LIST OF TEN by Halli Gomez

 

In the interest of full disclosure, a friend of mine and I were experimenting with writing a YA novel with a character with Tourette syndrome. Both of us got distracted and busy and never followed through. After reading LIST OF TEN by Halli Gomez I have realized that we could never have done the topic justice. Gomez herself has Tourette so the detail she brings to this amazing novel makes it a truly revelatory work.

Troy's mom left years ago. Troy has never understood how she could leave him when she might have answers to his many, many questions. He inherited Tourette from her. There's a 50% chance that offspring of those with Tourette will inherit the syndrome. How could she leave when she could have helped him through the tough times?

Now Troy is a sophomore. His tics and OCD make him stand out, and it's becoming more difficult to deal with the stares, the taunts, and the physical pain he suffers from his disability. He has created a list of ten things he wants to accomplish by April 6, the tenth anniversary of his diagnosis. Among the list are things like drive a car, kiss a girl, talk to his mom, and finally, #10 commit suicide.

Surprisingly, things begin looking up for Troy. Khory, a cute girl in his math class, asks him to tutor her. If he can hold it together to be that close to her and avoid touching her lustrous hair, he might be able to complete the "kiss a girl" part of his list. During their tutoring sessions, it becomes clear that she does find Troy attractive and interesting so a budding relationship offers Troy a chance to check several things off his list. He even begins thinking about eliminating #10, but when circumstances change, he becomes even more focused on April 6 and the end.

Author Halli Gomez takes readers into the mind of a Tourette syndrome sufferer in a way that clearly illustrates the pain and embarrassment of the condition. Troy's story provides heartbreak and inspiration sure to stay with readers long after they finish the book.