Ariel's life is absolutely exhausting. She has a crocodile insider her that wants to hurt everyone around her. While her sister is away at college for the first time she learns that Ariel is suffering from OCD. Unfortunately, Ariel's parents do not believe in therapy so her sister and new friends take it upon themselves to help her out the best they can.

This was definitely a bit more poetic than most of the novels in verse that I read. It was occasionally detrimental because teenagers typically do not speak in constant metaphors and it was a bit obnoxious. I think I would've liked a bit more resolution at the end than what we got.

It was nice that Ariel found Rex and Ruth who just genuinely care for her and that she had an adult like Mr Cipinko who wholeheartedly encouraged her to do something she enjoyed and was good at, but never tried to force her to do it and never said it wasn't "girly" enough.

CW: violent intrusive thoughts, blood, imagined murder (involving things like stabbing and shoving somebody in front of a bus), body dysmorphia, underage drinking, death of a child, death of a sibling, police shooting, suicide attempt, suicide of a child, mention of deadnaming, parental mental health neglect (prayer fixes everything)

Rep: lesbian main character with OCD, trans side character

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

Powerful. There isn't another word for this beautiful book. Ariel Crashes a Train offers an unapologetic look into the brain of a person with OCD. The intrusive thoughts, the confusion, and the isolation are all laid bare. The inner journey Ariel takes is fascinating. This book, at its core, is hopeful and so very important.

This is representation rarely done in YA lit, especially its unflinching exploration of violent intrusive thoughts. OCD in YA is usually portrayed as perfectionism. This is a book that will be embraced by a small set of students, but probably the ones who need it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's Publishing for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. After reading Dear Medusa from Olivia A. Cole as an eARC, I was more than excited for another novel in verse focusing on an important topic.

Ariel Crashes a Train is both a coming of age novel and an exploration of the terrible reality those with OCD and intrusive thoughts live in each day. Ariel, a 17 year old who's working at a carnival for the summer, has never felt like she ticks any of the boxes society expects. She's too large for a woman, she's queer, and she has violent thoughts constantly. With a sister away at college, Ariel is left feeling more alone with her mind than ever, and her mental health begins to take a steep decline. But new friends she meets at the carnival, alongside her sister who is still very much with her, Ariel discovers there is a way to get help and get better - from her intrusive thoughts and her loneliness.

As I noted from Dear Medusa by this author, Cole has a way of writing things both bluntly and through metaphors that just reaches through the words on the page and shakes you. It's a pretty unique writing style, and one that will always have me reaching for more of Cole's works. I really need to get to her backlist. The way in which Ariel's thoughts cycle around while telling the story really portrays how OCD affects someone.

Despite this bluntness, it is easy to feel the emotions within the pages from all the characters involved. Ariel and her new friends are all learning what it is to live in a society that expects you to fit the mold, or not at all. They're learning that between these social expectations and social injustices, the world we reside in is a tough place to live. All three are learning about themselves and the world while dealing with the trauma, grief, and mental health issues that come with them each.

The revelation around the 91% broke me to pieces. I literally sobbed and had to stop reading for a minute to process. It very much resonated with me, just not in an identical sense. Again, Cole has a way with words that hurts you. Connecting those dots made so much sense for the story and characters.

I am a sucker for found family when it's done in an emotional way, and Ariel Crashes a Train sells on that as well. All three of our characters don't have good relations with their parents (one's father thinks she's not impacted by her little cousin's suicide who she was really close to, one's parents' don't understand/try to understand that he is trans, and Ariel's parents are distant and unwilling to listen to her pleas for help). However, within one another, they find some of the things that they need in life- someone who will be a listening and compassionate ear, someone who will help you when things get their ugliest, and someone who tries to understand you. The way this friendship group helps all three, but especially Ariel, was beautifully done.

Triggers for mention of suicide, death, shooting, OCD, intrusive thoughts of harming/killing others, racism, transphobia

I loved Dear Medusa A LOT, so I was very excited for this one. Unfortunately, this one did not hit the same way, and I'm really not sure why. I really liked the look at OCD/ intrusive thoughts/ mental illness, so maybe I just wasn't in the right head space while reading? I definitely think it was a me problem and not a book problem.

60/100 or 3.00 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The atmosphere/vibe the author creates with the first person narration in verse is fantastic. I think the target audience will be able to learn and grow from this story. It didn't really work for me, but I appreciate what Cole is doing with Ariel's story.

