In a world where people only use mind probes for entertainment, a teenage boy is one of the rare human beings who can see life for what it really is. Cruelly nicknamed “Spaz,” he is subject to random seizures that make it impossible for him to use the brain-drain tech. But what sets him apart eventually becomes his salvation. After meeting an old man called Ryter, Spaz learns how the world used to be before the catastrophic earthquake that changed everything. There is a story of a promised land, rich in bounties, that can cure any ailment, and more beautiful than any place left in the desolate wasteland humanity calls home. The two set off to find Eden in the hopes of saving Spaz’s dying sister and, together, seek to bring some good back to the world.

I first found this book in my middle school library. I don’t know why I didn’t read it then, but I’m reading it now, so anyway . . .

So far, this is the only book I’ve found about someone with epilepsy, and it’s not really the main plot of the story. It’s just the reason why Spaz can’t use the mind probes. I did some epilepsy research, and it’s fascinating. Epilepsy occurs as a result of abnormal electrical activity originating in the brain. Brain cells communicate by sending electrical signals in an orderly pattern. In epilepsy, these electrical signals become abnormal, giving rise to an ‘electrical storm’ that produces seizures.

In the story, Ryter lists famous people who had epilepsy. I’m not sure about most of them, but here are a few I looked up:

Vincent van Gogh (makes sense)

Napoleon Bonaparte (might have)

Charles Dickens (who wrote about a character with epilepsy)

Alexandra the Great (back then, it was called ‘the sacred disease’)

Edgar Allen Poe (would explain how he died).

I’m hoping to find more books about characters with epilepsy.

Is it just me, or is every other book about a future gone wrong? I try to avoid the bad ones like ‘The Hunger Games,’ but I’ve found some pretty good ones with realistic futures. What scares me the most about this books’ future is that it could happen. Well, parts of it anyway. For example, people invented virtual reality goggles, and technology is becoming more advanced each day. It’s just a matter of time before we’re sticking probes in our brains for the next big thing. Bookstores are just a couple years away from becoming obsolete, and now people are reading eBooks on electronic tablets. I DON’T WANT TO LIVE IN A WORLD WITHOUT PHYSICAL BOOKS!