This was an uncomfortable book to read. I don't know of any kid who hasn't had nightmares about being kidnapped or being hurt by a crazy person, and those of us who were bullied have definitely thought of suicide. There are good intentions in the writing of this book, but the way the uncomfortable subject matter was presented and dealt with makes me hesitant to share this with my children. The weird mixing of Eastern and Western philosophy doesn't help the story vibe, either. I'm a firm believer in both Christian teachings and the good of meditation and hypnosis, but having "the Look" actually work - instantly, even! - turns these stories from Tom Sawyer-esque realistic fiction to something approaching a Spider-Man comic, and the blending of the two is awkward. I can picture this book as a very well-executed graphic novel, but it doesn't work well as written.

Sorry, never got around to reading. Will try again at a later date.

Jerry's Madness by W.W. Rowe is the second book in the series. In this book, Jerry is having issues keeping his anger under control, but what 11 year old doesn't have that problem. He gets his first kiss, deals with his friend being bullied to the point he wants to commit suicide, and learns how to be nice to even his enemies.

Jerry is growing up. He has a friend, Monty that has bullied so much by schoolmates that he tries to kill himself. Jerry was caught kissing his girlfriend and is being teased about it. Jerry comes home one day to find an intruder in his home. He is knocked out into unconsciousness and tied up. Jerry finds out that a man who has been searching for this man ( the assailant) as he has mental problems. Jerry learns much from Wilcox besides leaning "The Look" and how to use it appropriately in this book. He learns about how empathy can make his world a better place to live in.

It is a fast-paced novel that gives the read messages of what bullying can do to a person, how to be forgiving and understanding of others. It is a book of hope. This book, like the first one, has a lot of talk of the Higher Self, meditation and karmic spirituality with his homeless friend Wilcox.

I received this book from Larson Publications via NetGalley for an honest review.