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samanthahawn's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
3.5
audreychamaine's review against another edition
4.0
January First broke my heart and made me question how much devotion I’d be able to commit to my future child or children. To have a kid, think that she is normal, and then find out that she is intensely mentally ill, to the point that she endangers herself and other members of your family is kind of too much to take. But what can you do, really? You can’t abandon her, because if you’re not there for her, who will be? Schofield’s account of what it was like to go through this really got to me emotionally, and I just couldn’t stop reading. I read this one fast.
I don’t remember much about the writing, other than it got his point across. Really, who pays attention to the details of writing when the story is this compelling? I do know that Schofield’s style didn’t get in the way for me. I was left thinking about this book for days after I finished it, and felt mixed emotions. There was the horror of the knowledge that this could happen to me and my future family, but also thankfulness that I haven’t had to go through what Schofield’s family has had to endure. This is a great read for anybody who is interested in living with people with mental illness.
I don’t remember much about the writing, other than it got his point across. Really, who pays attention to the details of writing when the story is this compelling? I do know that Schofield’s style didn’t get in the way for me. I was left thinking about this book for days after I finished it, and felt mixed emotions. There was the horror of the knowledge that this could happen to me and my future family, but also thankfulness that I haven’t had to go through what Schofield’s family has had to endure. This is a great read for anybody who is interested in living with people with mental illness.
sarahhyatt's review against another edition
1.0
I read this book in one sitting, because it was fascinating, but it wasn't really enjoyable. I was struck by a few things: first, that way the father describes Jani's behavior is familiar. I've known a handful of children who acted exactly like Jani - I don't say this to normalize it, because nothing about these children's behavior was normal. I also don't say it to indicate that Jani isn't schizophrenic, or that on the other hand, these children were. But the violence, the hitting, the lack of remorse, the "switch" where something that seems like not the child, the apparently genuine confusion about "what did I do?" - I have known children like this. Maybe I'm jaded, but I expected more from "the worst case doctors had ever seen."
With those children, it was 8 out of 12 in a small suburban daycare classroom. Two-thirds. (Yes, those are high numbers. Yes, that's ridiculous). I don't believe all those children (if any) had schizophrenia. They may have had a handful of behavioral disorders mixed with inconsistent parenting.
This book, similarly, leads more to the side of awful parenting. Something is NOT RIGHT here. And would somebody just send me Honey? Honey, you want to live life as a dog should? Come over. You're welcome. I will love you.
Reading this book was less about discovering what Jani's life and world was like and more about watching the bad life choices made by her father. It made it difficult to have sympathy, because he continued to act heinously throughout the book, and described this honestly but with no apparent remorse. It was an adventure in bad dog ownership, bad teaching, bad parenting, and marriage problems. To the point where these problems and issues eclipsed anything that was going on with Jani. There is something not quite right in the parents that stands out as needing help and intervention more than anything Jani does in this book.
With those children, it was 8 out of 12 in a small suburban daycare classroom. Two-thirds. (Yes, those are high numbers. Yes, that's ridiculous). I don't believe all those children (if any) had schizophrenia. They may have had a handful of behavioral disorders mixed with inconsistent parenting.
This book, similarly, leads more to the side of awful parenting. Something is NOT RIGHT here. And would somebody just send me Honey? Honey, you want to live life as a dog should? Come over. You're welcome. I will love you.
Reading this book was less about discovering what Jani's life and world was like and more about watching the bad life choices made by her father. It made it difficult to have sympathy, because he continued to act heinously throughout the book, and described this honestly but with no apparent remorse. It was an adventure in bad dog ownership, bad teaching, bad parenting, and marriage problems. To the point where these problems and issues eclipsed anything that was going on with Jani. There is something not quite right in the parents that stands out as needing help and intervention more than anything Jani does in this book.
greenogal's review against another edition
3.0
Check out my review at:
http://www.shannonsbookbag.blogspot.com/2013/05/january-first-schofield.html
http://www.shannonsbookbag.blogspot.com/2013/05/january-first-schofield.html
albers485's review against another edition
5.0
I picked up this book a few hours ago and was not able to put it down. After finishing it, the first thing I had to do was hold and kiss my two-year old daughter. I can not imagine slowly losing her the way Michael slowly loses January. She is the light of my life, and you see that January is the light of Michael's life as you read what he goes through over those four years with her. I was heart-broken as I read of the struggles the Schoenfield's went through. I was outraged on their behalf to read some of their experiences, especially with 'Nurse Ratchet'. I was also shocked to learn that a child so young could develop schizophrenia. I had, ignorantly, believed that schizophrenia was a disease that only developed in your late teens or early twenties. How terrifying the disease already is, both for those who suffer from it and those who are caught on the wake of the disease. But to have that happen to a child, especially one so young, is beyond terrifying. Many of the things Michael describes Jani going through are things I see my own two-year old doing. To think that for some parents, the adorable, and sometimes aggravating, behaviors that my little girl displays are really symptoms of a me talk disease is shattering. I'm so thankful Michael shared his and January's story.
jennareads's review against another edition
2.0
I saw this story on TV when it first came out. I’ve watched it multiple times since then and have also been really curious about this family. I was excited to read this book, and it held my interest (which is why it didn’t get one star).
Unfortunately, there is something off about the author. I was getting more and more annoyed with him and his complex that only he could help his daughter. I kept a list of everyone who he claimed didn’t know what they were doing or weren’t as good as him. This included: Clerk , Jani’s Mom, Mom with twins , Twins, Mom of violet , Violet , Grandma , Therapist, his Therapist, Psychiatrist, Eeg tech, Nurses, Psych doc 1 , Psych doc 2 and her teacher.
Overall, the stories was more about him than his daughter.
I was annoyed at this conversation he had with his wife:
“She wants to go. She needs help, help we can’t provide.”
“You mean you can’t provide,” I answer bitterly.
And in general, I was surprised about how he described her. Did she read this before it was published?
“She is clearly cracking under the stress.”
“Wow she really in clueless“
Unfortunately, there is something off about the author. I was getting more and more annoyed with him and his complex that only he could help his daughter. I kept a list of everyone who he claimed didn’t know what they were doing or weren’t as good as him. This included: Clerk , Jani’s Mom, Mom with twins , Twins, Mom of violet , Violet , Grandma , Therapist, his Therapist, Psychiatrist, Eeg tech, Nurses, Psych doc 1 , Psych doc 2 and her teacher.
Overall, the stories was more about him than his daughter.
I was annoyed at this conversation he had with his wife:
“She wants to go. She needs help, help we can’t provide.”
“You mean you can’t provide,” I answer bitterly.
And in general, I was surprised about how he described her. Did she read this before it was published?
“She is clearly cracking under the stress.”
“Wow she really in clueless“
hedleyreads's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
chefd's review against another edition
4.0
A powerful book!!!!!!!!!
Looking at certain things in a different light.
Reread for bookgroup and it still made an impact on me.
Looking at certain things in a different light.
Reread for bookgroup and it still made an impact on me.
julialou's review against another edition
4.0
A very fast read - I read it in a day - frightening and depressing for much of the book, but it ended on a note of hope.