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A Scary Scene in a Scary Movie

3.53 of 5 stars 3.53 · rating details · 94 ratings · 36 reviews

Rene, an obsessive-compulsive fourteen year old, smells his hands and wears a Batman cape when he’s nervous.If he picks up a face-down coin, moves a muscle when the time addsup to thirteen (7:42 is bad luck because 7 + 4 + 2 = 13), or washes his body parts in the wrong order, Rene or someone close to him willbreak a bone, contract a deadly virus, and/or die a slow and pain...more

Hardcover, 256 pages

Published July 5th 2011 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

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The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

YA involving mental health issues (2000-present)

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Apr 13, 2011 Phoebe added it

Shelves: arc-from-author, young-adult-contemporary-mental-i

At the outset, I was quite excited to read Matt Blackstone's upcoming debut A Scary Scene in a Scary Movie. The opening reminded me of a male version of Kirsten Hubbard's Like Mandarin. In early chapters, fourteen-year-old Rene meets Gio, a tall, slang-inventing, facial-hair sporting classmate and is instantly entranced by him. He assures us that he's not gay, but that he merely wants to be Gio—but of course, this isn't an easy prospect for Rene, an awkward kid who wears a superhero cape to scho...more

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Nov 05, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

Rene is living "a scary scene in a scary movie." He is afraid to step on a crack, he smells his left hand when he gets nervous, he must wash his body parts in the right order, he can't move when the time adds up to thirteen, and there's more. According to Rene, if any of these rules are not followed, life will be like "a scary scene in a scary movie" - horrible things will happen.

Life has always been a challenge for Rene. When he wa...more Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

Rene is living "a scary scene in a scary movie." He is afraid to step on a crack, he smells his left hand when he gets nervous, he must wash his body parts in the right order, he can't move when the time adds up to thirteen, and there's more. According to Rene, if any of these rules are not followed, life will be like "a scary scene in a scary movie" - horrible things will happen.

Life has always been a challenge for Rene. When he was younger, his odd behavior may have been considered cute, but now that he is fourteen and still inclined to wear his superman cape, he is viewed as weird. He has no friends, and fitting in now in high school is his latest challenge. He recognizes the cliques that surround him - the Cutters, the Smartypants kids, the Devilblackcoats, and the Bigbulletholes with their over-sized piercings - and he knows there is no group that will accept him.

When Rene realizes Gio is making overtures of friendship, he is thrilled but also fearful that something will happen to ruin everything. Between his favorite teacher, Mr. Head, and this budding friendship with Gio, Rene thinks maybe life has turned around for him. Unfortunately, Phil, his ex-dad, shows up out of nowhere and things get complicated again.

Now that Phil is back, Rene fears that his mother is planning to reunite them as a family. Phil has been gone for years, and his emotionally abusive treatment is something Rene has not missed. Is it possible that having a new friend has given him the strength he needs to stand up to Phil? Has his odd relationship with Mr. Head given him the courage to stand his ground? Time will tell.

Debut author Matt Blackstone reveals a true talent for creating quirky characters and using humor to tell the story of Rene's battle against OCD and the turmoil of his dysfunctional family. Teen readers will easily relate to Rene's struggles and to the rest of this colorful cast of characters. Blackstone is an author worth watching. (less)

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Sep 24, 2011 Susan rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: juvenile

