Rating: 
Summary: Heartbreaking and Hilarious
Review: Gwyn Hyman Rubio's "Icy Sparks" is an exceptional book. She has created an unforgettable character in Icy -- a young girl suffering from Tourette's syndrome. Set in rural Kentucky during the late 1950s and early 1960s, the reader is consistently challenged to question their response to the incidents and situations that occur in this novel. The book is so rich in detail that the reader is often left feeling as though they have actually witnessed one of Icy's outbursts. The question is -- from which point of view? One of Gwyn Hyman Rubio's strongest assets is her ability to convey the shock and horror of those around Icy as she "jerks" and "croaks," while at the same time describe Icy's self-hatred of the inablity to control her body. In the end, this book is not simply about Tourrette's syndrome. It is about human igonrance, fear and tolerance. I would highly recommend it to anyone.
Rating: 
Summary: Gwyn Rubio's Icy Sparks is an outstanding novel
Review: I always spend my lunch break, at work, reading fiction novels. I can partially gauge how much I enjoyed each book by how often I have to work late, making up the time I lost when I couldn't stop reading. While I was reading my latest acquisition, Icy Sparks, I had to work late a lot. I was pulled into Icy Sparks immediately by the interesting prose and became completely immersed during the sequences when Icy would struggle to control the outbursts brought on by her disorder. The excellent narration of these events is fluid and believable. Although the narrative is excellent, a well-crafted plot is what makes Gwyn Rubio's first published novel outstanding. The novel describes the universal plight of a young girl trying to understand the differences which set her apart from her peers. The plot unfolds in a natural way, with Icy, a victim of Tourette Syndrome, trying to come to terms with her undiagnosed condition. Her search for acceptance and understanding culminates in a beautifully written scene which is charged with emotion. I enjoyed this book immensely.
Rating:
Summary: This book is a winner
Review: I enjoyed reading this book, because I learned about a subject I knew nothing about before. This is a wonderful coming of age novel set in rural Kentucky in the 1950's. The main character is an orphan named Icy Sparks. She suffers from Tourette's syndrome which causes her body to jerk involuntarily. Tourettes also causes Icy to repeat curse words uncontrollably. This condition leads to much embarassment at school in her early years. She is teased and shunned by her classmates. Icy spends some time in a mental hospital upon the suggestion of her school principal and grandparents. She makes friends with other disabled people there. She also learns new ways to deal with her disorder during her stay. Miss Emily is a compassionate fat woman. She is Icy's best friend throughout the book. I loved the relationship between these two characters. She teaches Icy her academic subjects and about life too. I loved the ending of the book. It is so touching when Icy finally finds her gift. I highly recommend Icy Sparks.
Rating:
Summary: Achieving the inachievable
Review: Gwyn Hyman Rubio's novel "Icy Sparks" was a particularly interesting story about a girl who achieves something she never thought was possible. I highly recommend this book to anyone who's ever felt left out of different. The plot is set in rural Kentucky in the 1950's. The main character, Icy, leads a tough life at a young age. Both her mom and dad have died when the story begins, her mother during labor and her father later on in
her life, leaving her as an orphan. She lives with her grandparents, Matanni and Patanni, keeping memories of her parents close to her heart. At the age of 10, she becomes aware of a very serious problem. She begins having uncontrollable jerks, the twitching of her eyes, a squeezing sensation in her head, etc. She becomes extremely embarassed about these "seizures" and the fact that they only flare in the most inconvenient times. One of her most challenging times comes during her education with an overbearing and unfair teacher. It's all Icy can do to keep her jerks and remarks hidden deep inside. Icy finds comfort in Miss Emily, a fellow resident of Ginseng. Miss Emily is an obsese woman who understands what it feels like to be the outcast in a closely-knit and judgemental community. Icy confides in Miss Emily, telling her about her symptoms as Miss Emily is her best friend and the only one who truly understands Icy humiliation. Her life only becomes more confusing and troublesome as the tics and involuntary swearing progresses. She does not get diagnosed with Tourette's
Syndrome until adulthood. This novel is a well-written attempt to portray the hardships of a young girl's life through her experience with Tourette's Syndrome to become a very effective part of society. It's a very touching and humorous approach to a common problem and gives a inside look at her perplexing journey.
