Reviews for George and Sam: Two Boys, One Family, and Autism

The average rating for George and Sam: Two Boys, One Family, and Autism based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2008-04-30 00:00:00 D V I've been trying to read this ever since I stumbled across an excerpt in Nick Hornby's The Polysyllabic Spree and finally got my hands on it through interlibrary loan. I kind of read it in one sitting. It is brilliant. It is funny and heartbreaking and fascinating and tender and every good adjective I can think of. Moore is tough as nails and clear-eyed in her gaze on her two non-neurotypical sons (who are, in her words, "autistic through and through"), but when she talks about how much she adores them, the lady doth not protest too much. You believe her. You believe that while every day brings fresh frustration, it also brings joy of a kind she cannot really convey. I am ridiculously in love with Jake, her youngest -- who is neurotypical -- and the one thing I would like to see in a second edition which is almost wholly lacking in this one is an examination of Jake's relationship with his brothers. Since reading copperbadge's discussion of the prodigal son and siblings of the non-neurotypical, I have become much more sensitive to this (not to the extent of, uh, talking to my sister about how my depression affects her, but baby steps). Obviously, a five-year-old (which is how old Jake was at this writing) can't really have the same kind of deep conflict that Sam has or that my sister probably has, but I remain troubled by Moore's blithe assertion that she does not want Jake to feel responsible for the care of his brothers when he's older. I'm just not sure how she's planning to make that happen, especially since she doesn't seem to have a clear sense of what could or would happen to her sons if and when she can no longer care for them herself. It is clear to Moore and to the reader that George and Sam almost certainly will not be able to live independently as adults, but there is a real...blitheness is the only word I can think of, to her tone, when she talks about it. But as a whole? OMG SO GOOD. (Also, please God, if only Charlotte Moore were the face for parents with autistic children, instead of Jenny McCarthy. The world would be better off.)

Review # 2 was written on 2015-10-23 00:00:00 Aaron Reed I quite liked this book, it gave immensely useful insights in the youth of a lower functioning autist. I'm quite familiar with the subject, though not very much with the more severe part of the autism spectrum. Having no sense of future, mainly enjoying toys and nature because of their physical features, and pretty much any concept our world is built around is quite astonishing. A really interesting read, and even after reading this highly detailed book it is still hard to imagine how you perceive the world if you are severely autistic. Only downside of the book I can think of is that the story switches back and forth quite a bit and is sometimes repetitive.