It looks like I'm doomed to go against the tide on this one, but I really, really did not like this book. For starters, this concept has been done before: lonely kid (Rene) with social awkwardness issues (some of which no doubt stemming from a variety of obsessive compulsive disorder) latches on to that variety of popular kid who is equally friendly to everyone, and their friendship helps bring him out of his shell. The side-story is that of Rene's difficult family situation; his mother works al...more It looks like I'm doomed to go against the tide on this one, but I really, really did not like this book. For starters, this concept has been done before: lonely kid (Rene) with social awkwardness issues (some of which no doubt stemming from a variety of obsessive compulsive disorder) latches on to that variety of popular kid who is equally friendly to everyone, and their friendship helps bring him out of his shell. The side-story is that of Rene's difficult family situation; his mother works all the time and is never around, and his father has been only very nominally in the picture since his parents' separation some time ago. All that being said, familiar concepts can be reworked successfully. Unfortunately here, I'm not sure that this happens. Here's where the story hits some bumps: the kid voices in the book don't ring true to me, and since the heart of the story lies with Rene and his friend, this poses a problem. It's stated that Rene's maturity level isn't exactly where his classmates' is, but it's a lot lower than is (perhaps) credible. The book is written in first person from his perspective, and the character sounds like he's about 7 years-old. Rene is supposed to be 14, and while he does practice some OCD behaviors, there don't seem to be any other circumstances in play to explain any other kind of developmental or cognitive challenges. His friend Giovanni isn't really any better, as he seems to be in habit of rattling off oddly canned and teachery-sounding gems of wisdom, occasionally peppered with a seventies-esque slang, as if to help give them a youthfulness they don't really have. Probably intended to portray Gio's quirkiness, it never really feels quite natural. Sample piece of dialogue (Giovanni to a teacher): "'Hey, bottom line, nobody's perfect,' Giovanni said, pointing at a large jagged chip on his front tooth. 'But when you have a gift like you do, you gotta believe in yourself. And if someone gets in your way, you say, 'Get off my biscuit' and get on with your life." Unfortunately, it's not only the dialogue that stretches credulity. The new besties ultimately go off on an ill-conceived jaunt that pretty much jars with everything we know about Rene's structure-and-consistency-seeking tendencies.

So...that's for starters. The plot line with Rene's dad doesn't fare much better. There seems to be a lot of groundwork laid for some very disturbing (and possibly traumatic) revelation that might explain a lot more but really when it comes down to it---(spoiler alert?) his dad's just a jerk.

If there was anything to like, it was in the portrayal of the harried teacher Rene feels a connection with. Out of everyone, you feel for him the most, but it wasn't enough to pull this one out for me. (less)

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Nov 14, 2011 Barbara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: bullies, ncbla, writing

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

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Jul 08, 2011 Crystal rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, for-review, teen-book-scene, read-july-2011

Rene is different, he is OCD and he knows he is. He has a fascination with Batman and superheroes and stays away from all things dealing with the number 13. He knows that other kids find him strange, but he is strangely comfortable in his own skin. Except there are always those few kids that make life miserable for kids like Rene. That kid is Johnny van Slyke. But one day after meeting Gio and becoming friends with him (or as close to friends as anyone has been with Rene) Rene stands up to Johnn...more

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May 11, 2012 Sudi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Rene is different from the other kids. His OCD sets him apart, as does his shyness. He lives with his mother, but his father is a constant phantom presence in his life. When Rene finally reaches out to one of his teachers who is having a rough first year, he also makes a new friend, Gio, a likable poet who loves to steal umbrellas. The two are superheroes against the world until Rene's father comes back into his life. Gio meets Phil and sees that Rene was not exaggerating and the two decide to...more

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Aug 24, 2011 Caris rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, young-adult

At this point, I can’t really say whether this book annoyed me or angered me.

The story follows Rene, a fourteen-year-old boy who suffers from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. He’s got a deadbeat, drug addicted father and a mother who isn’t as attentive as she should be. His best friend, he claims, is his English teacher, a man who hates his job and is unable to handle working with a teen population. Rene embarks on some shenanigans, most of which is fueled by his relationship with a new friend na...more At this point, I can’t really say whether this book annoyed me or angered me.

The story follows Rene, a fourteen-year-old boy who suffers from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. He’s got a deadbeat, drug addicted father and a mother who isn’t as attentive as she should be. His best friend, he claims, is his English teacher, a man who hates his job and is unable to handle working with a teen population. Rene embarks on some shenanigans, most of which is fueled by his relationship with a new friend named Gio, a smooth talking, facial hair sporting kid who represents to Rene everything he is not.

The plot is entertaining enough, I guess. Rene’s voice and perspective are engaging and interesting enough, but that’s about it. In truth, that may be enough to carry the book for most readers; I think the author really succeeds in capturing the essence of this character. But he trips over everything else with his wobbly, too-long legs.

