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Carissa's Law
Eighteen-year-old, Carissa Schultz, hangs between childhood and adulthood. While trying to navigate college, her health and her growing independence, she feels a calling on her life to change things for the generation following her. Born with a severe birth defect called spina bifida, Carissa has already overcome many challenges in her life, but can she find it in herself to follow her calling and keep her health in check while Isaac, a young man with dreams and ambitions of his own, is competing for her attention?
272 pages, Paperback
First published May 14, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 20, 2019
I read lots of books. Most are good; this one though...it was meaningful! It's well worth the tears it made me shed. The answer to the question is: YES! You are worth it. Very inspirational and funny too, which was a nice added bonus.
January 4, 2023
#fuckathon 2019, fuck ableism prompt.
I loved the concept of this book; a romance with a fairly independant and spirited wheelchair-using heroine who lives with spina bifida, because I love stories about people we don't usually hear about. I also love that it's more than a romance and the MC has a whole other 'thing' going on with her fight to bring a new law to congress, albeit this plotline didn't appear until quite far into the story. And more love is the fact that Isaac, Carissa's romeo, is black* and this is not an issue, and his mother is also a wheelchair user. He also is a fairly rounded character, much like Carissa herself. I learnt some things about the disease that I have never heard of before, and found it quite appalling the fact that so many untruths are still told, mainly due to healthcare ignorance, about something that can have varying levels of disablement from mild to severe with associated issues. I'm certainly going to educate myself more about spina bifeda after reading this book.
However, there were a few things about the delivery that were not to my liking, and the top one was how very gendered Carissa's family are. Her dad is the 'head' of the household and goes out to work, her mom is a stay at home mom. Nothing particularly wrong with that, other than Carissa is 18 and doesn't need looking ater like a child and yet no mention is made of the things her mom is involved with whilst being a SATM. Her mom describes the home as being 'her fathers house'. REALLY? Also, the whole faux alpha-asshole bit with having to meet and approve his daughter's date before they could even go out anywhere, and her mom saying that so long as HE (the father) likes the young man, than all is ok - no matter whatever feelings she as mother or Carissa herself may have about Isaac. Again, she is 18 not 13 and they have only just met so it's not like marriage is on the cards just yet!
The insta-love. It happened within a few days of meeting. And neither Carissa or Isaac seemed to have anyone in their lives other than their parents. Carissa has lost her BFF to a spina-bifeda related surgery the year before, and this was mentioned in passing just twice that I can recall.
*Then, as much as I enjoyed the fact that Carissa's love interest is a black boy, and it not being a problem (that's always refreshing), Cariassa is noted mentioning this to her folks just in case whereas Isaac doen't mention to his (single) mom that the girl he likes is white, it's just taken as read. Also, did he have to be from a single parent family? Where his father left his mother very early on so he grew up without a father figure... other than the saintly pastor at church of course. Stereotypical, and added nothing to his backstory. This of course (!) left him being the 'man' of the house. Now there is a trope/plot point that I hate with a deep abiding passion - because young boys are not men and should never be called men or treated as if they are men, until they actually are. The fact that we are legally called adults at 18 in many parts of of the world is irrelavent as most people are nowhere near being fully mature at that age, despite what we may look like, and should not be be burdened with accepting those levels of responsibility.
It should also be noted that this is Christian Fiction, with many mentions of The Lord, praying and churchgoing. I wish I had known that going in, and think many of the flaws I found with the story can probably be attributed to that due to the limited and very traditional outlook that many devout religious people, including the author, have.
Lastly, the cover of this book is perplexing to me. The pregnant figure standing in what looks like a field of tall grass, one would assume is Carissa... but she is wheelchair bound, lives in Houston and even by the end of the book has never had more than a chaste kiss with Issac let alone is pregnant. I think it's meant to symbolise the women who are carrying children with spina bifeda (which is what the title is all about) but it is very misleading.
I loved the concept of this book; a romance with a fairly independant and spirited wheelchair-using heroine who lives with spina bifida, because I love stories about people we don't usually hear about. I also love that it's more than a romance and the MC has a whole other 'thing' going on with her fight to bring a new law to congress, albeit this plotline didn't appear until quite far into the story. And more love is the fact that Isaac, Carissa's romeo, is black* and this is not an issue, and his mother is also a wheelchair user. He also is a fairly rounded character, much like Carissa herself. I learnt some things about the disease that I have never heard of before, and found it quite appalling the fact that so many untruths are still told, mainly due to healthcare ignorance, about something that can have varying levels of disablement from mild to severe with associated issues. I'm certainly going to educate myself more about spina bifeda after reading this book.
