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List of Ten Kindle Edition

by Halli Gomez (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 39 ratings
See all formats and editions
This harrowing yet hopeful novel shares “an authentic and compassionate look at the ups and downs of teenage life and living with Tourette syndrome” (Kirkus).

For most people, the number ten is just another number. But for sixteen-year-old Troy Hayes, who suffers from Tourette Syndrome and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, it dictates his entire life. He must do everything by its exacting rhythm—even in the face of ridicule and bullying.

Finally fed up with the humiliation, loneliness, and 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.
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  1. Reading age
    12 - 18 years
  2. Print length
    312 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    6 - 12
  5. Lexile measure
    HL590L
  6. Publisher
    Union Square & Co.
  7. Publication date
    May 11, 2021
  8. Page Flip
    Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Not Enabled
  10. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  11. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  12. ISBN-13
    978-1454940142
  13. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

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, CAα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Review

"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

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0932FCJGG
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Union Square & Co. (May 11, 2021)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 11, 2021
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1684 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 312 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 39 ratings

About the author

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Halli Gomez

Halli Gomez

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Halli Gomez teaches martial arts and writes for children and young adults. She has written several stories with neurodivergent characters including her young adult novel, LIST OF TEN (Sterling, March 2021) When no one is looking, she sock skates through the house and talks to dogs like they are human. When people are looking, she enjoys reading, outdoors, and breaking out of escape rooms with her family. Halli lives with her husband, two boys, and two dogs.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
39 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Rebecca
5.0 out of 5 stars Authentic, funny, heart-breaking, and hopeful.
Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2021
Verified Purchase
The first thing that drew me into List of Ten was Troy’s voice as he authentically describes the tics and compulsions he lives with every day and all the reasons for creating his list of 10 things he wants to complete by the 10th anniversary of his Tourette’s Syndrome diagnosis. His sarcastic humor is winning and provides a window into his world that made me want to join him for this story.

Despite the darkness of the last item on his list, other items are fun …

Get his first kiss,
See the space shuttle,
Drive a car.

These goals add humor story line and make it relatable to any teen.

I particularly liked Troy’s strong relationships with his new girlfriend, Khory, and his 11-month-old baby brother. Both serve as counterpoints to the pain in his life and make him question his plans.

List of Ten will appeal to kids with Tourette’s Syndrome, as well as friends and acquaintances who want to know more about this disease but don’t feel comfortable asking. It will also appeal to anyone who wants a heartfelt and ultimately uplifting read about a teen taking on his personal challenges.

Highly recommended.

Trigger warnings: mentions of suicide and cutting.

I received a free advanced reader copy of List of Ten in exchange for an unbiased review.
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Carol Baldwin
4.0 out of 5 stars List of Ten
Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2021
For ten years, sixteen-year-old Troy Hayes has lived with the diagnosis that he shares with his estranged mother: Tourette syndrome. Troy not only suffers from uncontrollable muscle twitches that are accompanied by severe pain, he also has obsessive compulsive disorder. The two together make his academic and social life unbearable. Troy decides that the only way out of his pain is to kill himself.
By page two the reader knows it is only a matter of Troy getting through the other nine items on his "to do" list that he keeps on his phone, before he will take his own life which is #10 on his list.

So, how did Halli Gomez write a 353-page book and keep the reader interested since the ending has already been revealed?

By raising the question--does he do it? And by hooking every reader into hoping and believing that he doesn't.

By using deep point of view, Troy's conflicting thoughts and torturous emotions are shown on the first pages. Through his eyes we meet Khory Price, a girl imprisoned in her own life of pain. She is someone who is able to look beyond his compulsion to touch a dirty floor multiple times as he walks down the school hallway, a girl who finds him cute and smart, and a girl who he becomes afraid to hurt.

The novel is full of teenage angst as Troy moves from just being Khory's math tutor, to being a friend, to becoming her boyfriend. He finally wins her protective parents' trust only to blow it when he tries to drive and his erratic behavior on the road attracts police attention. He's busted for driving without a license and his friend is busted for having marijuana papers in the car. But Troy is no normal teenager. The shadow of his list of ten things to do before he kills himself pervades all of his thoughts and drives many of his choices.

Khory is a well-developed, authentic secondary character. She has struggles with her own parents, guilt over being a surviving twin, and gives Troy reasons to think about his purpose in life.

Beyond amazing "showing not telling" what it feels like to be a person with Tourette, my other favorite parts of the book are when Troy begins wrestling with his decision to kill himself. When his science teacher tells him he has potential, when he is an inspiration to another family whose son has Tourette, when he realizes how Khory will feel when she realizes he lied to her--these were all very authentic and compelling conflicts.

My least favorite part of the book was when Troy's father attempts to have a discussion about sex and ends the conversation by giving his son condoms. I know I'm in the minority, but I don't believe literature for young adults should include frank permissiveness toward sex.

So, how does List of Ten end? I won't tell you! But, it is satisfying and it is hopeful. And that should be enough to make you want to read it!
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Jude Bernau
5.0 out of 5 stars A beautifully written book with a powerful message for anyone who has ever felt alone.
Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2021
Verified Purchase
List of Ten is not only beautifully written, but perfectly encapsulates a message that we all need to hear; that the most important thing a person can have is hope.

When I ordered this book, it was because it was written by someone I know.

While reading it, I had to keep stopping to remind myself that I know the author.

And now that I’ve finished it, I want to read it over and over again.

Halli Gomez has not only given me a glimpse into what it is like to have a condition like Tourette syndrome, but has described how I think many young people feel and the concerns they have about themselves, their lives and their future.

I think everyone should read List of Ten, but I would particularly recommend it to parents, teachers and anyone working with teenagers and young adults.
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C
5.0 out of 5 stars Was a shipping error
Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2021
Verified Purchase
Product itself appears great, just need another copy not banged up
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Judy Goldman
5.0 out of 5 stars Doesn't matter how old you are -- read this book! Just as gripping for an adult as for a teen!
Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2024
From the opening pages to the very last sentence, I was totally engaged in this powerful story. Gomez has created characters a reader cares deeply about; they are so real, I kept forgetting that I don't actually know them. They are so real, I won't soon forget them. There is humor in these pages. And love. And wisdom. Your heart will break and your spirit will be lifted up, both. This book deserves a large readership.
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