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Nov 14, 2011

Nafiza rated it:

You know how sometimes when you finish a book, you sit quietly for a while just savouring the end of a tale told so very well? That’s what happened to me when I finished Read Sean Griswold’s Head. To say that I loved it would be sort of an understatement.

Ms. Leavitt takes a subject that does not usually have a space in YA literature, makes it relatable, even personal, and shows the reader that a disease does not define a person, no matter how debilitating it is. What Payton’s father More...

6 comments like (5 people liked it)

Jul 07, 2011

Kailia rated it:

I’ve heard nothing but good things about Lindsey Leavitt’s writing. First it was Princess for Hire and now Sean Griswold’s Head. I’m happy to say that I’ve joined this group of people. Leavitt’s writing is fresh, witty, fun, and just her own and I loved Sean Griswold’s Head.

Multiple sclerosis is no joking matter and I wondered how Leavitt would handle this subject. I’ve noticed that when books have focuses like such diseases, they have these two distinguished ways of going: 1) either More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

May 31, 2011

Bookworm1858 rated it:

Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt
Bloomsbury, 2011
274 pages
YA; Contemporary
5/5 stars

Source: Library

I probably wouldn't have read this if it weren't for the Contemps Challenge and if I hadn't read some other reviews that mentioned that the main character was actually female rather than Sean Griswold.

That main character is Payton Gritas, who upon discovering that her father has MS (multiple sclerosis) and that her family has been keeping that More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 23, 2012

Julie rated it:

There are so many things to love about this book. The story, the humor, the compelling emotion, the believability of it all. But the best thing about this book are the characters. Each and every one of them are fully realized--right down to the misunderstood goth who cries and quotes tennyson--right down to the guidance counselor--right down to the biology teacher who showed up to class hung over from party night.

This book is about Payton, a teen girl who discovers her dad has MS. Pa More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 17, 2012

Cindy rated it:

well, i gobbled this book up in less
than a day. it was my first read by
leavitt and i wasn't certain what to expect.
lindsey is funny in real life, but many
authors are, and that doesn't necessarily
mean they go on to write humor. or write
it so dead on that payton (her heroine) made
me laugh out loud multiple times with her
thoughts and observations.

what's remarkable about this novel is
at it's heart, it's about family. and
the emotional turmo More...

0 comments like

Jan 09, 2012

Annie rated it:

I haven't read anything by Lindsey Leavitt before, so this book was a pleasant surprise.
I particularly enjoyed the narration. Every sentence seemed to come directly from Payton - the book was sprinkled with wonderful analogies, made up words and wry observations.
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book, because as many mistakes as Payton makes, she rights every single one of them and the main message in this book is 'forgiveness'. Life isn't always perfect - your dad can have MS, yo More...

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Jan 03, 2012

Amanda (Born Bookish) rated it:

When I read a rave review of this book on another book blog I thought it sounded really cute! However, I almost wrote it off as a no just because of the cover. I know your not supposed to judge a book by its cover but lets be honest, I still do. I can't help it! Anywho, I'm so glad I decided to get this book despite my dislike for its cover because I really enjoyed it!

Sean Griswold's Head is a quirky, cute, humorous, book about a girl, Payton Gritas, who used to have a different More...

0 comments like

Nov 01, 2011

Tanya rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

0 comments like

Sep 28, 2011

Eves rated it:

It was a cute, feel-good, I-don't-have-any-problems-right-now read! Payton was an adorable, relate-able protagonist, her OC-ness hilarious, and her way of coping just phenomenal. Although yes yes she might've been shallow and illogical (hello, she was fifteen years old), she was also funny and smart.

I LOVE SEAN. I imagine Hunter Parrish when I read about him though. Check it out.

Anyway... for all the flaws we know about Payton and her best friend Jac, we know annoy More...

2 comments like (2 people liked it)

Sep 08, 2011

Rose added it

Okay, her princess books are entertaining. But this one? I LOVED it. I think why I love fantasy novels so much is that they’re so often about something Important. And as I don’t find cliques and popularity and the hot guy Important, I get irritated by those kinds of contemporary books. I also don't identify so well with really heavy topics/issues in contemporary teen lit. But this book reflected a reality that I could identify with—a story about a kid with hard things happening (her dad gets MS More...

