Title: Dings
Author: Lance Fogan
Publisher: Author Reputation Press, LLC
ISBN: 978-1649612786
Pages: 280
Genre: Medical Fiction
Reviewed by: Lily Amanda
Hollywood Book Reviews
Dings is a moving unabridged tome that chronicles the life of Sandra Golden and that of her family, and a medical diagnosis on her son that takes them all by surprise. Sandra is managing the home while her husband, Sam, is away on active military duty in Iraq. One day, she is summoned by the principal of the school Conner, her son, attends.
The school principal and psychologist suggest that her son goes through a psycho-educational evaluation to uncover any cognitive or emotional problems that were contributing to his difficulties in class. After several tests and sessions with a neurologist, her fears are confirmed. Her son is epileptic. It was easy to feel Sandra’s despair and fear.
The work is a fantastic combination of real-life situations of a medical doctor who uses his scientific knowledge to create a medical mystery story. This exudes both great imagination and creativity. The writing style is gentle and even. I could almost hear the neurologist speaking as if he was near. Peppered with medical terms and valuable information, this is a publication which left me wiser and more aware.
Author Fogan brilliantly blended contemporary drama and helpful information about epilepsy in an articulate manner. Throughout the story, a reader finds it easy to spell out the symptoms of the condition, the medication used, and how to help an epileptic patient. Uniquely, Dings sheds light on the commitments and sacrifices of healthcare givers in the compassion they show within their line of duty. The patience and concern that Conner’s neurologist showed, was admirable.
The text seeks to demystify all the misconceptions associated with the condition and its medication. The author is descriptive, a feature which thrusts the reader into the Golden family. The writer brings out the sacrifices Army wives make for their families while their husbands are away on deployment. I loved how the author did a great job capturing the tone and emotions of the protagonist.
A lot of times, the strength of the characters is what builds a story. The characters in the book are well-developed and it felt as though I was part of the story and the turmoil engulfing the family as they sought answers. The book further has a spark of Haiku poetry in its plot and provides for an epilepsy glossary and information associated with it.
Overall, Dings was a plausible and solid read and by all means worth investing in. Knowledge, as has always been said, is power!