Rating:
Summary: Heartbreaking and Hilarious
Review: Gwyn Hyman Rubio's "Icy Sparks" is an exceptional book. She has created an unforgettable character in Icy -- a young girl suffering from Tourette's syndrome. Set in rural Kentucky during the late 1950s and early 1960s, the reader is consistently challenged to question their response to the incidents and situations that occur in this novel. The book is so rich in detail that the reader is often left feeling as though they have actually witnessed one of Icy's outbursts. The question is -- from which point of view? One of Gwyn Hyman Rubio's strongest assets is her ability to convey the shock and horror of those around Icy as she "jerks" and "croaks," while at the same time describe Icy's self-hatred of the inablity to control her body. In the end, this book is not simply about Tourrette's syndrome. It is about human igonrance, fear and tolerance. I would highly recommend it to anyone.
Rating: 
Summary: Icy Sparks fails to produce a flame...
Review: While this book was a tad interesting and somewhat entertaining, it wasn't a page-turner. Having worked with the mentally challenged, I'm aware of Tourette's Syndrome and its many nuances. While the depiction of the disorder was surprisingly accurate, that alone can't save a rather stale plot. The fact that the majority of the characters in the story are one-sided makes them seem fake. Matanni and Patanni are both so sweet and good that it makes you wonder if they've ever sinned in their lives! And Wilma, caregiver at the mental institution, was so entirely, sickeningly evil...there's no way a person like that could possibly exist. Even a disgusting monster like Jeffrey Dahmer had manners! And Miss Emily...enormously fat, misunderstood, and yet constantly jolly. How many times have we seen that role played before? The only parts of the book that I enjoyed were the beautiful, vivid descriptions of the mountains and the lush landscape of Icy's lovely (although rather protected) home. I also enjoyed seeing Peavy Lawson change from the school dork to the charming beau. I should quit complaining. Icy Sparks wasn't a bad book, NO NO! It just lacks a little ingenuity. While the concept of a 1950s Kentucky pre-teen suffering from Tourette's Syndrome is undoubtedly unique, the story-line needs some work as do the characters. Read this book if you are looking for something different. I wouldn't buy it, though; I'd borrow it.
Rating: 
Summary: not impressed
Review: The writer definitely knows her craft. She is capable of some amazing descriptions and gives the subject of a young girl with Tourette's syndrome a poetic touch. But the characters are almost all stereotypes, and the understanding shown toward the girl seems too good to be true for the time and place the book is set in. Of course, she does meet her share of mockery, but those who love her achieve an unnatural state of acceptance and peace - yes, they should in an ideal world, but this is a time where no info on Tourette's was available. While it is possible to tell a story by painting everything in primary colors, the reader eventually begins to long for some shades of gray. So it was here.
Rating:
Summary: Icy Sparks
Review: Icy Sparks is a girl who was raised by her grandparents because both her parents died when she was young. Along with growing up with no parents, Icy also has a disease called Tourette Syndrom, and doesn't find out she has this disease untill early adulthood. Her violent tics and verbal abuse, caused by Tourettes, isolates her from her peers and social life. This novel is about Icy's struggles and achievements in surviving the emotional and physical effects of tourrettes. And along the way Icy finds the meaning of love that looks beyond her disease, a love that last forever. The love her grandparents, and best friend (Emily), gave from the very beginning to the very end.
This book was hard to get into at first but soon I couldn't stop reading it. The author puts the reader in the mind set of Icy, which give the book a personality of its own. It's a real eye opener to what it's like to be mentally different but appear to be as normal as any other person. It can be confusing at times, so i reccomend it for ages 13 and older. (side note: to understand the story better read the section at the back of the book on Tourette Syndrom.)
Rating:
Summary: Touching story
Review: Full of truth and harsh reality, Icy Sparks tells a sweet and heart breaking tale of trying to fit into the round hole when you are the square peg. I loved this book. The characters are lovable, and you can picture yourself right there in the room. Wonderfully built story by the author. Enjoy this very good book.
Rating:
Summary: Icy Sparks
Review: I really enjoyed this story. It's about a young orphan, Icy Sparks who is struggling with Tourette's syndrome and who is trying her damndest to keep it from the only family she has left because she is afraid they will not love her anymore. How heartbreaking! Luckily, she does have one wonderful friend she can count on, Miss Emily, who is obese and knows exactly what it is like to be different and to have people dislike you because you are different. I also liked the ending. It did take a little bit of a religious turn in the last couple of chapters, so that could be a turn off for some people. However, I think that the real story behind those chapters was not so much about God but about Icy and her amazing talent. Through this talent Icy realized that she could feel wanted and accepted and could finally make peace with herself and her disorder.
| 
