Reading Metrics
Description
Fourteen-year-old Rene is governed by a set of obsessive-compulsive rituals checking his hands, avoiding numbers that add up to thirteen, wearing a Batman cape when nerves spike because he's convinced any slip will unleash a disaster straight out of a horror movie. When his beloved teacher's safety is threatened and his father's disappearance resurfaces, he's caught between the superstitions that keep him grounded and the real-world problems that demand he act like everyone else. A new friend named Gio tries to teach him the art of seeming cool, but staying calm proves harder than any ritual. The story mixes humor, tension, and an honest look at a teen navigating OCD, friendship, and loss.
Quick Summary
If you know a middle grader who loves blending humor with just enough spooky atmosphere to keep things interesting, this one's for them. Rene narrates his freshman year like he's the star of a horror film complete with dramatic music in his head and his OCD becomes this wild, sometimes hilarious lens for seeing the world, though it also brings some real emotional weight when things hit close to home. The missing father storyline gives the book its heart, while the mystery of what's actually happening at school (and whether Rene can save his teacher) keeps pages turning faster than you'd expect for a nearly 60,000-word story. Parents should know it doesn't hold back on language or scary moments, so it's better suited for older middle graders comfortable with that kind of intensity, but it's genuinely funny in ways that balance out the darker stuff. Think of it as a mix between the awkwardness of Diary of a Wimpy Kid and the suspenseful school mystery vibe of something like Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library except with more heart and a narrator who's impossible not to root for.