66 of 68 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Incredibly familiar, October 22, 2008
This book was a phenomenal retelling of the life of someone with Tourette Syndrome. As a mother of three boys who all have the same diagnosis as Cory, I feel like I can adequately say that I am more of an authority on the subject than most. As I read through his life struggles, weeping through a great many of the pages, I could identify with much of the grief and pain that he and his parents have gone through. I believe that everything in the book was very accurately portrayed, from the lack of understanding of the educational system to the medical roller coaster ride of trial and error, not to mention the misery inflicted by social situations. I feel like the book was tastefully written to not bash the people who do not understand this condition, (including medical/mental health professionals) but to portray the frustration and mental anguish caused by this lack of understanding.
I highly recommend this book to all, but especially to those who have the fortunate opportunity to touch the life of someone with Tourette Syndrome. As is obvious in Cory's case, these children are incredible. They have to overcome so much more than the rest of us would ever dream of imagining just to live, let alone succeed. Thank you Cory, for sharing your life with us.
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57 of 61 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Insight into life with Tourette's Syndrome or Disorder, October 26, 2008
This is an fascinating, discouraging, and ultimately hopeful story of one child's struggle with Tourette's Syndrome, obsessive compulsive disorder, alcoholism and misunderstanding. Although Corey, the one afflicted, did not write the book, the authors present it in the first person, giving the story a personal feel and immediacy. Corey develops a severe form of Tourette's at age five. He is given a variety of medicines over the years, and he suffers from a bewildering and distressing constellation of symptoms. Not surprisingly, he struggles at home and at school. Some of his teachers are understanding, and some are hostile, as he often disrupts the classroom with his unorthodox behaviors.
The book details how Corey receives ill treatment at the hands of the medical and educational establishments. Some of his doctors suffer from the messiah complex: the inability to admit that they might have prescribed the wrong medicine. Some of his teachers do not like him, because he can appear very difficult in class. He has a very hard time making friends. This prolongs and intensifies his misery.
I didn't always feel complete sympathy for Corey. At times, especially toward the end of the book, some of his complaining feels excessive. Corey maintains that his school aid entrapped him, reporting him for smoking on campus, an activity which was previously tolerated. He does admit that they "can't officially allow me to have a cigarette on the property." and he was supposed to walk far away from the school, but he was "a little lazy." He feels persecuted by the school board that recommends he repeat his junior year. After reading about the events of that year, It seemed that it was a reasonable decision, but the authors describe the board in highly unfavorable terms. The school relents when his mother makes a impassioned case for allowing him to continue. Still, they get very little sympathy from Corey.
The story is a valuable history of a child and a condition that is still a medical mystery. The writing is personal, direct, and to the point. I completed the entire book in two days. It seemed that Corey was speaking directly to me as I read. If you have an interest in Tourette's you should read this book, because it gives valuable insight into a personal experience. You cannot get this insight from a medical textbook. What emerges is the fact that modern medicine did not make anything easier for this young man. The education system helped him in some ways, but failed him in others. This book may not be a masterpiece of non fiction, but it could be a good and useful book for physicians and educators alike.
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32 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great read, an intense book, October 20, 2008
Some parts are intense. A few pages are among the realest, most moving pages you will ever read. Some parts were tough to experience through Cory's eyes, but the comfort and redemption of this book and the message it leaves you with is that we as Human beings are strong and can endure more than we can imagine if we refuse to be defined by our misfortune and embrace the love of those that love us. This book, better than any I have read, tells a true story in a real way.
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