However, there were a few things about the delivery that were not to my liking, and the top one was how very gendered Carissa's family are. Her dad is the 'head' of the household and goes out to work, her mom is a stay at home mom. Nothing particularly wrong with that, other than Carissa is 18 and doesn't need looking ater like a child and yet no mention is made of the things her mom is involved with whilst being a SATM. Her mom describes the home as being 'her fathers house'. REALLY? Also, the whole faux alpha-asshole bit with having to meet and approve his daughter's date before they could even go out anywhere, and her mom saying that so long as HE (the father) likes the young man, than all is ok - no matter whatever feelings she as mother or Carissa herself may have about Isaac. Again, she is 18 not 13 and they have only just met so it's not like marriage is on the cards just yet!
The insta-love. It happened within a few days of meeting. And neither Carissa or Isaac seemed to have anyone in their lives other than their parents. Carissa has lost her BFF to a spina-bifeda related surgery the year before, and this was mentioned in passing just twice that I can recall.
*Then, as much as I enjoyed the fact that Carissa's love interest is a black boy, and it not being a problem (that's always refreshing), Cariassa is noted mentioning this to her folks just in case whereas Isaac doen't mention to his (single) mom that the girl he likes is white, it's just taken as read. Also, did he have to be from a single parent family? Where his father left his mother very early on so he grew up without a father figure... other than the saintly pastor at church of course. Stereotypical, and added nothing to his backstory. This of course (!) left him being the 'man' of the house. Now there is a trope/plot point that I hate with a deep abiding passion - because young boys are not men and should never be called men or treated as if they are men, until they actually are. The fact that we are legally called adults at 18 in many parts of of the world is irrelavent as most people are nowhere near being fully mature at that age, despite what we may look like, and should not be be burdened with accepting those levels of responsibility.
It should also be noted that this is Christian Fiction, with many mentions of The Lord, praying and churchgoing. I wish I had known that going in, and think many of the flaws I found with the story can probably be attributed to that due to the limited and very traditional outlook that many devout religious people, including the author, have.
Lastly, the cover of this book is perplexing to me. The pregnant figure standing in what looks like a field of tall grass, one would assume is Carissa... but she is wheelchair bound, lives in Houston and even by the end of the book has never had more than a chaste kiss with Issac let alone is pregnant. I think it's meant to symbolise the women who are carrying children with spina bifeda (which is what the title is all about) but it is very misleading.
May 13, 2018
This book is a wonderful portrayal of the world of those who have disabilities with a focus on those who suffer specifically from spina bifida. The characterization of the medical community relying on antiquated information is unfortunately all too true. New things are being discovered at an alarming rate and if medical professionals do not keep up with the literature and the latest discoveries their patients suffer. I am sure that this is not done purposefully but is a matter of being overwhelmed with work and information overload.
Misty Boyd, drawing from her own medical issues, flings back the curtain and allows those of us who do not suffer from disabilities to gain needed insight into the life and struggles of those who do. Its about time all of us realize that there are those among us who need our help. This book highlights those needs as well as humanizing the issues. Each of us has a role to play. It is not enough to wait for laws and mores to change. We can do our part right now to make life easier, even if it simply means not parking in a handicap parking space or leaving the handicap bathroom stalls available for those who need them.
This book is ideal for a youth audience. They will be drawn into the story. As they relate to the characters they will learn what it is to live with disabilities. They will also begin to realize that they can contribute to making life better for those around them. Young people don’t have to wait on the “adults”, they can move the mountains necessary to bring about change. As Carissa says, in the book, its time for this generation to stand up and be counted.
Misty Boyd, drawing from her own medical issues, flings back the curtain and allows those of us who do not suffer from disabilities to gain needed insight into the life and struggles of those who do. Its about time all of us realize that there are those among us who need our help. This book highlights those needs as well as humanizing the issues. Each of us has a role to play. It is not enough to wait for laws and mores to change. We can do our part right now to make life easier, even if it simply means not parking in a handicap parking space or leaving the handicap bathroom stalls available for those who need them.
This book is ideal for a youth audience. They will be drawn into the story. As they relate to the characters they will learn what it is to live with disabilities. They will also begin to realize that they can contribute to making life better for those around them. Young people don’t have to wait on the “adults”, they can move the mountains necessary to bring about change. As Carissa says, in the book, its time for this generation to stand up and be counted.
