ALA Booklist (Mon Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2008)

In rural Wisconsin, Sam, a high-school student with Tourette syndrome, is alienated from his peers and rejected by his stepfather, and he has trouble getting close to lovely, kind Naomi. After graduation, his stepfather kicks him out of the house, and he accepts a job and lodging from another outcast, who knew Sam's late father and dispels some of Sam's misconceptions about his dad. Then, after more shake-ups at home, Sam embarks on a road trip with Naomi to California, hunting windmills and answers left by Sam's dad along the way. Sam and his story are quixotic in the best possible way: he is a good-hearted dreamer trying to do right by his dulcinea. Debut author Friesen has Tourette syndrome, and he brings complexity and nuance to Sam's struggle for understanding and self-acceptance. The pacing is leisurely, but like any good road story, there are enough corners and bends to keep readers eagerly anticipating what lies ahead at the journey's end.

Kirkus Reviews

Like its Tourette Syndromeafflicted protagonist, this novel lacks grace. Sam lives with his mother, his baby half brother and his stepfather, an abusive man with OCD who hates Sam's dead father so much that he changed Sam's name. With no prospects after graduation, Sam takes a job with "Coot," a local oddball who knew Sam's dad and quickly becomes Sam's best friend (as well as his connection to beautiful Naomi) before dropping dead and leaving Sam his farm and a quest. Sam, now reverted to Jack and accompanied by Naomi, follows the quest and discovers his parents' Mennonite past and the windmills his father built. Quirky characters who barely rise above caricatures, clunky dialogue and inconsistent voice and a pregnant leading-lady round out the tale. Cluttered plot and issues galore, with a too-easy resolution and a rickety back story (why did no one ever mention to Sam that his dad was not a boozing two-timer?) undermine the potentially interesting premise. Hardly worth the effort. (reading-group questions; author interview, not seen) (Fiction. 13 & up)

School Library Journal (Mon Dec 01 00:00:00 CST 2008)

Gr 8 Up-Sam Carrier's bitter, abusive stepfather, Old Bill, is ashamed of the boy's Tourette's Syndrome, and makes the teen feel that shame at every turn. He also makes Sam's life a misery by constantly telling him that his father was a no-good deserter. Upon his high school graduation, Sam meets George, a friend of his long-dead father, who attempts to undo the harm that Old Bill has done over the years. Sam (whose real name turns out to be Jack) embarks on a cross-country road trip to discover his roots, his identity, and his love for Naomi, who tags along, bringing some unexpected baggage. The story is compelling, especially Sam/Jack's quest for a deeper understanding of himself through his father's legacy. Along the way, he stays in the homes of his father's old friends and puts the pieces of his parents' life together. There is an abundance of inner dialogue, so much that readers may have trouble distinguishing between what Sam thinks, tells himself, or says to others. As soon as he meets George and his period of discovery begins, the book is a quick read, and the excitement of his journey will keep most readers turning the pages to see what's around the bend. Nora G. Murphy, Los Angeles Academy Middle School

Voice of Youth Advocates

Plagued by Tourette's syndrome, a weak mother, and a stepfather who despises him, recent high school graduate Sam is taken in by an eccentric old man in his small Minnesota town. Relentlessly teased by his peers and family, he finds solace and acceptance for the first time in his life with the old gardener. A gifted runner, Sam has a casual friendship with attractive young Naomi, also a runner. Sam begins learning some truths about his real father who also had Tourette's. Was he really a drunken womanizer? The death of his new benefactor brings about more surprises and compels him to take a road trip that will help him discover the truth about his life. Meeting relatives he did not know he had on a his road trip with his girlfriend, Sam fills in some of the gaps that were missing from his past, uncovers some lies, and develops a meaningful relationship with Naomi. Can he set things right back home with what he has discovered? The author conveys Sam's utter sense of frustration with his condition and his accompanying low self-esteem and self-loathing. The dialogue and characters are realistically drawn but sometimes seem a bit stereotypical and at times disjointed. Overall the plot is emotionally rewarding and effective. This novel has been advertised via a book trailer on YouTube, which might spark added interest from the intended audience.-Kevin Beach.