You’ll be hard pressed to find a single character that doesn’t read like a caricature. Gio’s coolness was entirely dependent upon his race. You get the feeling that Rene lives in cracker country, and nothing stands out in that cultureless void like a giant afro, you know? Don’t get me wrong- Gio is cool, but only when he’s spouting off his made-up catch phrases (such as “b’noodles” and “step off my biscuit”) or being as smooth as Shaft. It gets tiring pretty quickly. Perhaps that’s why Blackstone weaves in the broken home (complete with absent father) in the poor part of town? And maybe that’s why he makes the kid a chronic thief?

Going beyond the borderline racist portrayal of Gio, there are several other characters to giggle at. Rene’s dad, for example, is a royal douchebag who only exists to make Rene’s life difficult (he has no depth whatsoever). And the school bully who, well, is almost the exact same character, only with a different dynamic? Yeah. At some point, I started to feel insulted whenever a new character was introduced. Hot girl? Oh, well. She’s just that. An angel. Poor Mr. Head? Tortured English teacher and…wait…that’s it.

So when I realized that Blackstone didn’t give a flying fuck about his characters, I decided to stop, too. What’s the point, after all, of getting involved with a fictional creation that is inherently meaningless? One could argue, I suppose, that they worked at furthering the plot (which they certainly did), but so did the Greyhound bus. Bah, pointless digression. Anyway. So. If the author only paid attention to Rene, it would make sense for me to do the same. Right?

Rene. What the fuck is up with Rene? He’s got OCD. It defines every aspect of his being. He has his little rituals that alienate him from everyone else. Okay, got it. He has family troubles. Not terribly unrealistic for a child with special needs. But does he have to suffer from developmental delays, too? I mean, did the kid just get worked over with the genetic shit stick? He doesn’t understand jokes. Most of the things people talk about are beyond him. Essentially, he’s a much younger child trapped in the body of a teenager. It’s almost as if he’s got autism on top of the OCD. Which is possible, sure. Shit stick, right?

But fuck. If Blackstone is going to go to so much effort to constantly remind me that the kid’s suffering from OCD, the least he could do is tell me, point blank, whether the poor bastard’s got something else wrong with him. Because slapping this cornucopia of symptoms onto this kid just makes him seem like a profoundly stupid character. And who wants to read about one of those?

Blackstone likely set out to say something about disabilities, the teenage experience, and society in general. I just wish he’d spent more time thinking about it. Adding depth to the peripheral characters and stepping away from stereotypes would have made this a much better book. As it is written, though, I would only be able to recommend it to the most casual of readers- the type of person who would give the story no more thought than its creator did.
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Jul 15, 2011 Sarah (YA Love) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011, book-club-alumni, young-adult-lit, 2011-debut-author-challenge, contemporary-ya, realistic-fiction

I want to start off saying that Matt Blackstone did send me a copy of his book, but that hasn’t altered my thoughts on the book. Gae Polisner, the author of The Pull of Gravity, was telling me about Matt’s book in a Facebook thread. One of my former students, Joe, saw the thread and looked up Matt’s book. He added on to the thread that he really wants to read this book, so I suggested that we read it as our next alumni book club pick. From there, Gae sent Matt a message saying he should add me a...more I want to start off saying that Matt Blackstone did send me a copy of his book, but that hasn’t altered my thoughts on the book. Gae Polisner, the author of The Pull of Gravity, was telling me about Matt’s book in a Facebook thread. One of my former students, Joe, saw the thread and looked up Matt’s book. He added on to the thread that he really wants to read this book, so I suggested that we read it as our next alumni book club pick. From there, Gae sent Matt a message saying he should add me as a friend because of what Joe and I were saying (and because Matt and I are both English teachers!). You can figure out the rest :)

To the review–I really did like A Scary Scene in a Scary Movie. It has wonderful boy appeal, tons of humor and wit, and it’s touching at times also.