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Sep 01, 2011

Sarah-Greenbeanteenqueen rated it:

About the Book: Payton Gritas has just found out that her father has MS. On top of that, she discovers that her parents have been keeping this news from her for months! Payton is furious and her parents make her attend counseling sessions at school. When her guidance counselor suggests that Payton make a focus journal, Payton decides her focus object will be Sean Griswold's head. He sits right in front of her in Biology and she's seen that head in alphabetical order for years.

But as More...

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Aug 19, 2011

Isamlq rated it:

It's been a while since a book's had me pulling an all-nighter. And it came as total surprise to find that Sean Griswold's Head as the book that had me doing so. Honestly, I read it on a lark. Now? I find myself pleasantly surprised and very satisfied (if a little bit groggy.)

That title merely hints at how quirky Payton could be BUT while she is funny, her observations hilarious, I found that she could be self-centered, bratty and annoying too. Now given all those flaws, one might More...

1 comment like (2 people liked it)

Jul 12, 2011

TheBookSmugglers rated it:

Original review posted on The Book Smugglers HERE

It seems that I am at a place right now where whenever I find myself in a reading slump all I have to do to get out of it is to read a Contemporary YA novel. I reached a slump last week and then decided to finally read Sean Griswold’s Head and you know what? It worked beautifully as it was exactly what I was looking (and hoping) for: a good, solid read.

Payton Gritas has just found out, by accident, that her father has been diag More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jul 10, 2011

Cecelia rated it:

Are you ever tempted to sum up an entire book with one word? I rarely am – I usually need at least ten (and probably more) to describe how a book felt, what it was about, and so on. But for Lindsey Leavitt’s latest novel, I needed just one: CUTE. Seriously. Sean Griswold’s Head caught my interest because someone mentioned its very cuteness, too. I need to get better at remembering who inspires me to read a particular book, because I want to high five that person like, rightNOW.

Payton G More...

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Apr 13, 2011

Melissa rated it:

Payton is a 15 year old whose life gets turned upside down when she finds out her Dad was diagnosed with MS months ago and she is the only one in the family who was not informed. She does not know how to compartmentalize the situation and starts to rebel. Her parents send her to the school counselor who suggests she find a focus object to help her put things in perspective. Her choice of a focus object turns out to be "Sean Griswold's Head" who is a boy she has sat behind since the t More...

0 comments like

Apr 12, 2011

Jami rated it:

The last line of the description says it all. Usually those little lines they give at the end of the description tend to over exaggerate. In this case, it's completely the truth.

The story opens up to a scene so authentic I wanted to hug it. Payton and her best friend, Jac, are at the mall on the day after Christmas, taking advantage of the after holiday sales. What a perfect setting to get to know two best friends. Payton has some OCD tendencies. She loves making lists and charts, and More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Apr 04, 2011

K rated it:

Just as Desmond was Faraday’s constant, Sean Griswold’s head is Payton’s.

Payton’s organized and color-coded-just-so life gets disrupted in a big way when she finds out her dad is sick. Not only is he sick, but he’s been sick and everyone knew but her. It was decided that she not be told, that she not know the real reason her mom quit her job or why one of her older brothers moved back home. Now she can’t seem to focus on anything, from schoolwork to matching—clean? dirty?—clothes in More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Mar 26, 2011

Melanie added it

Payton is the kind of girl who has a soft spot for office supplies and a serious need for organization. She strives for order and perfection on the basketball court, at school, and at home. However, when Payton finds out that her father has been diagnosed with MS–and she’s the only family member who hasn’t been told–her perfectly planned world begins to crumble.

The severity of her father’s diagnosis hits Payton hard, but it is being left in the dark that causes her to lash out the most More...

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Mar 21, 2011

Ten Cent Notes added it

Payton Gritas has been sitting behind Sean Griswold (thank you, alphabetical order) for the past seven years and she doesn't know him at all. Aside from being the boy whose big head blocks her view, he's nothing. But when she finds out that her dad's been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) - and that her family's been hiding this info from her for the past six months - that changes. The school counselor thinks Payton needs a focus object to help her cope with the sudden news and her feelings More...

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Mar 17, 2011

Cindy rated it:

Payton Gritas has just had the shock of her 15-year-old life. Not only does her dad have multiple sclerosis, but her parents and her older brothers have known for months, they’ve just opted not to tell her.

