Jerk, California

Andy Paris pulls off a strong performance in this audio production. As Sam grapples with his Tourette's syndrome, high school graduation, and his overbearing stepfather, he encounters a friend of his biological father, who reveals a side of life previously closed to him. Paris provides an expressive portrait of a challenged and frustrated character. While his overly strong enunciation of words that begin with hard consonant sounds can wear on the listener, his skill in delivering a fully believable first-person point of view engages listeners with Sam's hopes and struggles. L.E. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine

October 1, 2010

Gr 8 Up-When Sam was diagnosed as a young child with Tourette's Syndrome, handed down to him genetically by his deceased father, his stepfather Bill rejected him and his mother allowed it to happen. Now a high school senior, the boy expects nothing from his mother and abuse from his stepfather. Sam is an outcast in school due to the tics and verbal outbursts his Tourette's precipitates, yet he never explains the disease that causes this behavior. He just struggles on, continues to be bullied, and accepts it all. The day he graduates, George, his dad's old friend, appears in his life and changes everything. All the lies that Bill told him about his father are revealed, but none of it sinks in until George dies and leaves Sam his money, property, and a map that he must follow to learn the truth about his father. George's granddaughter, Naomi, the girl of Sam's dreams, comes along for reasons of her own. On this quest, Sam comes to know himself as James's son, Jack, and learns that his father was a remarkable man. The plot of Jonathan Friesen's debut novel (Penguin/Speak, 2008) is somewhat unbelievable, the story is overly long, and Andy Paris's narration does not fully distinguish the characters. Although Sam has been raised in the Midwest, there is no trace of a regional accent. The winner of the 2009 Schneider Family Book Award for its portrayal of Tourette's Syndrome, this offering will fill a niche in libraries seeking novels about the condition.-Joan Kindig, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA

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