List of Ten (Young Adult)
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.
This book contains trigger warnings. Tics, self harm, and suicide ideations.
"An authentic and compassionate look at the ups and down of teenage life and living with Tourette syndrome" - Kirkus
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/halli-gomez/list-of-ten/
"Told in the first person, this powerful novel takes readers into the emotional and physical depths of TS, feeling every pain and twitch... Readers will ponder how friendship means more than being perfect." - School Library Journal
https://www.slj.com/?global_search=list+of+ten+halli+gomez
"I'm just... wrecked. It's a stunning, difficult, powerful, heartfelt book, and it made me cry." - Nicole Lesperance, author of The Wide Starlight and The Nightmare Thief
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Fitness Fiasco (What Happened? Set 2) by Verity Weaver (Middle Grade)
The Fall Family Fitness Festival promises to be the highlight of Justice Payne Middle Schools yearas long as the sixth graders can overcome their nerves long enough to present their physical activity to the public. But two hours before the festivals start, students arrive at the gym to a disaster: Haileys yoga station and Dawsons karate station have been trashed. Who would have ruined these stations? Was it a rival karate kid? Or maybe it was Dawson himself, hoping to prevent a recap of his previous disastrous brick-breaking attempt? Was it the new girl trying to take Haileys spot in her friend group? Or was it a concerned father, hoping to get his daughter out of the project?
Crack open a What Happened? book to investigate a preposterous mystery from four different perspectives. See what the witnesses gets right . . . and what they get hilariously wrong. Bet you'll never guess what really happened!
You can get your copy at IndieBound, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon.
Brave New Girls: Tales of Heroines Who Hack! (Young Adult)
Welcome to the sci-fi worlds of brainy teen heroines who hack not just computers, but whatever puzzles come their way. A scrappy mechanic on an oppressed planet builds a device she hopes will be her ticket to a better future. A fledgling chemist uses her skills to catch a murderer. A teen inventor creates a weapon to battle the mysterious beasts attacking her city. A superhero-in-training puts her skills to the test when attackers strike her compound. A self-styled detective hacks an augmented reality game to solve a dastardly crime. Girls who code, explore, fix robots, pilot starships, invent gadgets, build high-tech treehouses, and more. With tales ranging from space adventures to steampunk to cyberpunk and more this 23-story collection will delight, thrill, and enthrall. (Barnes and Noble)
Included is my short story: The Experiment Called Life.
The device 16-year-old Gemma Jones creates to control her Tourette's tics is her greatest invention yet. But it's the experiment she's subjected to that gives her a new perspective on life.
You can get your copy at Indiebound, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon.
Proceeds from sales will be donated to the Society of Women Engineers Scholarship Fund.