The character development is strong, which I’m always a fan of. Rene is fourteen years old, but he really hasn’t reached the maturity of a fourteen year old. Although as I type that, I’m thinking to myself, how mature are fourteen year old boys?? To be fair, I have had some fairly mature boys in my English 9 classes. As I was getting to know Rene’s character, I pictured him being at the level of a 7th or 8th grade boy. He wants to mature and like the other guys, Gio in particular, but he still has his digital Batman watch, wears a cape, and imagines himself fighting crime as he’s walking home. All of these nuances make Rene very likable as a character. Within the first few pages I was giggling enough that my husband glanced over at me with a “What are you reading?” look. I, of course, told him all about it :) Rene is hyper aware of the people around him. He has names for the different types of kids in school like the Cutters (they cut class) and the Smartypants. His example of what the Smartypants are like reminded me of a girl I knew in middle school who, during a Girl Scout retreat, corrected my pronunciation of the word “jaguar.” This would be a funny story, but only if you could actually hear the story and how it sounded when she said it. She would be a member of the Smartypants clique.

I haven’t read too many books with characters that suffer from OCD. For this reason, I was looking forward to reading A Scary Scene in a Scary Movie to see how it affected Rene. Most times I giggled when he’d get going about something. He gets so distracted by his compulsions, that Rene often misses what others are saying or he just completely misunderstands them. This happened often with his teacher and with his friend Gio. These conversations are when I was laughing the most because it would really take some patience and understanding to interact with Rene. Honestly, though, I thought sometimes that his actions as a result of the OCD resembled how my students with autism act. The examples I’m thinking of are how paranoid Rene would get that the kids at school were talking about him and when he’d get completely sucked into his imagination. This is a great book for teens to read because they’ll have a better understanding of what people suffering from OCD are going through. They’ll know what everyday life can be like for them. I can’t imagine living my life like Rene; it’s exhausting to think about what he goes through.

Reading this book will not only provide you with plenty of laughs, but it will also give you the opportunity to connect with a deeply layered character. The supporting characters are wonderful as well, and I’m sure you’ll be rooting for them. As a final comment, I’m not going to give the ending away, of course, but I really did like it; it’s full of hope.(less)

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Jun 30, 2011 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book for review from Teen Book Scene Tours. This in no way influenced my review of this book.

This novel is a definite recommend for anyone who reads YA! The world could definitely use some more empathetic writers when it comes to quirky characters with mental health issues and Matt Blackstone is one to add to my very small list.

Rene is socially challenged if we're being PC, but he has some OCD tendencies as well. He can't step on a crack or it will bring bad luck. He ha...more I received an ARC of this book for review from Teen Book Scene Tours. This in no way influenced my review of this book.

This novel is a definite recommend for anyone who reads YA! The world could definitely use some more empathetic writers when it comes to quirky characters with mental health issues and Matt Blackstone is one to add to my very small list.

Rene is socially challenged if we're being PC, but he has some OCD tendencies as well. He can't step on a crack or it will bring bad luck. He has to smell his left hand, you'll love the reason for picking that hand! And he has to touch his locker with his pinky a certain number of times. But he is adorably frank and it makes him seem immature as he doesn't get the social clues and cues of others. But he does weigh the outcomes of his actions-he calls it playing ping pong. And honestly, I don't think that's so weird at all, or maybe I just have that in common with him because I do that all the time, too.

Gio, on the other hand, is the epitome of cool. He fits in anywhere, whether it's with the teachers or the students, he's just it. He coins phrases like "Get off my biscuit" and "B'noodles" and he's the coolest. And to Rene, he is a beacon. If he can be friends with Gio his whole life will change. He'll get over his fears, he'll stop worrying about Phil, everything will get better. Gio's philosophy about life allows him to not take Rene too seriously or for granted. He finds Rene funny and seems to understand him. The two become friends and complement each other's strengths and weaknesses.

I have to say this book had some of the best laugh out loud moments I've ever read in a book. This was the kind of book that had me crying I was laughing so hard. And then, of course, I had to share what I was laughing about and it was just as funny sharing it with someone.