October 21, 2018
Carissa’s Law by Misty Boyd is a touching book about the life of a girl born with spina bifida.
The story starts with her first day of college and all the adventure that moment brings into one’s life. In this case, from the viewpoint of one living life in a wheelchair.
This book struck a chord with me as I had a family member who was born with spina bifida, as was the author of Carissa’s Law.
As you make your way through this novel, there are moments of laughter and moments of tears. There are also moments that made me so mad about how the expectant parents and their babies were treated that I could have screamed!
Carissa’s Law is about understanding that all life is precious and worthy. In a wheelchair or out of it, people are people with hopes and dreams that they should be allowed to achieve.
It is about the dedication of one girl to make things better for those with spina bifida and for disabled people.
It is a fight for truth.
Carissa seeks to require the medical community to update their knowledge in regards to spina bifida, as well as telling parents the truth about the prognosis.
I really enjoyed this book and hope that you will, too.
We were sent a complimentary copy of this book. We are under no obligation to write any review, positive or negative.
We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.
The story starts with her first day of college and all the adventure that moment brings into one’s life. In this case, from the viewpoint of one living life in a wheelchair.
This book struck a chord with me as I had a family member who was born with spina bifida, as was the author of Carissa’s Law.
As you make your way through this novel, there are moments of laughter and moments of tears. There are also moments that made me so mad about how the expectant parents and their babies were treated that I could have screamed!
Carissa’s Law is about understanding that all life is precious and worthy. In a wheelchair or out of it, people are people with hopes and dreams that they should be allowed to achieve.
It is about the dedication of one girl to make things better for those with spina bifida and for disabled people.
It is a fight for truth.
Carissa seeks to require the medical community to update their knowledge in regards to spina bifida, as well as telling parents the truth about the prognosis.
I really enjoyed this book and hope that you will, too.
We were sent a complimentary copy of this book. We are under no obligation to write any review, positive or negative.
We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.
August 7, 2018
A wonderful book. My youngest daughter has Spina Bifida and I hope that by the time she’s reading there will be more books like this one.
All too often books about people with disabilities are written by people who don’t actually understand life with them. This book is such a gem because of how real it was. It was a book about a young woman living with SB, but SB didn’t dominate the story, much like it doesn’t completely dominate the lives of those with it.
Boyd is a very talented writer and I hope she continues to publish novels. Hopefully about Carissa because I don’t think we’ve seen the last of her!
All too often books about people with disabilities are written by people who don’t actually understand life with them. This book is such a gem because of how real it was. It was a book about a young woman living with SB, but SB didn’t dominate the story, much like it doesn’t completely dominate the lives of those with it.
Boyd is a very talented writer and I hope she continues to publish novels. Hopefully about Carissa because I don’t think we’ve seen the last of her!
February 24, 2026
It focuses on a disabled character with spina bifida by a similarly disabled author which adds to the authenticity of certain scenes. Unfortunately the characters are otherwise shallow, the writing amateurish, and a story primarily used as a Christian fundamentalist anti-abortion message. Now I know abortion can be a tricky subject when it involves congenital disability but I feel like there should be more nuance than concluding "doctors should learn more about disabilities to better pressure patients into keeping an unwanted fetus". I imagine it will satisfy the target audience who already agree with the message.
August 12, 2026
I absolutely loved this book. It is one of those books that you start reading and can’t seem to read it fast enough so you can find out what happens. I cannot believe what Doctors sometimes tell expectant parents when it is found out a child has certain disabilities or diseases in the womb. It is disgusting that they do not tell parents the truth and unfortunately some parents decide to abort their children because of what these Doctors say. Carissa is one strong young lady and I am glad she found someone to love her even with all of her health issues. He was a very special guy, especially looking after his disabled Mum like he did
March 20, 2019
One of the best books I have read in a long time. Could relate to this book on so many levels as I also have Spina Bifida. I was very sad when this book ended. I want more from this author! Fantastic job Misty Boyd!
March 24, 2019
I finished this book In two days I loved it such a good story I loved Isaac in this story he lived her for who she was and I loved what Carissa did for the babies
October 24, 2018
I found this book a bit cookie-cutter. While I enjoy happy endings, everything resolved too neatly, which made the story feel unrealistic and took away from my overall enjoyment.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews