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Summary: ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Review: On the surface, this novel brings you into the twitching and croaking body of a girl suffering Tourette Syndrome, but the book's real magic is its power to actually induce narcolepsy.
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Summary: Icy Found a Miracle Through Her Handicap!
Review: Icy Sparks was an orphaned child who was being broguth up by her grandparents. Life was difficult for her though, as she had the sudden onset of twitches and jerks,which is a disorder we now know as Tourette's Syndrome. Icy struggled with the people around her, and no one could understand her at all. The only person who did was Miss Emily, a very obese woman who knew what it was like to be shunned either because of looking or acting
different than others. Miss Emily plays a big role in helping Emily, and through her, she discovers her talent of singing.A very good book and worthwhile reading material.
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Summary: Good First Novel
Review: This novel is simply written and direct and tells the story of a girl growing up with a mysterious condition that makes her a social outcast. She suffers from bouts of tics, jerks, uncontrollable verbal outbursts, and all the social and psychological fallout such bizarre behavior brings. Icy Sparks makes her way through school in rural Kentucky in the 1950s, and meets up with an ignorant teacher and teasing classmates, which only make matters worse. Both of Icy's parents are dead, and she's being raised by caring and loving grandparents, but there is reference to a genetic link to her father for her condition.
Icy's life plays out realistically, which makes it clear that this story must be autobiographical.
What makes this story unique is the rarity of its telling in literature. I did find the ending a bit much, although the scenes at the end were rendered well. It's only in the last two pages that we discover Icy's condition to be that of Tourette's Syndrome, which makes the book all the more effective.
For anyone with this condition or who has children with this condition, this novel is must reading. For all others, it's also good to understand and empathize with those burdened with this genetic problem.
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Summary: Pleased
Review: This book was quite good. It is about a girl whom goes by the name of Icy Sparks growing up in a southern state in the 1950's. She is different because she suffers or is "blessed" (as you will find out) by Torretes Syndrome. The story tells a tale of her growing up with the disease and how it carries her throughout life. I don't find it inspirational in any way, but it was a pleasant read.
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Summary: heart jerker
Review: I loved this book. I usually don't read many books but when i picked this one up and started it. I simply could not stop reading it. My emotions for this poor child and what she had to deal with were overwhelming. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone.
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Summary: Disappointing...
Review: Icy Sparks is the story of a young girl in rural Kentucky, afflicted with Tourette's syndrome. However, in the backwoods where Icy lives, her occasional outbursts of croaks and tics are simply labled as crazy, which lands Icy in a mental hospital at the tender age of 10. While this book was touching at times, the last few chapters seemed to take a strange twist and almost completely abandon Icy's condition and treat it as if Tourette's is just a condition that can be controlled by mind-over-matter. What started out as a wonderful novel which could have truly given insight into the world of Tourette's syndrome, ended in great disappointment. It appeared as if the author just wanted to bring the book to a quick finish and used religion as a quick panacea to cured what ailed Icy.
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Summary: A Vivid Look at Tourette's Syndrome
Review: This is the story of Icy Sparks, a girl who struggles with Tourette's syndrome. Rubio draws you in with her vivid depictions of the struggles that Icy faces with all those around her who do not understand her. The greatest struggle, however, is with herself as she tries to control the urge to "croak" without understanding that she has a valid mental disorder. The great lesson of this book is one of tolerance and acceptance of things you cannot always understand.
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Summary: Great!
Review: I would recommend the book Icy Sparks to anyone over age 13. It's a compelling book that's both sad and comical at the same time. I would only recommend it to a little bit more mature audience because it tends to use foal language. The author Gwyn Hyman Rubio has awesome writing technique that keeps you interested the whole time, except maybe the beginning. When Icy Sparks, the fictional little girl the book is written about, is first being introduced to us it gets a bit confusing and it's easy to get lost in all the characters. The10 yr old Icy Sparks learns that people can be cruel. Before she discovers how to control the tics and cussing and eye popping, she hides it from her grandparents by letting loose in the cellar. She soon finds out that there is hope for people who are different through going to Bluegrass State Hospital and her best friend Miss Emily.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent read
Review: Gwyn Hyman Rubio has created such a sweet and memorable character in Icy Sparks, I just hope she will be able to do it again! Icy catches your heart in the first few pages and breaks it by Part II, which I cried nearly all the way through. She is such a card and at the same time such a lovely human being. Her condition which isn't really revealed until the very end, becomes as endearing as the character herself. The ending in my opinion left a little to be desired, probably because I loved Icy so much by then I wanted some reassurance that she really was going to be okay. In all this was a wonderful book, I have passed on to friends and family and all have enjoyed it as much as I did.
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Summary: Icy's Sparks
Review: Icy Sparks, title character and charming little girl, will win your heart. She is bright and beautiful with "hair the color of goldenrod" and eyes of "yellow ochre," but she has a secret that all too soon is revealed to the public and not only peers but adults alike fear her. She has Tourette Syndrome, but in the 1950's, it was undiagnosed and she found no relief until her 20's.
Icy lives with her adoring grandparents in a small Kentucky mountain town. The book is full of folk wisdom and lovely description of flowers and the natural beauty of the area. Characters are well-drawn allowing the reader to attain an intimacy with them that is seldom found. A stay at the state mental hospital reveals characters so despicable that they are almost Dickensian in character, making the reader empathize with Icy all the more.
A sojourn at the end into the various churches of the town and their characteristics lends humor and authenticity to Icy's emergence from fear and shame into a world where she knows she will survive. Her lovely "voice like an angel" gives her confidence and the courage to know that she will make it. The only part that did not ring true to me was all the carrying on at the end with the pentacostal stuff. It seemed totally out of character for both the grandmother and Miss Emily to fall prey to such sensationalism and perfectly on point for Icy to refuse it.
All in all, this is a lovely book with wisdom and lessons for living. Icy's insights are both wise beyond her years and charming in their innocence. Despite some rather wordy passages that could have been shortened, this is a very good read.
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