Woolston takes universal teenage suffering and struggle and distills them into a character and story that's completely unique--like a random brain floating and observing alone in the universe.

High school, heartbreak, a miserable job, and a family as happy as sack full of wet cats--anyone can cope with that. But add hallucinations to the mix and you've got either a craptastic life or a serious puzzle to crack. FREAK OBSERVER is a realistic YA novel set in contemporary rural Montana. It is rich in theoretical physics, murdered chickens, and an unusual and resilient main character ... Loa Lindgren. She's spent sixteen years getting by on duct tape, guts, and ingenuity. She has a boot load of gumption and the problem solving skills she's sharpened in physics and computer programming. She also has a crippling case of PTSD and a plan to deal with it. She's determined to debug her own short-circuiting brain. If she keeps her eyes open and her neurons busy, there will be less chance for her imagination to brew up nightmares and panic attacks--and she will understand what it means to be a Freak Observer who identifies pattern and beauty in chaos.