| One morning Cory Friedman, five years old, woke | | | | teacher told him to write the word of the day on |
| up with the uncontrollable urge to shake his head. | | | | the blackboard and all of a sudden he wrote a |
| After many years of medication and several | | | | bad word. He knew he should not have done it |
| misdiagnoses, it was determined that Cory had | | | | but could not help it. This made the other |
| Tourette's syndrome, obsessive-compulsive | | | | students laugh at what he did. He then made |
| disorder and anxiety disorder. | | | | some silly faces and the students laughed even |
| This book is an account of the most difficult time | | | | more. He realized it was better to have them |
| dealing with Cory's illness, from age five to | | | | laugh with him then at him. The reader will also |
| seventeen. The family had his blessing to tell the | | | | get a thorough understanding of the torment that |
| story through Cory's own voice. | | | | Cory's parents went through over the years in |
| The story begins when Cory is driven to the | | | | trying to deal with this disease. |
| hospital for help to treat alcohol problems. Alcohol | | | | Hal Friedman, Cory's father, met James Patterson |
| seemed to be the only thing that would bring | | | | in 1975 at an advertising agency where they |
| Cory some peace. Cory had been on at least | | | | were both writers. Hal kept James informed |
| fifty different medications and nothing seemed to | | | | about Cory throughout the years. It wasn't until |
| help. In fact, it got to the point where one was | | | | Hal asked James Patterson to read an early draft |
| not sure whether the illness was causing the | | | | he had written of Cory's story that James |
| symptoms or the many medications were bringing | | | | realized how much torment the family had gone |
| out weird side affects. The doctors believed they | | | | through. It's almost beyond comprehension to |
| could help Cory with his problems. Once he and his | | | | think that after thirteen doctors and |
| family arrived at the building they saw a sign that | | | | approximately sixty medications, Cory's |
| read "Dressler Psychiatric Hospital". Cory told his | | | | symptoms were still unchecked. |
| parents that a psychiatric hospital is a place for | | | | Once you start reading Against Medical Advice it |
| people who are insane and he did not belong | | | | will be difficult to put this book down. It has the |
| there. He promised to quit drinking. | | | | short chapters that are typical in any James |
| This was just the beginning of the many years it | | | | Patterson book. Although this is not one of James |
| took his family to find help for Cory. | | | | Patterson's mystery books, you will find it just as |
| What really makes this book interesting is the | | | | suspenseful as a family tries to find an answer to |
| way it is told from Cory's point of view. The | | | | the mystery disease that took control of their |
| reader will get an inside view of how Cory felt | | | | son. |
| when he had no control over things like when his | | | | |