Head Case – A Review

I recently finished reading Head Case: My Brain and Other Wonders by Cole Cohen. My copy of the book was provided to me by Henry Holt & Co and NetGalley. Head Case is an interesting read that I’m very excited to share with you.

So what’s this book about anyway? A Synopsis –

The summer before she was set to head out-of-state to pursue her MFA, twenty-six-year-old Cole Cohen submitted herself to a battery of tests. For as long as she could remember, she’d struggled with a series of learning disabilities that made it nearly impossible to judge time and space–standing at a cross walk, she couldn’t tell you if an oncoming car would arrive in ten seconds or thirty; if you asked her to let you know when ten minutes had passed, she might notify you in a minute or an hour.

These symptoms had always kept her from getting a driver’s license, which she wanted to have for grad school. Instead of leaving the doctor’s office with permission to drive, she left with a shocking diagnosis–doctors had found a large hole in her brain responsible for her life-long struggles. Because there aren’t established tools to rely on in the wake of this unprecedented and mysterious diagnosis, Cole and her doctors and family create them, and discover firsthand how best to navigate the unique world that Cole lives in.

Told without an ounce of self-pity and plenty of charm and wit, Head Case is ultimately a story of triumph, as we watch this passionate, loveable, and unsinkable young woman chart a path for herself.

But I’ve never heard of this author….

Don’t worry. I’d never heard of Cohen either. It’s totally OK. She may be a first time book author, but she has a great story to tell.  I also think that if you took my advice to read Stir: My Broken Brain and the Meals that Brought Me Home and enjoyed it, you will also love this book.

So how was it?

I’ve recently discovered how much I love memoirs. In my teens and through most of my 20s, I wouldn’t touch them.  Why would I want to read about someone else’s life?  Maybe that’s part of being younger. We are so centered on ourselves that we have no idea what the stories of other people’s lives can do to enrich our understanding of our own lives.

Head Case is one of those books. I may not have a hole the size of a lemon inside my brain, but I can certainly relate to many of Cohen’s anxieties, and issues with what it means to really be an adult.

Everyone has secret truths, circumstantial, biological, historical; everyone weighs what they are willing to risk in trying to connect with another human.

Many popular websites make lists of the books that are important for you to read in your 20s or 30s.  I think this book could easily make any of those lists. While Cole’s biology makes her story uniquely her own, I think there might be a bit of Cole in everyone who struggles to find their way in the world.

There was a time or two that I got a bit lost in the words on the page, having to re-read passages that were either philosophically or intellectually challenging – but a good book should always challenge us in some way.  I’m glad this book did.

Where can I get my copy?

Head Case: My Brain and Other Wonders is now available in hardcover, ebook, and audio format. Order it on Amazon, or stop by your favorite local book shop to get your copy.