D*mn. It must be exhausting to be in Ariel’s head. Having violent intrusive thoughts, she kills her Dad with knives, pushes an older woman under a bus, and throws hot chocolate over her best friend. So yeah, Ariel Crashes a Train.
 
This YA novel in verse, tells the story of a girl living on the edge. Ariel feels like she is too big, too queer, too rough to live up to her parents' expectations, and is terrified she can’t control her mind anymore with her careful rituals. What Ariel doesn’t know is that she has OCD.
 
Oppressive. Frightening. Emotional. All words to describe this book. But fortunately also hopeful in the end. I love books in verse, and this one is no exception. My heart broke into a thousand pieces, and I wanted to yell at Ariel’s parents and hug Ariel, and tell her she would be alright. Slowly, my heart got mended together. The cracks will probably be visible for a while because this read was hard and is probably not for everyone. So please read the trigger warnings if you’re thinking of picking this one up!

As someone who finds a lyrical writing style to be more accessible, I couldn't pass up reading this book. The mental health representation in this novel is fantastic. Similar to Ariel, I also suffer from intrusive thinking so reading about a character experiencing the same things made me feel seen. I rarely come across fictional characters will obsessive compulsive tendencies, let alone a teenage character. I've experienced obsessive thoughts my whole life, but when I struggled the most was during my teenage years. Ariel's process of feeling
"off," struggling, then finally learning that she's not alone in experiencing OCD was so empowering to read about. I hope teens struggling with mental illness, specifically OCD, can take comfort from Ariel's story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC of this novel in verse, my apologies for being too excited to wait to read it so this review isn't closer to the release date. For all those who care, all thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

This was both beautiful and heartbreaking. I felt for Ariel and her struggle the entire way through this novel. Even though, I knew that she had OCD and I knew that eventually she would learn this, I still felt so bad the entire time she was in the dark. I just really wanted someone to take her in hand and protect her. Her parents really failed her here and honestly, both of her parents could probably use a bit of therapy too, especially the father. I don’t want to talk about how much her parents failed her and why, because I don’t want to ruin the reading experience for others, but lets just say that people who don’t believe mental health is really a thing are sometimes the people who need it the most.

My feet aren’t size 12. They’re size 11, so I can relate to some of the woe that Ariel feels there, but even more so, I can relate to not being comfortable in my body because of society’s expectations. I’m not short enough to be cute, I’m not tall enough to be a model, I’m not skinny, I don’t have fat in the right places, I’m not blonde, I’m too curt, I don’t like children, and this list could continue for a long time. A very long time. See the Barbie movie for more information, but society really sucks. I hate all the arbitrary rules that society puts on us. I guess, I would say that people put on other people. Especially when it comes to gender and sexuality.

Overall, I would recommend this for fans of novels in verse, queer characters, and novels that go at tough topics head on and hard. This novel is tough to read and I would recommend having tissues ready towards the end. Some of the points in this are just so spot on it will be a great read for any teenager who needs to read about mental health, body positivity, friendship, and just a big middle-finger to the conservative patriarchy. I will continue picking up books by Cole and hope to check out some of her backlist soon. I loved Dear Medusa and if she keeps publishing books like these I will be a very happy reader. Except for when I'm crying because they make me feel.

Ariel has a lot going on. Her best friend left for the summer, her sister is away at college, and she has nightmares and wonders why? When she begins working at the carnival, she makes two new friends, Ruth and Rex. Ariel keeps feeling like she wants to disappear, that’s she’s too big, too quiet, that’s there’s too much of her. One day Ruth and Rex see Ariel and ask her if she’s ok. When they call her sister for support, her sister tells her she has OCD with intrusive thoughts. Ruth and Rex ask if they can help her. Are they able to?

As soon as I saw this book, I knew I needed to read it. Olivia A Cole has immediately put herself on my “gotta read” mental folder with “Dear Medusa” and “Ariel Crashes a Train” just solidified it. This is such an intense, emotional book, but I couldn’t put it down. Ariel’s journey is a good one and I love how things are magically resolved and it really shows how hard it can be to get help if you’re in a place, with parents who refuse to see or acknowledge the pain you’re feeling. I love Mandy and Rex and Ruth, and the community and family that Ariel has with them. This really hits so many good notes of struggling and facing the insidious voice inside, and how having support can make a huge difference in how coping goes. All around I loved this book and strongly encourage people pick it up!