Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt

Summary Provided by Goodreads:

According to her guidance counselor, fifteen-year-old Payton Gritas needs a focus object—an item to concentrate her emotions on. It's supposed to be something inanimate, but Payton decides to use the thing she stares at during class: Sean Griswold's head. They've been linked since third grade (Griswold-Gritas—it's an alphabetical order thing), but she's never really known him.

The focus object is intended to help Payton deal with her father's newly diagnosed multiple sclerosis. And it's working. With the help of her boy-crazy best friend Jac, Payton starts stalking—er, focusing on—Sean Griswold . . . all of him! He's cute, he shares her Seinfeld obsession (nobody else gets it!) and he may have a secret or two of his own.

In this sweet story of first love, Lindsey Leavitt seamlessly balances heartfelt family moments, spot-on sarcastic humor, and a budding young romance.

My Thoughts:
As soon as I read the synopsis for this novel, I knew I was going to love it! It seemed like such an adorable and fun read and I could not wait to start it. I finished it within a day and I’m now telling everyone I know that they need to read it!

Payton had me cracking up. I loved her and her KWL charts, her outlines dedicated to Sean’s head, and her color-coded highlighting system for her new planner (which BTW, I too, have a color-coded highlighting system for my planner!). Then there’s Sean Griswold, who I’m not going to lie, I was falling in love with him along with Payton. He’s smart, funny, caring, and really, really sweet. He doesn’t judge people based on how they look or act and his best friend since childhood is a vampire (yeah, I know, huh?). I only wish we could have learned more about Sean’s home life.

Within the first chapter, Payton learns that her father has MS and her entire family has been keeping this secret from her for months. She is only 15, and unable to deal with it. She stops talking to her parents, starts to act out a little, and is basically in denial about the whole situation. Payton was going through a lot and I think Leavitt did a wonderful job capturing Payton’s pain and vulnerability, while at the same time keeping the writing light and funny.

I loved Sean and Payton! I enjoyed watching their friendship grow into a mutual attraction. Their relationship seemed so real, especially compared to many other teenage relationships portrayed in novels these days.

Sean Griswold’s Head is a wonderful, funny, sweet novel and I think everyone should give it a shot. You will not be disappointed!