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Summary: Mothering a Child with OCD/TS
Review: My son has OCD and Tourette Syndrome. It seems almost impossible that a parent could let a child go so long undiagnosed as did Amy's parents, but then I recognized some of her father's insensitive behavior as my own, especially the insistence that order is the cure-all for everything. My son and I are not biologically related - he is adopted, along with his two brothers - but witnessing his struggle has enlightened me on my own behaviors and I am filled with admiration for him as he struggles with "simple" things like a combination lock or keeps on plugging in school. I was especially intrigued by the Afterward. My son is also very allergic to penicillin and may have had strepp as a baby. A wonderful book for parents and teachers of young people who struggle with this condition.
Rating: 
Summary: Workmanlike.
Review: My wife has Tourette's, so perhaps I came to this book expecting something more. Despite the title, it's clear that Ms. Wilensky not only "passed" but was, for all intents and purposes, able to lead a mostly normal life, something my wife could not do until her thirties. It's also hard to sympathize too much with the author's privileged, sheltered upbringing--far from making her life a living hell, the Tourette's appears to have given her a certain cache in a world where (by her own description) it seems that a woman's worth was measured by the severity of her eating disorder. Ms. Wilensky is thoughtful enough, but this book lacks a certain depth. Perhaps it's distance on her adolescent self-absorption.
Rating:
Summary: An Amazing Account of a Difficult Life
Review: One Sunday afternoon several years ago I was in a busy drugstore at Christmas time looking for the perfect kitty ornament for my niece. Kneeling down searching thru a huge box, I was startled when suddenly a man behind me began to quack. Loudly. In my ear. When I turned to face him, I found an ordinary looking middle aged man who looked miserable about the noise he was making. At the time I was wearing a sweatshirt onto which I had cross stitched a yellow duck with a sprig of holly in its beak. Figuring somehow he was reacting to my shirt, I walked away from the box and started for another part of the store. The quacking stopped. Later, standing on a long check out line, I watched the woman in front of me pull the string on a Christmas toy. Out came the words, "Bah! Humbug!" Not a second later came cries of "Bah! Humbug!" from the quacking man who was now several people behind me on line. It wasn't until I was driving home that I realized what was wrong with the quacking man. He had Tourette's Syndrome. I do not have Tourette's or OCD nor am I related to anyone who does, but I was so deeply moved by Amy Wilensky's book that I read it in one sitting. What an amazing account of what had to have been such a difficult life. Only a woman as brave as Amy could have gotten thru high school and college as pre-occupied and troubled as she was. I thought I was handicapped in school because I had a face full of freckles and an unrestrained overbite. Amy had actual demons she had to obey in order to be able to get out of bed every morning. But she did it. How brave is that? You don't have to suffer from a psychological or neurological disorder to appreaciate this book. You just have to be human.
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Summary: Passing for Normal (by Amy S. Wilensky Reader Review)
Review: Passing for Normal (by Amy S. Wilesky) Reader Review
Reviewer: Kristina M. Emard from Lebanon, ME USA Amy is an awesome writer, she tends to skip around a little but her detail and thoughts and opinions about everything are just so selective and different. Too bad there weren°Øt more writers like her. She talks about her life and the things she had to deal with. She did very well in school even with her disabilities. Amy had a very rough up bringing dealing with her two disabilities (1) Tourette Syndrome which is a rare disease that is characterized by involuntary tics and by uncontrollable verbalization involving especially echolalia and the use of obscene language, (2) Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by obsessions or compulsions having one or both is sufficient for the diagnosis. An obsession is a recurrent and intrusive thought, feeling, idea, or sensation. A compulsion is a conscious, recurrent pattern of behavior a person feels driven to perform. Amy didn°Øt even know she had the disorders until she was older. She had to deal with her family and friends who thought she was crazy. She does finally end up getting the strength to go see a doctor because she knows that something is wrong with her. She was diagnosed with OCD and Tourette Syndrome, so her doctor put her on Prozac and other medications. After, when she knew she had the disorders she had a hard time, and didn°Øt want people to say bad things or make fun of her because of her disabilities, so she kept them to herself. When Amy is at her group meeting she isolates herself, she says °?My main problem is this: I seriously questioned myself up to a group of people who wouldn°Øt or rather couldn°Øt accept my party line.°± When Amy says °? people who wouldn°Øt or couldn°Øt accept my party line°± she means, people wouldn°Øt accept her for her. She was afraid that people wouldn°Øt accept her. In group she met a man named Bryant. They shared many similarities, which built their strong relationship. When Amy moved and was able to start at a new school, she loved it! She made many new friends, who again didn°Øt know she had these disabilities. Her friends thought that the twitching and the need to touch everything was cool. Amy eventually becomes obsessed with her obsessions and compulsions. Amy goes to college at Vassar like her many other relatives, where her and her first boyfriend begin living together. She was afraid of relationships, afraid of getting hurt, and afraid of being touched, but most of all afraid of any sexual activity. She trusted Ben very much though. In the last chapter she sends a very strong message that includes the title of the book. °?The older I get the more arsenals I acquire, the better I get at keeping my secrets, sometimes overriding them, sometimes Passing for Normal.°± This book has an amazing twist in the end but I wont spoil it for you. It is a great book for any reader that can follow flash backs and such. She uses great detail and amazing thoughts and opinions. She is a great writer.
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Summary: We are all "passing for normal" in some way or another
Review: This book is really a story of a very interesting young woman coming to understand some of her personal characteristics that made her a little bit different than others. From her struggles with her over-involved father to her performances at age seven as Clara in the Nutcracker ballet to her college romance with her now husband, Wilensky is a wonderful writer and her story will appeal to many who have felt that they were a bit different, regardless of whether they have OCD or Tourettes.
Rating: 
Summary: A self-indulgent memoir. Skip it.
Review: This book is worth reading only for those who know someone with Tourettes Syndrome; and even then there are better books out there. This book has obviously seen the light of day only because of the current flood of memoirs, and their success. It borders on self-exploitive, and definitely is self-indulgent and self-aggrandizing. Skip it.
Rating:
Summary: a great accomplishment
Review: This is a well-written, well-paced, interesting story by a woman who is clearly learning to master some of her own difficulties with OCD and Tourettes. I think it is amazing that a young author could pull off such a well-crafted and captivating narrative on a sensitive subject, and to think that she did all this while suffering from two disorders that can be so debhilitating is even more inspiring. Wilensky asks for no pity or special attention regarding her disorders -- she commands the readers interest through talent and obvious dedication to her work and her subject matter. Wonderful!
Rating:
Summary: there are much better books on this topic
Review: This memoir read like an article that was stretched out into an entire book. It was not a particularly interesting memoir or a good book on the topic of OCD or Tourette's. It was long-winded, obvious, and stale.
Rating:
Summary: good memior
Review: this was good because the author did not pity herself all the way through she was not all like woe is me i have tourrettes.i found this a very enjoyable read. i recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Finally, someone who understands!
Review: When I read Amy Wilensky's book, I immediately started crying- finally, here was a bright young woman who had every aspect of her life together except for perhaps the most important part- she had a disease she didn't understand. That was me! I too had suffered from this illness, passing for normal and undiagnosed. To read this book for me was like a light coming on in the darkness, and her willingness to sahre her struggle gave me the strength to move on with my life. Amy, you deserve more than just a good review- you deserve a worldwide hug!!
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