When Logan first saw Delilah at school, he was a goner. He knew immediately that she was the one for him. There could be no other, not since he lost Sophie. But that was before. This is his senior year, and he’s looking forward. Forward to a year of being with Delilah at Draycott Academy.
Delilah is just starting at Draycott. As a local, she doesn’t live in the dorms like most of the students do, so she doesn’t know many of the other kids. But she does have a good friend there, Aisha, and she has a good job at the library. But at home, things are difficult.
Her father was killed in an accident at work, and her mother’s new boyfriend is a local police officer. But he’s not one of the good ones. He’s controlling, he’s abusive, and he’s violent. Delilah is torn because she loves her mother, but she’s also angry that her mother let this man into their lives, into their home even, and she is just a shell of her former self.
One weekend, Delilah makes a split second decision that changes everything at home, and she feels like she is free once again. She can relax. She can be a normal teenager. And when Logan asks her out, she can say yes. And when she has a truly magical day with him, she leans over for a quick kiss.
But then she finds out that the date was perfect because Logan had been watching her. He looked up all her social profiles online and found out what she liked. But when she tries to break it off, she learns that he has a recording of her committing a crime. Either she keeps going out with him, or he will ruin her entire life.
Delilah has to make a choice about how she wants to live her life, but as she tries to find a solution inside herself, she finds herself learning a lot more about human nature than she expected to.
Jesse Q. Sutanto’s vision of a coercive relationship is painfully accurate, but I think it’s Delilah’s ingenuity and willingness to put her own needs first that makes this a strong YA novel. The Obsession is a story of strength and courage, and while I admire the attitude, I don’t recommend anyone goes about living life the way Delilah does.
I enjoyed The Obsession despite the fact that these characters all have some flaws. But I thought the plot was clever and the emotions were genuine. And in the end, I just enjoyed the journey. If you can deal with unlikeable characters, seriously consider adding this book to your list. It will suck you in and then break your heart a little and then bring you back from it all with a fierce determination.
Egalleys for The Obsession were provided by Sourcebooks Early Reads Program, but I liked it so much I bought a copy.
