Quit It

by Marcia Byalick

At a quick glance, Carrie looks just like everybody else in her seventh-grade class. She gets good grades, acts in school plays, kicks a pretty decent soccer ball, and is a sensational Game Boy champion. But watch her a little longer and Carrie looks very different. She shrugs her shoulder a little too often, jerks her head, coughs and sniffs in uncontrollable bursts. She has Tourette’s syndrome. And at a time when all a kid wants to do is blend in with the crowd, she stands out like crazy.

Genres: Fiction, Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Middle Grade

176 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 10, 2002

About the author

Marcia Byalick is a freelance writer who has contributed to The New York Times, Newsday, and Family Circle among many other publications. She is also the content editor for the BeingGirl.com Web site, aimed at girls ages 10 to 15.

Reviews

[Bobb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome when I was in middle school. This book brought tears to my eyes on several occasions. I have found very little information on the author, but due to her accurate depictions of growing up with Tourette's, I would not be surprised if she had the condition herself. (The only inaccuracy I found in the book was that in order to be diagnosed with TS, you need to have motor and phonic tics for no less than one year...not a few months.) The relationship with her family really (sorry for the pun) hit close to home - due to how similar it was to my own situation. I am a middle school teacher, so the interactions between students was interesting to read and well done. This book is a must read for everyone with Tourette Syndrome, their family members, and every teacher who works with special needs students on any level. The only thing that upset me about this book was that I did not read it in middle school when I was first diagnosed.

[Lauren Conrad · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in seventh grade right after I was diagnosed with Tourette's. I'm in college now and this book's message still rings true as ever: people's differences make them special. It's cliched because it's true and few books share that message, to preteens, teens, and adults, better than this one. I picked it up thinking it was about a girl with Tourettes. It is. It's also about a rebellious but wise older sister, a phobic 12-year-old, a truly inspiration teacher, a bully with a tough home life, and everyone else in this world who has ever stood out. I doubt that there is a person on this earth who hasn't felt that way at least once in their lives. Don't just give this book to your teens with Tourettes or anxiety disorders. Give it to anyone who stands out from the crowd. Say to them, I admire you for that and hand them this book.

[Cheyenne Howell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!!! Carrie is a young girl that has a condition that most of her peers or teachers don't understand, even her parents. She has Tourette Syndrome. This disorder causes Carrie to do things that brings her of great embarrassment. She will cough and sniffle uncontrollable, twitch her head, and shrug her shoulders. However, with the help of her school psychologist Ms. Anderson, she is able to be more comfortable with her disorder.

Ms. Anderson was an inspiration to me. Her character portrayed great patience, understanding, and care for all her students that she encountered. As a future teacher, this was a great book for me to read. It helped me see how to deal and be comforting to students with disorders and treat them as a normal student. This was a great read and I would recommended this book for future teachers, people with Tourettes, or anyone looking for a great read.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quit It, a 176 page book written by Marcia Byalick. It's about a young girl in 7th grade who is just like every other girl feels very insecure due to her diagnosis of Tourette Syndrome. She does well at school, is decent at sports and acts in school plays however there is just one thing that tells tells apart from the other girls. She shrugs often, sniff's way to much and sneezes in uncontrollable bursts. All she wants to do is fit into the crowd and be like every other girl and have people she can go to when she needs them. Unfortunately I did not really like this book because it wasn't very intriguing, not a page turner and I didn't feel a connection to Carrie, the main character. Even though this is just my opinion Im sure many people will like it and it will open their eyes to the struggles many people have due to Tourette Syndrome.

[Maddy 11-12 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was great! It makes you think about being in Carrie's position for a while and how hard it would be to have Torrette Syndrom. It's really inspiring to people who see someone and judge people from the first couple looks.It really keeps you thinking. It also does a great job of reminding yourself how important it it to keep all friendships. I recomend this book to anyone whos looking for a book to really keep them hooked on it!

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting insight to living with Tourette's Syndrome. As an aunt to a girl with Tourette's who refuses to acknowledge the fact she has it, I was keen to find out more. This book did not disappoint in that respect.

[Lorra Metko · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a student with Tourette's this year, so I asked our school librarian if there were any fictional books written on this theme. I learned some interesting information about the frustrations of living with Tourette's, especially trying to be a middle school student with Tourette's.

[Dasiy Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was quite predictable, but it held my interest. This book wasn't anything special, but it was realistic. I thought Carrie was a one-sided character though. I would recommend this book and it is a good, quick, read.

[Priscilla Arinze · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very sweet to read and made me pretty emotional. As someone on the Autism Spectrum, I really empathize with Carrie and feel her struggles. I am glad to have finally finished it in my adulthood.

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book about a young girl discovering she has Tourette Syndrome and how she and her family deal with it. It's about friendship, courage, and acceptance of those who are different from you. It's educational as well.

[Lost Inside A Book · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! A Must Read!
It describes the life of a middle school girl & how she deals with Tourette Syndrome. Carrie doesn't have the support from her parents (i.e they ignore her disorder) which affects her.

[Jessica Homeyer]

An honest look at what it feels like to have TS. It was an interesting and engaging read.

[Mrs P · Rating 4 out of 5]

A 6th grade girl diagnosed with Tourette's Syndrome. How she, her family, and schoolmates deal with it. Who stands by her and who makes fun.

[Caitlin Theroux · Rating 3 out of 5]

RTC More of a 2.5, really. I’ve got a few issues here.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a book about a girl who has a disease called Tourette Syndrome, which basically means that she has uncontrollable tics. She learns who her true friends really are, and learns that even though her tics make her different, she can still be the girl that she wants to be. Ms. Anderson is a great support to her, and is probably my favorite character.

This was an okay book because I didn't love the inappropriate content. There was some language and inappropriate flash-back scenes that I didn’t appreciate.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great fiction book that helps anyone put themselves in the shoes of someone who is challenged with turette syndrome. I would recommend it to everyone who is uncomfortable with not understanding how turette's effects people, or how to react. I think it educates how people with turette's are just like everyone else, they just have some ticks that at times they can't control.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think it's sad how her friends dumped her just beacuse she has the tourette syndrom.I just finished the book but i still don't know why it's called quit it.it was a happy ending because her parents started being normal around her and rebecca moved back to the city.really good book!

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked "Quit It" by Marcia Byalick. It is about a girl who has been diagnosed with Tourette's Syndrome and her struggles to live a "normal" life with healthy relationships. I would recommend it to all readers.

[Danella Virtue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cute read about a girl who has Tourette's Syndrome. I tutored a girl who had Tourette's and it must be extremely challenging to deal with day to day activities. This book helped open my eyes a little more.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ever wonder what it's like to have Tourette Syndrome?

[Denise Tien · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG THIS BOOK IS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD...


BUT NOT AS GOOD AS THE TRUE MEANING OF SMEKDAY!

[Donna Zakem · Rating 5 out of 5]

Big eye opener about kids/teens living with Tourette's Syndrome

[Kate Hastings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tourette syndrome SLJ 4-8

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is really cool.

[Carlotta]

I just started it so i don't have that much of an opinion but it seems pretty ok

[Amy Higgins · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is AWESOME I am done with it, ans it was AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read, but a great way to understand a bit more about Tourette Syndrome.

[Helen Beesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book about a teen with Tourrette Syndrome. Would be a good classroom read aloud.

[Lisalee · Rating 1 out of 5]

Great!

This book really touched my heart and i would definitely recommend this book. I hope everyone enjoyed this book as much as i did!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting and good book!!