Scan barcode
laur_en's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
3.5
gabmc's review against another edition
4.0
I recently watched a documentary based on Owen's life after this book was written, so I had to read the book. Owen Suskind is 3 years old when his parents notice a drastic change in him - he stops talking, his gait is different and he can't seem to look people in the eye. Over time, he was diagnosed with autism and his parents wonder how to reach him. They have always watched Disney movies as a family but one day that watching turned into something else - when Owen spoke a line from "A Little Mermaid". Not only did he speak after 2 years, but the line was delivered in context. Over time they discover that their love of Disney is bringing Owen out of his shell. Well worth reading.
ginabyeg's review against another edition
3.0
I thoroughly enjoyed understanding the psychology and perspective that the author's son with autism had on the world. His son used Disney films to be able to connect with and relate to the world, and that affinity ran deep. I always enjoy reading about how individuals with autism make sense of a socially complex world.
That being said, I only gave this book three stars, because I felt that the process by which the son's psychology unfolded actually detracted from the overall story. The author and his family come from a place of much privilege. Ron Suskind is a journalist with many connections. It seemed like any time he and his wife experienced a struggle in understanding their son, they put a call-out to another connection and got their son some new or additional support. I am not trying to undermine Suskind's struggle as a parent to connect with his son. That being said, I don't think it truly represents what most parents of children with autism go through. I think his family's struggle was mediated by their affluence.
It's heartwarming to hear a success story of a child with autism who succeeds at school, work, and relationships. That being said, I can't help but wonder if the single parent working at close to minimum wage who finds this book at the library will read it and wonder, "I don't have nearly that many strings to pull for my child. How can he possibly achieve his potential now?"
Interesting story? Yes. Insightful? Sure. Inspirational? Not so much.
That being said, I only gave this book three stars, because I felt that the process by which the son's psychology unfolded actually detracted from the overall story. The author and his family come from a place of much privilege. Ron Suskind is a journalist with many connections. It seemed like any time he and his wife experienced a struggle in understanding their son, they put a call-out to another connection and got their son some new or additional support. I am not trying to undermine Suskind's struggle as a parent to connect with his son. That being said, I don't think it truly represents what most parents of children with autism go through. I think his family's struggle was mediated by their affluence.
It's heartwarming to hear a success story of a child with autism who succeeds at school, work, and relationships. That being said, I can't help but wonder if the single parent working at close to minimum wage who finds this book at the library will read it and wonder, "I don't have nearly that many strings to pull for my child. How can he possibly achieve his potential now?"
Interesting story? Yes. Insightful? Sure. Inspirational? Not so much.
bibliophile1019's review against another edition
5.0
What an inspirational story!
Suskind tells the deeply personal story of his son's autism diagnosis at age 3 and the Disney movies that were the insight into his son's world. Before his diagnosis, Owen was a normal kid--laughing, playing, talking. Suddenly, the normal kid was replace with a child who cried all the time and could not communicate. During a consultation with one of the many doctors Suskind consulted, Owen showed--briefly--signs of play that were encouraging. The Suskinds implemented any and all kinds of therapy to try to reach their son, but he still wasn't verbal. The only activity he seemed to have interest in was watching Disney movies in the basement. He would watch them obsessively, often rewinding and playing certain parts over and over. It wasn't until he rewound a scene in The Little Mermaid that his mother realized his one word--which sounded like "juice"--was really a line from Ursula's song when she takes Ariel's voice: "just your voice". This was a window into their son's mind, letting his parents know he was still in there, but his voice was gone. Despite skepticism by doctors and experts, the Suskinds used Disney movies and characters to "rebirth" Owen into the world, with great success. They could communicate with him through lines of dialogue, they would role play, he even taught himself to read by obsessively watching the credits after everyone else went upstairs. Now, Owen is in a college program, working on a Disney movie about Sidekicks who must become their own heroes.
Two things struck me most about the Suskinds' story. First, the relationship between Owen and his older brother Walt. Owen is trapped in a world of what he calls sidekicks--characters like Rafiki and Timon and Sebastian--that help the heroes complete their destiny. Owen sees his parents, his doctors, his teachers as sidekicks. The only hero in his life is his brother. That cannot have been easy for Walt to deal with that pressure. I was constantly impressed with his patience and dedication to his brother while still holding fast to his own identity and his own life. That is a difficult balance to maintain. Second, none of the story would have been possible without Owen's mother. She worked tirelessly to help Owen, not just in terms of driving him to therapies and meeting with doctors. When doctors told her no, she created her own therapies that she implemented at home. When his school wasn't pushing him hard enough, she pulled him out and created her own program so that he would be ready to attend high school. When she couldn't find a transition program for Owen to attend after graduation that would prepare him for college, she created one. Her tireless work and support of Owen is why this story exists.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who knows someone with autism, who is a teacher, or who loves Disney.
