Month: October 2014

Twins – Are You Seeing Me?

Linda J

GrothTwins think and act alike, right? Even fraternal twins do many things the same, right?

Yes, to some degree. I can speak from personal experience of fraternal twins who would often pick the same birthday cards for relatives, and scheme together against the other siblings in the family – often in their own personalised language.

However, as many twins (both identical and fraternal) scream – they are still individuals! The twins in ‘Are You Seeing Me?’ are certainly individuals – both of whom scream for different reasons…

Perry screams when his world gets out of hand. At times when he is faced by the unfamiliar, “Perry has trouble with people – mixing with them and communicating with them – and it sometimes results in inappropriate behaviours.” 

This is the spiel that Perry’s sister regularly rolls out to explain her twin brother’s unusual behaviour. As his twin, she is determined to protect him from the judgemental gaze of others. When Justine screams, however, Perry isn’t the cause – it’s the interfering concern of others, like her boyfriend, Marc.

In ‘Are You Seeing Me?’ much of the journey for Perry and Justine takes place as they travel to Canada, to seek out their estranged mother, Leonie. She left the twins in their father’s care when they were 4, unable to cope with twins – especially since Perry has a ‘special needs’ tag. Unfortunately, in their nineteenth year, Perry and Justine are left alone as their doting father dies of cancer.

There is also an emotional journey for them as they attempt to re-establish links with Leonie – and she has much to learn about Perry. A chance for her to re-connect.

I love the characters Darren Groth has created. They are authentic and believable. The communication between Justine and her father occurs through a diary he kept from birth, and it provides her strength, understanding and support as she strives to support her brother as he tenuously begins to negotiate the adult world. Perry’s comments and insights provide a ‘look inside’ as he struggles to find independence and ‘free’ his sister of her twin commitment.

Finding out that Groth’s own twins were the inspiration behind this book cements the authenticity and appeal of this book. While it has been aligned to Mark Haddon’s ‘Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’, it tells a completely different tale. The relationship of twins shows how the Autism Spectrum Disorder impacts the whole family – and how they adapt and deal with it.

Groth proudly speaks of this in ‘A Dad’s Gift to his Neurotypical Daughter’, which is a very interesting prelude to the novel.

Groth’s tale is funny, informative and optimistic. The bond between Pez and Just Jeans is so lovable, it is a great tale for teens to enjoy.

N.B. I am also looking forward to reading ‘Kindling’, an earlier book by Darren Groth – which also deals with autism.

What’s your reality? ‘We Were Liars’

Linda J

imageSummers for Cadence were idyllic – spent on her family’s island with her cousins, aunts and grandparents. Then, when she is 15, (Summer 15) Gat arrives at the island sparking a bit of interest, kindlings of love… and a bit of tension, as he doesn’t quite meet the ‘Family’s’ standards.

“Wait a minute”, you say – “The ‘Family’ owns an island?”

Yes, the Sinclair Family is somewhat well-off – and well-respected because of this, it seems. But inside the family, things are not so perfect.

However, Cady’s memories of ‘Summer 15’ are vague – and there is mystery behind tragic happenings at this time. Things Cady would rather forget, it seems – or things her mind and body won’t let her remember; even though her mother has explained it to her numerous times. Now, the doctors say, it is better if Cady remembers in her own time…

After a summer away from the island, Cady returns in search of answers and explanations:

  • What really happened to her?
  • Why can’t she remember anything?
  • Why are her friends/cousins so distant?
  • Does she still have any chance of romance with Gat?
  • Why isn’t ANYONE telling her ANYTHING?

For a taste of ‘We Were Liars’, you can view the author, E. Lockhart, reading the opening here:

‘We Were Liars’ is intriguing – and has you guessing all along the way – but still has surprise in store. Can you anticipate the ending?

(N.B. the video requires Flash.)

Brain Fit – how smarter thinking can save your brain

Linda J

BRAIN-FIT---COVER for Smashwords 11-3-12

Progressing slowly through my holiday-reading book pile, I decided I needed something I could dip in and out of – and something to get my holiday brain thinking again! That’s when I reached for ‘Brain Fit’!

Do you know the right foods to keep your brain healthy?

Do you know how to keep your mind sharp?

What problems with modern life can we seek to avoid as we care for our brain health?

‘Brain Fit’ is a compact book loaded with information about our grey matter. In a non-threatening manner, Dr Jenny Brockis explains clearly and succinctly how we can best look after one of the most important organs in our body. There are no lectures – just simple factual information stemming from the most recent thinking in brain health.

In eight chapters, ‘Brain Fit’ guides us through these and many other questions – including the things that are good for our brain (and it even includes chocolate!), things we should avoid, and ways to fire up our brain with new and different challenges. Broken into easy to read parts, each chapter includes lots of clear explanations and diagrams for the visual learner.

Throughout the book there are constant referrals to scientific studies which support the ideas presented, most of which, though challenging, are not difficult to include in our busy lifestyles. There is lots of food for thought for busy students, teachers, families and their extended family.

‘Smarter Thinking’ boxes punctuate the book and we are reminded of the key points in each chapter – e.g. Planning regular time off is an invaluable way to provide your brain with the breathing space it needs… Simple suggestions and checklists are also dotted throughout, which make the ideas bite-size and palatable.

Clearly, Jenny knows what she is talking about, since she spends time…

…with individuals and organisations to develop leadership, improve collaboration, and increase productivity and efficiency. Her approach is based on practical neuroscience, which allows us to understand why we think or behave the way we do, and how implement effective behavioural change.

Source: http://www.drjennybrockis.com/about/

‘Brain Fit’ is the first of 2 books Jenny has written, easily available in both physical and Kindle editions. The second ‘Brain Smart: getting more done faster’ looks at how we can better shape our activities to make the most of our brain – and no, this does not endorse multi-tasking. A third book, ‘Future Brain’, is also in production.

There are lots of great ideas in each of Dr Brockis’ books, but there is also more to be discovered at her blog, where she shares her observations about issues such as mental health, mindfulness, leadership, exercise and brain health, and stress management. In the video below, Jenny explains the importance of becoming Brain Fit:

Clearly, the concept of brain fitness is well worth further investigation!