Summary (from Goodreads):
They all thought he was gone. But he was alive and trapped inside his own body for ten years.
In January 1988 Martin Pistorius, aged twelve, fell inexplicably sick. First he lost his voice and stopped eating. Then he slept constantly and shunned human contact. Doctors were mystified. Within eighteen months he was mute and wheelchair-bound. Martin’s parents were told an unknown degenerative disease left him with the mind of a baby and less than two years to live.
Martin was moved to care centers for severely disabled children. The stress and heartache shook his parents’ marriage and their family to the core. Their boy was gone. Or so they thought.
Martin was an ordinary boy up until the age of 12 when his body shut down. He couldn’t eat, he couldn’t speak, he couldn’t walk or use his arms. He couldn’t do anything. To the naked eye he was lifeless.
However, there was much more going on that only Martin himself knew. He was very much alive mentally, but for some reason his body betrayed him.
This novel, written by Martin Pistorius himself, is his journey through dealing with his sickness, overcoming his fears, finding love, and learning how to be alive again.
Martin tells his story from beginning to end showing us the confusion and frustration that he and his family felt when his body shut down. Everyone was confused as to what happened to him and why and Martin was frustrated to the point of rage when his body stopped working. Trying to tell people you’re still alive and conscious when you can’t move or speak is anyone’s worst nightmare.
Even though the story is through Martin’s point of view, I felt as though I learned a lot about the other characters as well; his parents, his siblings, and his wife. Both of his parents–especially his mom–developed quite a bit when coming to terms and understanding their son’s illness.
Martin is great storyteller and to see the world through the eyes of a mute and paralyzed man was both inspiring and amazing.
Ghost Boy gets 5 out of 5 stars.
Favorite Quote:
“Dreams can be any size you want them to be. But the important thing is that you have one that is yours.” –Martin Pistorius, Ghost Boy
Summary (from Goodreads):
Not everything you see on your favorite crime show is accurate. In fact, a lot of it is flat out wrong. “Police Procedure & Investigation” helps you get your facts straight about the inner workings of law enforcement.
With a career in law enforcement that spanned nearly two decades, author Lee Lofland is a nationally acclaimed expert on police procedures and crime scene investigations who consults regularly with best-selling authors and television producers. Now you can benefit from his years of experience with “Police Procedure & Investigation.”
I started this book in January and didn’t finish it until March because this book is not a novel, but I read it like one.
This book is a reference guide for writers written by Lee Lofland who has over 20 years experience in the law enforcement field.
The book covers a variety of topics such as the court system, detectives, fingerprinting, different kinds of crimes, police officers and the academy, drugs, a look inside prison, and so much more.
There are some real life case explanations to give the reader a good feel of what it’s really like to work in the law enforcement field. Also, if I had a dime for every time Lofland mentioned that TV police officers are nothing like real life ones, I would be rich. At the end of the guide, there are quotes from real police officers comparing real life to TV show crime dramas.
As a mystery writer, this book definitely comes in handy. I learned a lot reading it. However, there is so much information that I don’t intend to remember it all. Whenever I get stuck in my own writing, I know I’ll always be able to go back to that book for reference.
Police Procedure and Investigation gets 5 out of 5 stars.
Favorite Quote:
“Police officers don’t fire warning shots! For goodness’ sake, what goes up must come down!” –Lee Lofland, Police Procedure and Investigation
Be sure to check out my Goodreads page!
- Two Book Reviews #3
- March 21, 2015
- In “Creative Writing”
- The Magnus Covenant by Toni Pike
- September 24, 2016
- In “Reviews”
- A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
- April 2, 2016
- In “Reviews”