There is a serious side to the novel wrapped in an adventure and Rene's character see's some changes, some growth or healing. I'm not sure what you'd say. I loved the ending, though the serious part felt a bit like a different book than the beginning. The entire book is told from Rene's point of view which is great because you can see the way his brain works and hear his ping pong game in his head and actually hear him grow as he faces some challenges. It's a great book and I would not classify it as a boy book at all. I think it's equally enjoyable by both boys and girls. Matt Blackstone is wonderful at sharing a look inside the head of a boy with OCD and yet still a teenage boy!
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Jun 19, 2011 Amber rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-tour, arcs, books-i-own

A Scary Scene in a Scary Movie takes a cold hard look at the parts of people that most novels don't show you. There is always a Renee in your class-- the boy that's a little off, super obsessed with comics/videogames and doesn't really know how to respond in social situations. In Blackstone's debut novel for teens, he takes a close look at what it really means to be unique.

Renee has one of those voice that is unforgettable because of it's unique humor and because he sees the world in a completel...more A Scary Scene in a Scary Movie takes a cold hard look at the parts of people that most novels don't show you. There is always a Renee in your class-- the boy that's a little off, super obsessed with comics/videogames and doesn't really know how to respond in social situations. In Blackstone's debut novel for teens, he takes a close look at what it really means to be unique.

Renee has one of those voice that is unforgettable because of it's unique humor and because he sees the world in a completely different way. There were so many times when I would snort out loud, share lines with my co-workers or marvel at little things I hadn't noticed in years because it meant something to him. Coming from a less than stellar background, he has to work hard to feel normal when his own father never let him forget that he wasn't. His OCD shows up in most aspects of his life-- he sniffs his hands, washes them refusely, has to eat a certain kind of cereal, and won't step on cracks (lest he break his mother's back). As a reader, it felt so good to see how Renee was able to grow and exerpience things he wouldn't normally allow himself to. It was also so rewarding when things went right for him and when he stood up for himself.

The background characters were just a unique as the leading. It takes an odd cast to make Renee come out of his shell but it really feels rewarding when they all can learn from each other. The writing was really interesting in this novel because it wasn't the normal guy voice. Renee was vastly different. Entire paragraphs would be pasted in certain parts of the novel because of Renee's OCD and served their purpose well.

While reading, I kept wondering where this novel could possibly go. I was rooting for Renee from page one and had no idea how he was going to get out of his rut. I wish it would have moved along a little bit quicker. I didn't know where it was going and by the middle of the novel, the plot felt like it was floundering a bit.

Because of it's vastly unique nature, I'm not sure this is a book for everyone. At it's heart, this is an issue book and sometimes they are a bit hard to get through. I wish the plot would have come out a little quicker but the unqiue cast of characters and extreme chararacter progress helped curve that. Blackstone was able to create a novel with an equal amount of honesty and humor. If you can stomach the incredibly odd and oh-so-gross boyish humor, A Scary Scene in a Scary Movie is definitely worth a readthrough!(less)

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Sep 04, 2011 Rapunzel rated it 1 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. My knowledge of OCD comes from some books, both fiction and non-fiction, and True Life. My knowledge on what goes on in a fourteen-year-old boy's head is somewhere between nothing and nil. The most I can brag about the second one comes from young adult books. Saying that I have to say that Rene has the maturity of a very slow five year old.

The character is supposed to have obsessive compulsive disorder but I would not be surprised if he had ADHD or ADD to varying degrees.

Beside the fact that I d...more

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Sep 28, 2011 Katelyn (Tales of Books and Bands) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, read-in-2011, 4-stars

I love a unique book, which is no mystery. A Scary Scene in a Scary Movie is about as unique as it can get so it may or may not come as a shock to you that I thoroughly enjoyed it. While a lot of what happened in this book caused me to laugh, a lot of it broke my heart because I know there are real people, kids AND adults, who deal with OCD on a daily basis.

The main character Rene’s whole life is consumed by his OCD tendencies. Every choice he makes, every move, every thought is controlled by th...more I love a unique book, which is no mystery. A Scary Scene in a Scary Movie is about as unique as it can get so it may or may not come as a shock to you that I thoroughly enjoyed it. While a lot of what happened in this book caused me to laugh, a lot of it broke my heart because I know there are real people, kids AND adults, who deal with OCD on a daily basis.

