Scan barcode
A review by dreamboatannie
January First by Michael Schofield
1.0
This book was, hands down, one of the most irritating reading experiences of my life. You know that baby or child on a plan who won't stop crying and flailing around, and you sort of feel sorry for them because hey, flying is weird and upsetting to a child? This book was like a transatlantic flight where you're sandwiched into a middle seat between an uncontrollably bratty child and their parent who doesn't discipline them and instead spends a good solid three hours telling you how smart their precious little one is.
Jani sounds like a handful and I don't know if her diagnosis is a proper one, but it's clear something is amiss. Despite her behavior being difficult to see past initially, she seems to have a genuinely sweet personality, and the idea that she feels scared, out of control, or like a "bad" child is truly heartbreaking.
Her dad, Michael, as presented in this book seems like a deeply unpleasant person who finds meaning in life by being a martyr. His relationship with his wife as described in this book seems at best awful and at worst emotionally and perhaps verbally abusive. He is obsessed with detailing how special he is; no other parent (even his wife!) can truly understand how hard his life is for him. He also is strangely convinced that only HE truly knows how to parent Jani, only HE can control their family pet, only HE fully accepts and appreciates Jani's intelligence.
Oh, Jani's intelligence. In case you missed it the first few times it's brought up in the book, don't worry, you'll have a couple hundred more opportunities to read all about how Jani is so intelligent and that because she is academically gifted, she has a right to be absolutely atrocious. Those who dislike her bad behavior simply don't understand her GENIUS. Doctors who suggested a firmer hand with her (the result of which was decreased -- though not entirely eradicated -- negative behavior) just didn't KNOW Jani like Michael did, and were too stupid to realize that giving her firm boundaries and rules only hampered her budding genius.
This book isn't about parenting a special needs child, this book is about a really unpleasant person who happens to have a child with special needs.
Jani sounds like a handful and I don't know if her diagnosis is a proper one, but it's clear something is amiss. Despite her behavior being difficult to see past initially, she seems to have a genuinely sweet personality, and the idea that she feels scared, out of control, or like a "bad" child is truly heartbreaking.
Her dad, Michael, as presented in this book seems like a deeply unpleasant person who finds meaning in life by being a martyr. His relationship with his wife as described in this book seems at best awful and at worst emotionally and perhaps verbally abusive. He is obsessed with detailing how special he is; no other parent (even his wife!) can truly understand how hard his life is for him. He also is strangely convinced that only HE truly knows how to parent Jani, only HE can control their family pet, only HE fully accepts and appreciates Jani's intelligence.
Oh, Jani's intelligence. In case you missed it the first few times it's brought up in the book, don't worry, you'll have a couple hundred more opportunities to read all about how Jani is so intelligent and that because she is academically gifted, she has a right to be absolutely atrocious. Those who dislike her bad behavior simply don't understand her GENIUS. Doctors who suggested a firmer hand with her (the result of which was decreased -- though not entirely eradicated -- negative behavior) just didn't KNOW Jani like Michael did, and were too stupid to realize that giving her firm boundaries and rules only hampered her budding genius.
This book isn't about parenting a special needs child, this book is about a really unpleasant person who happens to have a child with special needs.