Comments on: Boy Alone http://www.5minutesforbooks.com/1698/boy-alone/ Book reviews for children and adults Sun, 12 Feb 2012 06:13:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: spring chicken http://www.5minutesforbooks.com/1698/boy-alone/comment-page-1/#comment-286882 spring chicken Sun, 22 Nov 2009 21:37:35 +0000 http://www.5minutesforbooks.com/?p=1698#comment-286882 I agree with Mary Ann! I just finished the book and the fiction he perpetrates about Noah is somewhat sadistic in nature. I was left very disappointed and sad. I agree with Mary Ann! I just finished the book and the fiction he perpetrates about Noah is somewhat sadistic in nature. I was left very disappointed and sad.

]]> By: Mary Ann O'Rourke http://www.5minutesforbooks.com/1698/boy-alone/comment-page-1/#comment-256557 Mary Ann O'Rourke Sat, 17 Oct 2009 17:20:41 +0000 http://www.5minutesforbooks.com/?p=1698#comment-256557 Just finished Boy Alone -- I'm feeling really manipulated. I actually cried when Noah told Karl he loved him in the support group. Then to find out his whole adult growth is fiction. That was shattering. In his fictionalized account, Greenfeld answers the languauge first/thoughs second riddle, in a Helen Kellerish way. Words unlock the mind. Then we learn this never happened to Noah. Why does Karl build up fictionalized hope, then smash it down to reality? So disappointing. Just finished Boy Alone — I’m feeling really manipulated. I actually cried when Noah told Karl he loved him in the support group. Then to find out his whole adult growth is fiction. That was shattering. In his fictionalized account, Greenfeld answers the languauge first/thoughs second riddle, in a Helen Kellerish way. Words unlock the mind. Then we learn this never happened to Noah. Why does Karl build up fictionalized hope, then smash it down to reality? So disappointing.

]]> By: Semicolon » Blog Archive » Saturday Review of Books: August 22, 2009 http://www.5minutesforbooks.com/1698/boy-alone/comment-page-1/#comment-240134 Semicolon » Blog Archive » Saturday Review of Books: August 22, 2009 Sat, 26 Sep 2009 00:58:42 +0000 http://www.5minutesforbooks.com/?p=1698#comment-240134 [...] Reading to Know (Pirate picture books)4. 5M4B (Sweet Waters)5. 5M4B (Sleepless Nights)6. 5M4B (Boy Alone)7. Semicolon (Main Street)8. 5M4B (The Sweetgum Ladies Knit for Love)9. Amy @ Hope Is the Word [...] [...] Reading to Know (Pirate picture books)4. 5M4B (Sweet Waters)5. 5M4B (Sleepless Nights)6. 5M4B (Boy Alone)7. Semicolon (Main Street)8. 5M4B (The Sweetgum Ladies Knit for Love)9. Amy @ Hope Is the Word [...]

]]> By: Dawn http://www.5minutesforbooks.com/1698/boy-alone/comment-page-1/#comment-200244 Dawn Sat, 22 Aug 2009 02:09:18 +0000 http://www.5minutesforbooks.com/?p=1698#comment-200244 Oh Carmella, I cannot thank you enough for taking the time to leave such an amazingly thoughtful and heartfelt comment. Every person's perspective and experience is unique, and absolutely valuable. Your life story is beyond compelling, and I thank you for sharing it with us. I wish you all the best life has to offer! Oh Carmella, I cannot thank you enough for taking the time to leave such an amazingly thoughtful and heartfelt comment. Every person’s perspective and experience is unique, and absolutely valuable.

Your life story is beyond compelling, and I thank you for sharing it with us. I wish you all the best life has to offer!

]]> By: Carmella Broome http://www.5minutesforbooks.com/1698/boy-alone/comment-page-1/#comment-200144 Carmella Broome Sat, 22 Aug 2009 01:00:12 +0000 http://www.5minutesforbooks.com/?p=1698#comment-200144 I really appreciate this supportive review of a very important memoir. Telling one's personal truth always leaves the writer open for criticism and flack. As a mental health counselor, I am familiar with the challenges facing families with children with autism, developmental disabilities, and various other disabilities. Divorce rates are higher among the parents of these kids. I know that life can be difficult for the siblings who may often feel as though they don't receive as much attention or time from overwhelmed parents. Even if they understand rationally why this is and know their parents are doing the best they can, on an emotional level, they can feel left out and as if their needs are less important. On a personal level, I have been legally blind since birth and I know this made for a slightly different childhood for my younger sister. I'm sure she had to answer questions from her peers, suspect there were times when being seen with me made her self conscious as an adolescent, and that she faced other awkward situations unique to being "the blind girl's sister." Meanwhile, her friends with siblings who had use of all five senses didn't have to deal with such issues and probably couldn't understand them. Of course, some of those siblings had no amount of the most valuable 6th sense we often call "common" that really isn't, but that's neither here nor there. I at least had some amount of that. I, of course, wished I could have the "normal" life and peer relationships she experienced. We followed different paths in life. She is married and has given me two wonderful nephews and a niece, and is a very good sister and friend. I, meanwhile, pursued advanced degrees and career interests. From childhood, I was always more focussed on what I wanted to do professionally and she was always more interested in getting married and being a mom and we stayed true to those paths. We're proud of each other, respect each other, and support each other and truly are friends as well as being siblings. Carmella Broome, Licensed Professional Counselor Author: Carmella's Quest: Taking On College Sight Unseen (Red Letter Press 2009) http://CarmellasQuest.LiveJournal.com Columbia SC I really appreciate this supportive review of a very important memoir. Telling one’s personal truth always leaves the writer open for criticism and flack. As a mental health counselor, I am familiar with the challenges facing families with children with autism, developmental disabilities, and various other disabilities. Divorce rates are higher among the parents of these kids. I know that life can be difficult for the siblings who may often feel as though they don’t receive as much attention or time from overwhelmed parents. Even if they understand rationally why this is and know their parents are doing the best they can, on an emotional level, they can feel left out and as if their needs are less important.

On a personal level, I have been legally blind since birth and I know this made for a slightly different childhood for my younger sister. I’m sure she had to answer questions from her peers, suspect there were times when being seen with me made her self conscious as an adolescent, and that she faced other awkward situations unique to being “the blind girl’s sister.” Meanwhile, her friends with siblings who had use of all five senses didn’t have to deal with such issues and probably couldn’t understand them. Of course, some of those siblings had no amount of the most valuable 6th sense we often call “common” that really isn’t, but that’s neither here nor there. I at least had some amount of that. I, of course, wished I could have the “normal” life and peer relationships she experienced.

We followed different paths in life. She is married and has given me two wonderful nephews and a niece, and is a very good sister and friend. I, meanwhile, pursued advanced degrees and career interests. From childhood, I was always more focussed on what I wanted to do professionally and she was always more interested in getting married and being a mom and we stayed true to those paths. We’re proud of each other, respect each other, and support each other and truly are friends as well as being siblings.

Carmella Broome, Licensed Professional Counselor
Author: Carmella’s Quest: Taking On College Sight Unseen (Red Letter Press 2009)
http://CarmellasQuest.LiveJournal.com
Columbia SC

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