The main character Rene’s whole life is consumed by his OCD tendencies. Every choice he makes, every move, every thought is controlled by this mental illness. A lot of people say they have OCD, heck I even say I have OCD, but the reality is that very few people have it to this degree. The book became a bit tedious to read at times because it’s Rene’s train of thought throughout the whole thing but I must say the book gains major effective points that way. Being able to understand what he is thinking and feeling at all times really allowed me as a reader to see inside the brain of someone dealing with OCD. Getting to know Rene while at times could be difficult, in the end it pulled off. He was a character I could really feel for and I got excited to see small improvements in his daily life. Gaining a friend, speaking what was really on his mind, spending the night in the school, even a trip to New York may seem normal to all of us but for him it was a HUGE step and I am so glad I got to witness it.

Rene tries hard to break away from always feeling scared and out of control and one person who really helps him out is his new friend named Gio. Gio was a character you could easily love. His humor and easy-going personality was a breath of fresh air in this book. Rene, not having many friends before, is awkward and strange when it comes to his relationship with Gio and I totally loved it. I would be so sad after reading an embarrassing moment that Rene went through because of his OCD and then something humorous would happen with Gio and I’d start to feel a bit better. Gio teaches Rene a lot about the person he wants to become, how to steal umbrellas and most importantly how to be a good friend.

Even though the characters where great in this story, I must say Matt Blackstone’s wonderful and true-to-life description of OCD really stole the show. I wasn’t expecting to learn so much while reading this book but I certainly did. As I stated earlier, I have more than on one occasion mentioned that I have OCD (I even bring it up in my About Me page!) but after reading this, I realize my case is nowhere near as serious as Rene’s. I just wanted to cry when I read about all the torturous, agonizing thoughts that go through his head. His mind never shuts off. EVER. It is constantly running, worrying about something small and senseless. He is always stressed about what others are thinking, what time it is, how his hand smells, and it sometimes gets so bad he will even start puking. I just can’t imagine it being that bad. Every small decision from what I have for breakfast, to what time I take a step being controlled. This book was so eye-opening to a real-life issue that has seldom been touched on in YA books. I put this real, honest account of a young boy’s struggle with OCD right up there with It’s Kind of a Funny Story and Dirty Little Secrets!(less)

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Oct 15, 2011 Ashley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: review-copy, own, blog

Originally reviewed on my blog, Books from Bleh to Basically Amazing.

I have my Bachelors Degree in Psychology, so anytime I come across a book that deals with Psychological disorders or is billed/marketed as 'psychological' my inner Psych nerd perks up and says 'Want'. So, when I heard about A Scary Scene in a Scary Movie by Matt Blackstone I was excited to read it and see what it had to offer.

A Scary Scene takes on the Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) something that has become very, very pr...more Originally reviewed on my blog, Books from Bleh to Basically Amazing.

I have my Bachelors Degree in Psychology, so anytime I come across a book that deals with Psychological disorders or is billed/marketed as 'psychological' my inner Psych nerd perks up and says 'Want'. So, when I heard about A Scary Scene in a Scary Movie by Matt Blackstone I was excited to read it and see what it had to offer.

A Scary Scene takes on the Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) something that has become very, very prevalent in YA lit. (I'm working really hard to hold my tongue here... Come back in September and I'll have more to say on that.) Rene, our main character, is 14 and faces his OCD everyday.

Now, even though my degree is in Psychology, I do not claim to be an expert or capable of diagnosis. Rene has a bunch of different compulsions. He smells his hand when he's nervous, washes them regularly, can't function or move if the numbers of time add up to 13, because it's unlucky and more. And, whenever he gets to feeling really anxious or stressed or intensely emotional, he equates the feeling with 'a scary scene in a scary movie'. The book is about Rene, his struggles with OCD and how he tries to cope.

