Audiobook9 hours
Jerk, California
Written by Jonathan Friesen
Narrated by Andy Paris
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
3.5/5
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About this audiobook
Jonathan Friesen delivers a nuanced, critically acclaimed debut with this affecting tale of fathers and sons. High schooler Sam's struggle with Tourette's syndrome is made more difficult by Old Bill, his abusive stepfather who kicks Sam out of the home following graduation. When Sam meets a friend of his dead father, however, he begins a journey toward understanding that might also help him accept who he is. "The story is compelling . and the excitement of [Sam's] journey [keeps] readers turning the pages to see what's around the bend."-School Library Journal
Author
Jonathan Friesen
Jonathan Friesen is an author, speaker, and youth writing coach from Mora, Minnesota. His first young adult novel, Jerk, California, received the ALA Schneider Award. When he’s not writing, speaking at schools, or teaching, Jonathan loves to travel and hang out with his wife and three kids.
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Reviews for Jerk, California
Rating: 3.593749959375 out of 5 stars
3.5/5
64 ratings9 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Sam Carrier has lived with Tourette's since he was six. Now, about to graduate high school, his symptoms are as uncontrollable as ever and his nasty stepfather makes his life miserable, telling him he'll amount to nothing, just like his father who died in a car accident when Sam was just two years old.This story is Sam's journey to find himself, to accept his real name, to know who his real dad, and the legacy left behind. In the process, he meets and befriends Naomi, a girl whose passion for running initially literally and metaphorically joins them. As their trip progresses, all kinds of loving individuals come into Sam (Jack's) life, letting him know he is not alone in this world, that he has value and a family worth embracing.The writing style is really unusual for a young adult novel - very episodic and also with a strong rural (?) dialect. It may be a challenge to sell this one.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Never still, Never quiet, never in control of your own movements. Jerk, California by Jonathan Friesen is a realistic fiction book about a boy named Sam Carrier who tries to cope with his Tourette's Syndrome. Ever since he began to show symptoms of his disease, his stepfather became extremely intolerant of him. He told Sam that his dad was left his mom and died while he was drunk driving with another woman. When Sam graduates from high school he is determined to get away from his stepfather and escape life worrying what everybody thinks about him. When his dad’s best friend, George, offers him a job, he accepts, but only after a lot of convincing. A few days later George passes away, but not before leaving Sam everything he owns and a map of places that he wants Sam to go to. The stops on the map run all the way across the country coming to a stop in Jerk, California. Determined to find answers about his father, Sam sets out from his small rural town on the journey that George set out for him with the girl he likes, Naomi.I think that this book was extremely well written. The plot was very intriguing. The author continuously created new flawless, exciting events that kept me reading until the early hours of the morning. He artfully creates funny and nice characters that surprised me with everything they did. Sam, a gentle and caring boy who’s personality is devastated by his Tourette’s, is extremely passionate for things he cares about, but has a very nasty temper. Naomi, the girl Sam’s been after since he saw her on a rainy day running trails in the woods, is extremely funny and nice. She always pretends she doesn’t notice Sam’s uncontrollable actions and helps him through it every chance she gets.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Have you ever read a book so real that it made you feel like a charcater in it? Well thats the feeling I got when I read the book Jerk,California by Jonathan Freisen. The author really pulled me into the book, captivating me from almost the start. With every crisp page i turned, I learned something new, and never knew what to expect. Sam Carrier (the main character) learns he has tourettes at a young age. His life will never be the same from that point on. He soon understands that his dad died when Sam was two, from a tragic accident. His fathers "replacement" is a cranky old man who goes by Old Bill.Old Bill has given Sam trouble ever since he was diagnosed with tourettes. Sam's mother doesn't help the situation. All she does is try to stay on Old Bill's good side, if he even has a good side. Fortunately this all changes when Sam meets two important people.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The protagonist of this young adult novel, Sam Carrier, has Tourette Syndrome (or TS). TS is a neurological disorder characterized by multiple involuntary motor and vocal tics. (The most common motor tics are eye blinks, throat clearing, and shoulder spasms. Vocal tics can include noises, obscenities, repeating word of others, or repeating ones own words.) There is usually a family history of the disorder, and males are affected more than females. It is estimated that 200,000 Americans have the most severe form of TS, and as many as one in one-hundred exhibit milder and less complex symptoms such as chronic motor or vocal tics or transient tics of childhood. Unfortunately, there is no one medication that is helpful to all people with TS, nor does any medication completely eliminate symptoms.Tics are often worse with excitement or anxiety and better during calm, focused activities. Importantly, most patients experience peak tic severity before the mid-teen years with improvement for the majority of patients coming not until the late teen years or early adulthood. Just the time you don’t want it to peak: when other kids are at their meanest.Sam, a high school senior, is teased cruelly and mercilessly when he has attacks at school. Even the teachers are insensitive. It doesn’t help that he has a stepfather who hates him for his disability, and constantly calls him a freak and worse. His embarrassment and self-loathing intensity when he finally meets a girl he cares about.After graduation, he meets some of his real father’s friends who try to teach him that TS doesn’t have to be the focus of your life in your own eyes or anyone else’s. Discussion: The author also has TS, and has said in an interview appended to the book that Sam's “internal struggle with Tourette’s syndrome mirrors my own quite closely.” He also talks about how difficult it was for him to develop self-esteem and self-acceptance under the circumstances.These issues are mirrored in Sam’s story, and I think accounts for the fact that Sam is so well-drawn. The other characters, including Sam’s mom and step-dad, his real dad’s best friend, and Sam’s love interest, didn’t seem as realistic to me. It’s a good story though, one that I didn’t expect to like.Evaluation: This book has a lot to teach teens about what is really important in life.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5It was not the best book I have ever read by far. It started off fast paste and then slowed down for awhile.Sam(the main character) goes through a lot in this book. He is a nice guy and for some reason his life is unfair in just about every way possible. Despite moping around and complaining about every little thing that happens. He tries to be happy and live his life. Some of the character could of been a lot strong or less see through, but at the end of this book. You will have a soft spot for Sam.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This didn't grab me at first, but very quickly I was drawn to these characters. Then I re-read the beginning to get anything I may have missed. This seemed like a more realistic view of Tourettes than we usually see in the media.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Very interesting, especially since the emotions the mail character feels closely relates to the author, who also has tourette's syndrone. Would recommend for high school rather than jr. high as the characters are that age, although some jr. high students could definitely relate to the feelings of the characters.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Underwritten YA story of teen Sam/Jack who has Tourette's Syndrome. Friessen doesn't seem to want to let the reader know what is actually happening during most of the book. For example, two-thirds of the way through the book:"We sit for hours. I can't locate any questions in my mind, and she must not have much to say. We speak about nothing in short, soft bursts, and fall back into safe silences. But somewhere in the middle, her hand grabs mine, and when we finally enter the house, I know things are okay with us."This is after a crucial scene, when something should have happened between Sam/Jack and his "love interest." It is extremely frustrating to read when the author gives so little to the reader. Book had a lot of promise, but did not deliver.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Not since I read "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" have I been so affected by a writer's style. At first, I was off-put by the halting, occasionally coarse writing. However, it soon dawned upon me that the writer has mimicked the main character's Tourette's Syndrome into his writing style (whether intentional or unintentional, I don't know). Once I recognized this, I was able to become fully absorbed into the plot and characters.This book is excellent. The characters, especially Georgoe and Sam/Jack, are fully realized, complicated and very empathetic. A fascinating, realistic look at a mysterious disease with which Friesen does a great job describing. The plotting and the character development is wonderful and believable. I recommend this book to both teens and adults. A refreshing, unique read.