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Taking Care of Your Child: A Parent's Illustrated Guide to Complete Medical Care
James F. Fries, Robert H. Pantell and Donald M. Vickery
Book
Winner of the American Medical Writers Association Book AwardThe award-winning go-to guide that has...
Kristina (502 KP) rated Be the Girl in Books
Dec 7, 2020
Contains spoilers, click to show
The meaning behind this story is an important one, it's just unfortunate that it didn't hit very hard until the last 100 pages or less. I continued to read because I knew something big was coming, something shocking and interesting, and I was right: the whole time, I assumed Aria had attempted suicide and was trying to forget her past, so it was definitely a surprise to discover she was escaping from a mistake she made that actually led to a former student committing suicide. The first 85% of the story I wasn't bored, necessarily, just waiting expectantly for "more". But, boy, that last percentage really packed a punch. It goes to show how bullying can go wrong, how there are literally life and death consequences to such actions. It also highlights some of the differences in those with autism, which is nice, because I feel like that topic is shied away from by many. I love K. A. Tucker and I hate to say that, while the moral of the story was an important one, 'Be the Girl' wasn't one of my favorites.
FluencyCoach
Health & Fitness and Medical
App
The FluencyCoach app was developed and designed to recreate the ‘choral speech effect’, which...
MemoAssist™ + Premium
Utilities and Medical
App
This is the Premium version of MemoAssist. This version includes all features. If you wish to try 30...
The Bride Test
9.3
Rate It
Book
Khai Diep has no feelings. Well, he feels irritation when people move his things or contentment when...
Sonofdel (6291 KP) rated 77 Shadow Street in Books
Jun 3, 2022
I have always loved Dean Koontz because of the way he immerses you in the situations in his book. Its not many authors that make you feel as if you are actually in the book not just reading it. Loved this book because whilst it is a work of fiction there are a lot of instances that ring true, particularly the way we are giving AI too much power and information. At first glance this is just your run of the mill horror house novel, but once you get into it, its so much more. Great character and development and i love the way that he does not concentrate on just one persons story. There are lots of different characters ranging from a small girl with autism to a contract killer and its blended in well to create an atmospheric, horrific and frightening novel. Its split into two books and i must admit that when i was about half way through i thought it was drawing to a close, how wrong i was. Well worth a read A++++
Sonofdel (6291 KP) rated 77 Shadow Street in Books
Jun 3, 2022
scarily realistic but futuristic novel
I have always loved Dean Koontz because of the way he immerses you in the situations in his book. Its not many authors that make you feel as if you are actually in the book not just reading it. Loved this book because whilst it is a work of fiction there are a lot of instances that ring true, particularly the way we are giving AI too much power and information. At first glance this is just your run of the mill horror house novel, but once you get into it, its so much more. Great character and development and i love the way that he does not concentrate on just one persons story. There are lots of different characters ranging from a small girl with autism to a contract killer and its blended in well to create an atmospheric, horrific and frightening novel. Its split into two books and i must admit that when i was about half way through i thought it was drawing to a close, how wrong i was. Well worth a read A++++
Sassy Brit (97 KP) rated Love, Secrets and Absolution in Books
Jun 6, 2019
Contains spoilers, click to show
I’m reviewing Love, Secrets and Absolution, by K.L. Lovely. Here are my thoughts:
^^ Told from alternative viewpoints, Love, Secrets and Absolution is an emotional story revolving around the lives of a couple, Grace and Paul, who are trying to come to terms with the stresses and strains of bringing up an autistic child. But what makes this story different is how it’s set at a time which coincides with the Nottingham miners strikes of the 80s, where pit closures and pay restraints led to unofficial strikes, job losses and violence. Harsh times to say the least. This added a new dimension to the story, and of course, more pressure for Paul, and ultimately the whole family. They were terrible times in Britain, a lot of families suffered because of it.
^^ Right from the beginning we see young Alfie is different to other children. The author, K. L.oveley, helps show us this, by what I thought was a highly unusual technique- giving baby and toddler versions of Alfie his own voice.
^^ I must admit at first I was thinking, this doesn’t sound like a baby. After all, very young babies are not able to communicate in such a coherent manner. However, as I read further, I saw how Alfie’s voice as a child — seeing things differently from his POV — really helped to provide a deeper look into his inner thoughts and feelings. A fresh and unique approach, which revealed his own perspective of how he didn’t fit in with other kids, even if he was unable to understand the “why” himself. Very clever. It certainly made things clearer for me and highlighted aspects of autism I may have missed otherwise.