One thing I really liked about the way Blackstone tackled OCD here is that he doesn't sugar coat it. Far too many YA books out there right now use OCD as a way to add instant depth to an otherwise perfect character. It's a way to give them a disorder but still make them a viable and attractive love interest without actually giving them a completely debilitating illness. But that is an unfair portrayal of OCD. While OCD isn't as serious an illness as something like Paranoid Schizophrenia but it is still a serious problem for those who suffer from it. We joke in our culture that someone who uses a lot of Germ-X or is highly organized is OCD and we laugh about it. But OCD is something that is so much more than that, so much worse and I think a lot of authors do those suffering from OCD a disservice by making it a character trait instead of an illness.

OCD is classified as an anxiety disorder. A Scary Scene is one of the few books I've read that actual handles OCD as such. In other books it's an annoyance or an inconvenience, but in Rene's world it is something that consumes this thoughts, his attention, his focus and it interferes with how he lives his life. It's an illness and I can't tell you how happy I was to come across a book that treated it as such.

Although I thought Blackstone did a fairly good job addressing the more serious side of OCD, I did feel that there was something missing in this book. I wasn't quite sure that I believed in a lot of the characters and their interactions with each other. Rene has never really had a friend, his OCD gets in the way of that, but then Gio moves into his school. And Rene is fascinated by Gio and decides he's going to try and get to know him. Surprisingly, it works. They are somehow able to

Then the story kind of falls apart for me a little bit. I feel like Blackstone wasn't sure that a story about a kid dealing with the harsh realities of OCD wasn't going to have enough conflict, enough drama and so he brought in a whole story line involving his father, and New York City. This is when I kind of stopped believing in the actions of the characters, and when the story started to lose some of it's credibility for me. Perhaps there was more to the story that I missed, but I honestly believe that a story about a kid learning to deal with an anxiety disorder as severe as Rene's doesn't need to borrow trouble.

Overall, this is a book that I believe was worth reading. I'm glad I read it and glad that I was able to find a book that, for the most part, gave a more realistic view of how bad OCD can really be for someone living through it. I'm not sure how realistic I think the book is overall, but I can tell you that someone, especially a young kid suffering through OCD is going to act more like Rene does than some of the glib, 'casually disordered' characters we see in other recent books.(less)

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Jul 06, 2011 Patricia (Patricia's Particularity) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, own-arc, own, own-ya

Rene has a very unique story to tell. Rene is very unique himself. Rene knows he is not popular, and 'normal', but he doesn't care. He doesn't even care what others think when he wears his Batman cape out in public. Rene truly believes in super powers and once he meets Gio, a new student, he gains more power by just being his friend. Rene is cleverly written; he is both a child while adult - a child in believing in super powers and wearing a cape but adult in that he is obviousness to others' op...more

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Jun 24, 2011 Britta rated it 3 of 5 stars

I am going to borrow a word from the novel to describe this book - it was b'noodles. In other words, uniquely cool.

Rene is a boy struggling with obsessive-compulsive disorder in a broken household - his father (or ex-father), Phil, left years ago and his mother is left working all hours to support the family. Being in high school is difficult, but having OCD in high school is even more so. Each day there are little rituals Rene must perform - or else. He doesn't want to be the cause of broken b...more

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Jun 21, 2011 J. rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was happy to see another book about an OCD protagonist. This one has an interesting take on the disorder. Even though Rene's quirks and hangups keep him from having friends, I get the feeling that he is a somewhat normal kid with a normal life. He likes things the way he likes them, even if he has to be solitary most of the time. When he makes friends with Gio, things change for him. Gio is, himself, a majorly quirky guy, and the two of them get into some shenanigans together that end in a bit...more

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Aug 13, 2011 Lisa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ocd, abandonment, bullying, disability, families, friendship, high-school, humor, meanness, mental-illness, poetry, writing

Blackstone takes the reader inside the head (and body) of 14-year-old obsessive-compulsive Rene. As though having OCD isn't enough of a challenge, Rene also has one of the worst fathers in history. Rene's sweet personality and his friendship with groovy Gio are what prevent his life from being a never-ending series of scary scenes from scary movies. If you want to know what OCD feels like this is the book for you.

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Aug 21, 2011 Caroline Bartels rated it 2 of 5 stars

The author, Matt Blackstone, sent me a copy of this book since he is interested in coming to my school and I wanted to love it but I just couldn't get into Rene's story. He was so OCD, and not at all in an endearing way, just in a "hey kid, you are really weird and annoying" kind of way. The language didn't seem at all real, not for an OCD teen, or any teen.