Suskind tells the deeply personal story of his son's autism diagnosis at age 3 and the Disney movies that were the insight into his son's world. Before his diagnosis, Owen was a normal kid--laughing, playing, talking. Suddenly, the normal kid was replace with a child who cried all the time and could not communicate. During a consultation with one of the many doctors Suskind consulted, Owen showed--briefly--signs of play that were encouraging. The Suskinds implemented any and all kinds of therapy to try to reach their son, but he still wasn't verbal. The only activity he seemed to have interest in was watching Disney movies in the basement. He would watch them obsessively, often rewinding and playing certain parts over and over. It wasn't until he rewound a scene in The Little Mermaid that his mother realized his one word--which sounded like "juice"--was really a line from Ursula's song when she takes Ariel's voice: "just your voice". This was a window into their son's mind, letting his parents know he was still in there, but his voice was gone. Despite skepticism by doctors and experts, the Suskinds used Disney movies and characters to "rebirth" Owen into the world, with great success. They could communicate with him through lines of dialogue, they would role play, he even taught himself to read by obsessively watching the credits after everyone else went upstairs. Now, Owen is in a college program, working on a Disney movie about Sidekicks who must become their own heroes.
Two things struck me most about the Suskinds' story. First, the relationship between Owen and his older brother Walt. Owen is trapped in a world of what he calls sidekicks--characters like Rafiki and Timon and Sebastian--that help the heroes complete their destiny. Owen sees his parents, his doctors, his teachers as sidekicks. The only hero in his life is his brother. That cannot have been easy for Walt to deal with that pressure. I was constantly impressed with his patience and dedication to his brother while still holding fast to his own identity and his own life. That is a difficult balance to maintain. Second, none of the story would have been possible without Owen's mother. She worked tirelessly to help Owen, not just in terms of driving him to therapies and meeting with doctors. When doctors told her no, she created her own therapies that she implemented at home. When his school wasn't pushing him hard enough, she pulled him out and created her own program so that he would be ready to attend high school. When she couldn't find a transition program for Owen to attend after graduation that would prepare him for college, she created one. Her tireless work and support of Owen is why this story exists.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who knows someone with autism, who is a teacher, or who loves Disney.
andeez's review against another edition
5.0
I fell in love with the whole Suskind family in this memoir of a dad and his son with autism. Because our family is Disney-obsessed, I could relate to every quote Owen recited and the emotions that followed. I recommend this to anyone who cares to see what it is like in a family where one member thinks in a different way than most.
jesslroy's review against another edition
4.0
This book gave a unique and open view into a family dealing with the ups and downs of having an autistic child. While their story is unlike many others in this situation, due to their ability and position to provide where many cannot, I was engaged in the story and enjoyed the way Disney weaved so intimately into the development of this child and his family.
lynnettes's review against another edition
5.0
This book was at times heartbreaking but overall so incredibly inspiring. I work with children and young adults on the spectrum. This book has affirmed some of my views and has inspired me to change how I approach some of my therapy sessions. It gave me hope for the future for many of my little clients. I am recommending this book to many of the parents I work with.
emilygrafton8's review against another edition
4.0
i had to read this book for a class but it definitely was a good read! the disney connection was my favorite aspect as a disney lover myself. i loved seeing owens life from 3 years old all the way to adulthood. it was such a heartwarming and special story!
readerpants's review
3.0
Hm. I imagine this is a fairly polarizing read.
The good: it was certainly readable, though slick. Kept my attention and kept me reading enough that I finished it in just a few days.
Everybody's journey, and everybody's pain, is different, and big to them. I think it's completely legitimate that this family struggled with their son's autism, and that it was genuinely challenging and painful. That said, it is really, really hard to feel deep empathy for parents who are so very privileged and well-resourced. So many folks I know with cognitive/developmental disabilities or ASD, from my time in community-based disability advocacy to working in customer service in the public library to friends' siblings, are dealing with all of this minus the tens of thousands of dollars for specialized interventions and care teams, or trying to deal with it on top of family and neighborhood trauma. The number of kids with autism in Somali families in Seattle is apparently significantly higher than the general population, for example, and those families are often also dealing with a whole host of other challenges, including unstable housing, language and cultural barriers, lack of high-paying jobs with good insurance, and deeply rooted systemic racism. Hard to hold that up against "no famous person wants to come talk for half an hour to the wealthy donors and parents at this special school." I don't think he's flippant or not cognizant of their relative wealth and the massive amount of cultural/class capital the family brings to the endeavor... but it really does create a gulf for me as a reader.
I don't mean to lack compassion or scoff at the challenges they faced. But. I would have liked a little more of Owen's voice and a little less east coast insider culture.
The good: it was certainly readable, though slick. Kept my attention and kept me reading enough that I finished it in just a few days.
Everybody's journey, and everybody's pain, is different, and big to them. I think it's completely legitimate that this family struggled with their son's autism, and that it was genuinely challenging and painful. That said, it is really, really hard to feel deep empathy for parents who are so very privileged and well-resourced. So many folks I know with cognitive/developmental disabilities or ASD, from my time in community-based disability advocacy to working in customer service in the public library to friends' siblings, are dealing with all of this minus the tens of thousands of dollars for specialized interventions and care teams, or trying to deal with it on top of family and neighborhood trauma. The number of kids with autism in Somali families in Seattle is apparently significantly higher than the general population, for example, and those families are often also dealing with a whole host of other challenges, including unstable housing, language and cultural barriers, lack of high-paying jobs with good insurance, and deeply rooted systemic racism. Hard to hold that up against "no famous person wants to come talk for half an hour to the wealthy donors and parents at this special school." I don't think he's flippant or not cognizant of their relative wealth and the massive amount of cultural/class capital the family brings to the endeavor... but it really does create a gulf for me as a reader.
I don't mean to lack compassion or scoff at the challenges they faced. But. I would have liked a little more of Owen's voice and a little less east coast insider culture.