Sean Griswold’s Head by Lindsey Leavitt

Summary from 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.

     Sean Griswold's Head was one of my most wanted books of the summer. When I first read the summary, I thought it sounded cute and interesting. It focuses intently on a specific disease, MS and the strain it can put on a family as it tries to get through it. Payton is likable character. Like most reviewers, I also thought that her reaction to her father's illness was a bit intense, but by the end of the story I could relate to her. Payton was never without funny commentary and it was fun to see her different charts on Sean's head. Sean, himself, was a very good focus object. It was a weird choice, but neither me nor Payton regret it. Payton describes him as confident without cocky and I think it fits his personality perfectly. It seemed as if he had so many sides to him. Seinfeld, cycling, and spooning being only the start of his immense knowledge. He had me awwwwing at his sweet gestures and laughing at his strange, random facts. These things, along with many others, were what made Sean a fantastic obsession......uh, I mean, focus object, for anyone.
     Payton freaks mostly about her father's MS because they hide it from her and because she is afraid of future outcomes. It was an enjoyable journey to follow Payton throughout her enlightenment. In the beginning, she got too dependent on one thing in order to avoid the tension in her house and within her self. In the end, after all her rebellion, Payton realizes that most things in life can't be planned or organized and that she has to take them as they come and let it make her stronger. When Payton completed the race for her father, no one was more proud than me, and surprised  at how deep Payton had burrowed into my heart.