because some of them didn't really advance the plot they just furthered explained what we already knew.

Also did not like the main character and her reason for fleeing was little week. Yes, cheating is bad, but really that is why you are running away. I also didn't appr...more

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Johnson County Li...: Would you want to meet the author of a book before you read it, see who he or she is and hear some of the background to the book, or does that take away your ability to interpret the book for yourself and create your own meaning?	10	19	Jul 05, 2012 06:59pm
Johnson County Li...: Local Authors -Do you think you’re more or less likely to enjoy a book if the author is from your neighborhood, a regular person just like you?	4	14	Jul 02, 2012 08:47am
Johnson County Li...: Local Authors	1	8	Jun 18, 2012 03:04pm

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