^^ Taking the time-period into consideration, I found the portrayal of the teachers and the way they behaved cruelly and professionally towards Alfie and Grace shocking, yet realistic. Back in those days many professionals were not trained to spot differences and learning difficulties in the way they are today. To outsiders who didn’t understand what Alfie was going though and thinking, he did just look like a trouble maker. Nowadays we know better and there is an ever-growing awareness and understanding of the many different spectrums of autism.
^^ Alfie’s father, Paul, may not have won the best dad of the year award, but I felt he was a realistic representation of a man living and working in a very masculine environment, where men were largely regarded as the breadwinners of the household and job scarcity was a huge issue. He didn’t know how to handle Alfie, and in a way you can’t blame him for that. Not everyone is capable of being a really good parent, especially when their own life has turned upside down in a blink of an eye.
^^ There’s also a really good story line around a girl called Magenta, which I felt helped strengthen both Alfie and Grace’s bond. A lovely touch. As was Grace’s newfound strength and courage, which really made this story become more than just gloom and doom. Her steadfast devotion to her son is both amazing and commendable, and I enjoyed seeing how she turned her life around.
Overall: This thought-provoking book is as much about relationships, as it is autism. We see the hopes and dreams of a young family shattered by a lack of communication, misunderstandings and even betrayal. Yet, despite all the struggles and heartache this family go through, we discover the true power of love; how it can heal, comfort and carry us forward through the toughest of times. A heart-warming, memorable and most satisfying read.
^^ Told from alternative viewpoints, Love, Secrets and Absolution is an emotional story revolving around the lives of a couple, Grace and Paul, who are trying to come to terms with the stresses and strains of bringing up an autistic child. But what makes this story different is how it’s set at a time which coincides with the Nottingham miners strikes of the 80s, where pit closures and pay restraints led to unofficial strikes, job losses and violence. Harsh times to say the least. This added a new dimension to the story, and of course, more pressure for Paul, and ultimately the whole family. They were terrible times in Britain, a lot of families suffered because of it.
^^ Right from the beginning we see young Alfie is different to other children. The author, K. L.oveley, helps show us this, by what I thought was a highly unusual technique- giving baby and toddler versions of Alfie his own voice.
^^ I must admit at first I was thinking, this doesn’t sound like a baby. After all, very young babies are not able to communicate in such a coherent manner. However, as I read further, I saw how Alfie’s voice as a child — seeing things differently from his POV — really helped to provide a deeper look into his inner thoughts and feelings. A fresh and unique approach, which revealed his own perspective of how he didn’t fit in with other kids, even if he was unable to understand the “why” himself. Very clever. It certainly made things clearer for me and highlighted aspects of autism I may have missed otherwise.
^^ Taking the time-period into consideration, I found the portrayal of the teachers and the way they behaved cruelly and professionally towards Alfie and Grace shocking, yet realistic. Back in those days many professionals were not trained to spot differences and learning difficulties in the way they are today. To outsiders who didn’t understand what Alfie was going though and thinking, he did just look like a trouble maker. Nowadays we know better and there is an ever-growing awareness and understanding of the many different spectrums of autism.
^^ Alfie’s father, Paul, may not have won the best dad of the year award, but I felt he was a realistic representation of a man living and working in a very masculine environment, where men were largely regarded as the breadwinners of the household and job scarcity was a huge issue. He didn’t know how to handle Alfie, and in a way you can’t blame him for that. Not everyone is capable of being a really good parent, especially when their own life has turned upside down in a blink of an eye.
^^ There’s also a really good story line around a girl called Magenta, which I felt helped strengthen both Alfie and Grace’s bond. A lovely touch. As was Grace’s newfound strength and courage, which really made this story become more than just gloom and doom. Her steadfast devotion to her son is both amazing and commendable, and I enjoyed seeing how she turned her life around.
Overall: This thought-provoking book is as much about relationships, as it is autism. We see the hopes and dreams of a young family shattered by a lack of communication, misunderstandings and even betrayal. Yet, despite all the struggles and heartache this family go through, we discover the true power of love; how it can heal, comfort and carry us forward through the toughest of times. A heart-warming, memorable and most satisfying read.