List of Ten

by Halli Gomez

Overview

A harrowing yet hopeful account of a teen living with Tourette Syndrome and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder . . .
and contemplating his own mortality.
Ten: three little letters, one ordinary number. No big deal, right? But for Troy Hayes, a 16-year-old suffering from Tourette Syndrome and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, the number ten dictates his life, forcing him to do everything by its exacting rhythm. Finally, fed up with the daily humiliation, loneliness, and physical pain he endures, Troy writes a list of ten things to do by the tenth anniversary of his diagnosis—culminating in suicide on the actual day. But the process of working his way through the list changes Troy’s life: he becomes friends with Khory, a smart, beautiful classmate who has her own troubled history. Khory unwittingly helps Troy cross off items on his list, moving him ever closer to his grand finale, even as she shows him that life may have more possibilities than he imagined. This is a dark, intense story, but it’s also realistic, hopeful, and deeply authentic.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781454940142
Publisher:	Union Square & Co.
Publication date:	03/16/2021
Pages:	360
Sales rank:	512,825
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.10(h) x 1.20(d)
Lexile:	HL590L (what's this?)
Age Range:	14 - 18 Years

About the Author

Halli Gomez was an intelligence analyst for police departments and federal agencies, and now works as a writer and a martial arts teacher (she is a fourth-degree black belt in Taekwondo). She and her family live in Charlotte, NC.

Editorial Reviews

"Told in the first person, this powerful novel takes readers into the emotional and physical depths of TS, feeling every pain and twitch. . . .This #OwnVoices novel gives insight into living with these conditions, and readers will ponder how friendship means more than being “perfect.”—School Library Journal

"This story by an author with Tourette syndrome delivers a painfully realistic depiction of living with chronic conditions, trying to fight them, and being bullied for them. . . . Although the hopeful ending feels too quick and tidy, Troy’s first-person narrative shows understanding of neurodiverse individuals. . . . An authentic and compassionate look at the ups and downs of teenage life and living with Tourette syndrome."—Kirkus

From the Publisher

01/01/2021

Gr 9 Up—What most people see when they look at 16-year-old Troy Haynes are his tics, his clutching hands, his behavior that causes him to align objects, touch the floor, and shout out words that don't belong. Troy has Tourette syndrome (TS) and obsessive-compulsive disorder and he is weary, sad, and ready to die. Because the number 10 is important to him, he decides to die on the 10-year anniversary of his diagnosis. He makes a list of nine things he's always wanted do with the goal of completing them by the expected date (suicide is the 10th thing). Then Troy meets Khory, the surviving twin of a kidnapping, who has her own demons to contend with and she pays little attention to Troy's tics. When she introduces Troy to her friends, he finds acceptance for the first time. While helping Khory with her own list toward becoming more independent, Troy discovers that his 10th goal feels far too final. Told in the first person, this powerful novel takes readers into the emotional and physical depths of TS, feeling every pain and twitch. Making the choice to live will take a herculean effort, and only with the support of his family and the love of his friends can Troy move even slightly toward that choice. Most characters' ethnicity isn't stated, and one of Khory's friends is Black. VERDICT This #OwnVoices novel gives insight into living with these conditions, and readers will ponder how friendship means more than being "perfect."—Connie Williams, Petaluma, CA

School Library Journal

2020-12-22
A teen with Tourette syndrome works through a list of life-altering actions, including possible suicide.

When Troy’s Tourette syndrome emerged at age 6, a therapist suggested counting to 10 to ease his anxiety. The therapist also unknowingly instilled the number 10 into Troy’s comorbid obsessive-compulsive disorder thoughts and rituals. To recognize the 10th anniversary of his diagnosis, the high school sophomore has created a List of Ten with action items to take back his life from the disorder that controls it. This story by an author with Tourette syndrome delivers a painfully realistic depiction of living with chronic conditions, trying to fight them, and being bullied for them. Some of the items on Troy’s list even elicit pain, from meeting someone else with Tourette to seeking the mother who abandoned him, a Tourette sufferer as well. However, other goals, like driving a car and experiencing his first kiss, emerge from newfound friendships and tender scenes of first love and budding sexuality with girlfriend Khory. As Troy begins living on his own terms, he also approaches the last item on his list—commit suicide. Although the hopeful ending feels too quick and tidy, Troy’s first-person narrative shows understanding of neurodiverse individuals. Troy and Khory are White by default; some mutual friends are racially diverse.

An authentic and compassionate look at the ups and downs of teenage life and living with Tourette syndrome. (discussion questions, author's note) (Fiction. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews