Rubber Band Girl. A book review. And a give-away! Whee!

The girl with the wingspan.  You know, like Michael.  (ah I do love me some Michael)

You guys know that I am not a usually a reviewie gal.  But when there’s a book involved, and it’s a memoir, and the kid has special needs…how can I resist?  The good news for you is that not only did I receive Rubber Band Girl to read, I was given one to give to you.  Of course, this happened in January and it took me this long to get around to it, but we’re all okay with that.  Right?

So here goes.  I’m doing a give-away.  And a review.  Want to win a copy of the book “Rubber Band Girl” by Jennifer Nielson?  Trust me when I say that it’s worth it and that I probably shouldn’t be allowed to review books at all.  I am hyper-critical.  Which is really stupid considering I am working on many of my own.

Lightening up now!  Leave me a comment here and you’re entered to win.  Please specify if you’re commenting and do NOT want to be entered.  Yeah, I could get one of those fancy “click here and here and here and here and here again and you’ll be entered to win more often” widgetitythings, but I think they’re ugly.  Okay fine, I am way too lazy to figure that out.  True.  But I still think they’re ugly.  So if you want to win, just leave a comment by Sunday, March 31, and you’ll be entered in an old-fashioned draw-a-name-out-of-a-hat thing.  What.  I’m old.  You are cooler than me.  And I’m fine with that, give-away-people.  Seriously.  Anyway.

Here’s my review.

Rubber Band Girl is a heartfelt memoir written from a mother’s perspective about raising her daughter Hadley who has Marfan Syndrome.  Marfan Syndrome, commonly referred to as “rubber band syndrome” affects people differently.  Well duh.  Look at Tucker.  Look at autism.  Look at all of us affected with humanism.  We are all different.  And the more I know about syndromes, the more I know that they manifest themselves as differently as rainbows do.

Marfan Syndrome is most obviously diagnosed due to excessive height but also affects ligaments, the organs, leads to severe vision problems and usually causes extreme joint flexibility.  It can be fatal as there are often heart issues. In “Rubber Band Girl,” Hadley’s heart issues caused her to refrain from her beloved sports for years while also silently threatening her life.  Jennifer, Hadley’s mother, tells her daughter’s story with strength, faith, and a positive attitude for the future while also admitting to things that I’d likely never admit.  Like the time toddler Hadley was run over.  And the time she managed to escape her car-seat to drive down the block.  So yeah, it’s honest.  And I appreciate that.  A lot.

I’d say that for all parents, especially special needs parents, that the book is definitely worth reading.  I’m glad that I read it and encourage you to do the same. I think it’s worth it.

Excerpt:  “Where is Godzilla?” asked one of our neighbors. I stopped in my tracks. I was carrying a handful of treats to the table for our neighborhood picnic at the park, where we often gathered for potluck dinners and dessert. Now that she was a gregarious toddler, Hadley loved being with her friends—they would run and play for hours. As soon as we arrived she was off, scurrying away in her favorite red-and-white gingham dress with her little posse.

“Excuse me?” I responded, certain that I must have misunderstood my neighbor’s inquiry.

She asked again, this time with a chuckle in her voice, “Where is Godzilla . . . you know, Hadley?” I could hardly believe my ears. And from an adult, no less.

“Godzilla?!” I said with disgust, summoning all my power to restrain the mother bear inside me from attacking. I walked away, stunned and speechless. With the blood boiling inside me, I sought out a bench away from everyone; this get-together had suddenly lost its allure.

As I sat alone, I heard the children giggling and screaming all around me. I heard a little voice shout, “Watch me, Mommy!” I turned in the direction of the voice and saw Hadley being pushed on a swing by her dad, enjoying herself without a care in the world.

“Hadley is going to be okay,” I reminded myself. Between her frequent visits to the doctor and unusual accidents, it was a mantra that I found myself reciting often.

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Note – Because I’m an asshole, I will also say that it is not my favorite book of all time.  Because it wasn’t.  But that doesn’t mean it won’t be yours.  And it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t read it.  It just means that it’s pretty rare that I actually LOVE a book.   Which is why I have multiple books of my own sitting unpublished.  I’ve likely read 26,000 books.  No exaggeration.  To say that nine are in my favorites and that 35 are in my recommended is also not an exaggeration.  Just so you’re clear.  I’m super picky.  You should still totally read this because my memoior?  Sitting in a dusty file doing nothing.