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Jul 11, 2011 Lorie rated it 5 of 5 stars

I just finished reading "A Scary Scene in a Scary Movie. I couldn't put it down. I won't write a spoiler but there were some lines that were priceless! Well written with lots of chuckles and drama. As a former high school teacher I could really relate to the scenes in the school. Bravo! Well Done!

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Aug 22, 2011 Rachel rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-debut-authors

The author did a fantastic job putting you inside Rene's head, and I loved his unique description of high school cliques. I'm having a hard time picturing what teen I'd hand this to, though, primarily because Rene's maturity level is so far below that of a "typical" 14-year-old.

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Jun 06, 2012 Lexie rated it 3 of 5 stars

What an interesting book! I really enjoyed it. As someone who is interested in mental illnesses, and personally being familiar with this particular one portrayed in the novel (OCD) I think the author did a very good job with it. He didn't play it down, or sugar coat it. He made it apart of the characters daily struggles, and did a nice job of having it add to the overall story.

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Jul 13, 2011 Amy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Blackstone skillfully captures teenage emotions and high school experiences with humor and sensitivity. The book is well written with unique imagery and character development. I was hooked the moment I started this book!

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Feb 13, 2013 Mizraim Tolentino rated it 3 of 5 stars

The book 'a scary scene in a scary movie ' starts up bad but gets beter at the time. It has a good way of scaring at night. This book has the best discription on the scenery and the things that hapen in the book.

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Aug 29, 2012 Alicia rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

Very slow start. For some reason I just didn't have any sympathy for the main character and didn't care for his new friend. It wasn't until 3/4's into the book that it started to pick up, but by then it was almost too late.

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Jun 07, 2012 Ms. Palubicki rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: realistic

Really loved this book--both hilarious and heartbreaking. I loved both Rene and Gio and how they both are heros and are flawed in their own ways. Not sure I would keep this one in my classroom library as I think it's a little more mature (8th graders and older, this one's for you!).

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Aug 07, 2011 Mike Hays rated it 5 of 5 stars

A SCARY SCENE IN A SCARY MOVIE by Matt Blackstone is a very good read. I am ready to turn right around for 2nd read. Main character, Rene, a teenager with OCD, will make you fidget in your seat. Well done.

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Jul 12, 2011 Jared Blackstone rated it 5 of 5 stars

As a social worker, I thought this was a must-read. Great characterization. Fantastic and unique portrayal of teen with OCD. Extremely entertaining.

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Jun 21, 2011 Dan rated it 5 of 5 stars

I'm a high school teacher and I want to get this book in all my students' hands. I love it... and wish I could have read it when I was a teenager.

Matt Blackstone tells an excellent character-driven story--- Rene is an unforgettable protagonist.

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Jan 16, 2013 Iwan Reaz rated it 5 of 5 stars

Now I understand the deep feeling of kids/teen with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Great story! (Sometimes he drives me crazy as him too)

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Nov 30, 2011 Molly rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was pretty good -- an intersting story about an OCD teenaged boy. He is definitely strange, but he is likable.

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About Matt Blackstone

For as long as I can remember, I liked writing stories. In elementary school, they were about tooth fairies and snap bracelets and wrestling buddies. And about how I loved to steal rocks from the neighbor’s front yard and bash them with a hammer to see the crystals inside, which I thought were real crystals and worth bajillions of dollars, so I couldn’t wait to sell them and buy a baseball stadium...more

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“Legs are my favorite part. I never snap them off with a single bite. I nibble on them slowly as I work my way up. I crunch bony ankles, gnaw on slender calves. Knees are a delicacy; canine teeth are ideal for chipping cartilage. Thighs - oh sweet, sweet thighs - must be savored, eaten like a sacred drumstick. Thick and long and often hairy, a torso is best swallowed whole. The neck is delicious, but fragile: one bite and all I have left is a tiny head resting on my fingertips.

Animal crackers. They are a great snack...” — 3 people liked it

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