Suddenly Payton, who normally follows all the rules and gets top grades, is in full rebellion. The school guidance counselor recommends she focus on something, anything, to take her mind off her family situation for a while until she is less emotional about dealing with it. The fun, More...

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Mar 07, 2011

Big Apple Book Addict rated it:

LOVED this book. In fact, it will definitely make my “Top Teen Titles for 2011.” I started the book on a six hour plane ride to California and I did not get up from my seat until I was finished. It was probably the first time I hoped the flight would last a little longer so that I wouldn’t have to put the book down without being finished. This was an honest, realistic and funny book. Needless to say, I now have a crush on Sean Griswold.

When Payton Gritas discovers that her father More...

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Mar 04, 2011

Kelly rated it:

Payton has been "strongly encouraged" by her parents to see the school guidance counselor. Basically, after learning that her dad has MS, she's stopped talking to them. This may make her seem like a complete brat, but when I say "learning," I mean "accidentally finding out" because they don't tell her.

So anyway, the guidance counselor tells her that she should find a focus object and write about it. She's not sure what to pick but ends up picking Sean More...

3 comments like

Feb 26, 2011

Kate rated it:

Chick-lit dramedy of a quirky teen's struggle with her father's serious illness

Fifteen-year-old freshman Payton Gritas is a straight-A student and basketball player with a great best friend and loving parents, but her world falls apart when she discovers her parents have kept a huge secret from her for months. Her father has multiple sclerosis. Payton is furious that her parents shared her father's diagnosis with her two older brothers but not her. She is also fearful about what MS wil More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Feb 24, 2011

Mocha ღ Latte rated it:

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. More...

0 comments like

Mar 16, 2011

Heather rated it:

Full review and sigend bookmark giveaway at http://fireandicephoto.blogspot.com/2011...

I won an autographed copy of Sean Griswold's Head on twitter...well not his actual head, but the book about his head. And, in correspondence I noticed was how genuinely nice author Lindsey Leavitt is. Her cute and tender story tugged at my heart strings.

Payton is a straight A student, slightly obsessive compulsive and highly organized person until one day she accidentally stumbles upon h More...

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Mar 07, 2011

Lilibeth rated it:

Only two things I disagree with in the entire drama that is Payton's life, just two. One: the most obvious would have to be how long she holds the grudge against her parents for keeping her father's disease quiet for six months. One thing I'm secure of myself about is that when I hold a grudge, 1) the grudge-ee is aware of my feelings, 2) I will most likely not be the first to realize the situation could have been handled better, and 3) forget about apologizing. (You'd best be on your knees by t More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

May 21, 2011

Jackie rated it:

This book was just so fun and adorable. I have been reading so much heavy dystopian fiction that Sean Griswold’s Head was a breath of fresh air. I have not read a lot of younger teen fiction but I have to say, this one was right up my alley.
Payton Gritas has her life organized to a ‘T’. Being organized helps Payton feel confident in life. Everything has its place. Then she discovers that her dad has MS and everyone in her family knew but her. Payton is sent into a tailspin and she i More...

0 comments like

May 01, 2011

K.Butler rated it:

Not such an attention-grabbing title, but turned out to be a good read. The main character, Payton, starts having some family problems and the high school guidance counselor suggests "Focus Exercises" to help her deal with her thoughts and feelings. She chooses Sean Griswold's head as her "focus object"; he is the boy that has always been seated in front of her because of alphabetical seating. All that focusing leads to her getting to know him in a way she had never imagined. More...

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Jun 10, 2011

Kim rated it:

Ninth Grader, Payton Gritas is a super-organized, focused, and label-freak teenager with a normal life, but when she finds out that her dad has multiple sclerosis(a secret that had been kept from her for nearly six months), she immediately feels sick to her stomach and feels like her world is shattering. Her initial response is to cut off communication with her parents. After two weeks, her parents begin to worry and seek the help of her school counselor, Ms. Callahan.

Payton of course More...

0 comments like

May 02, 2011

Minli rated it:

D'aww. This book is cute. Payton Gritas colour-codes her post-it notes alphabetizes her homework. She's a little OCD, maniacally organized and likes everything orderly, so you can imagine why she freaks the hell out when she finds out that her dad was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis a few months ago, and oh, everyone else in the family knew and no one bothered to tell her.

So Payton is taking counselling sessions. And part of those sessions is to write journal entries on a focus obj More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)