AGAINST MEDICAL ADVICE

One day when Hal Friedman’s son, Cory, was 5, he developed an irresistible urge to twitch his neck. From that point on, a cascade of other symptoms developed, and the boy’s life became a living hell. When his son continued to be misdiagnosed for many years, fiction writer Hal Friedman decided to put his experience to words, enlisting another fiction writer to help him—novelist James Patterson, known for his nail-biting mysteries. Patterson's cinematic eye for detail gives this harrowing memoir its drama and suspense as Friedman’s family struggles to support Cory and each other as they go from specialist to specialist seeking medical help. The story often takes Cory’s point of view, and Kevin Collins is comfortable with the contemporary vernacular of a 15-year old. His sinewy voice shifts from bemusement to bitterness, conjuring the mindset of an adolescent beset by overwhelming challenges. J.S.H. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2008]