Life After Genius

This amazing book takes the reader back and forth in time and sometimes beyond logic. Author M. Ann Jacoby makes a solid case for allowing the other guy some slack and compassion as each of us makes our way through life. Theodore Mead Fegley, a mathematics genius, is the central character who relives pivotal and traumatic episodes from his past and tries valiantly to become a man in the present. Mead skipped several grades in school and is on the brink of graduating from a prestigious university at the tender age of 18. He vacillates between self-acceptance and doubt. Clearly, being a child prodigy is not easy; however, being the parent of a gifted child isn't easy either. The notions of childhood, adulthood and being part of a family form the underlying structure of Mead's saga. Jacoby has created a well-developed and multi-generational cast of characters whose lives are interwoven with Mead's (which he prefers to "Teddy" or "Theodore"). She knows how to engage the reader while delicately balancing the pathos and humor that are inescapable components of life. Highly recommended. Reviewed by Ruta Arellano

LIFE AFTER GENIUS M. Ann Jacoby Grand Central Publishing ISBN: 978-0-446-1 - Paperback $13.99 400 pages Reviewer: Annie Slessman M. Ann Jacoby has written a debut novel that most authors strive to attain. LIFE AFTER GENIUS is the story of a young genius who struggles for normalcy in an abnormal world. Mead, the main character, noted mathematical genius now attending and soon to be graduate of a noted university, leaves his dorm room and heads for home days before his graduation. His parents struggle to understand why Mead would jeopardize the college degree he has worked so hard to attain. They inquire as to Mead's reasoning for his sudden appearance. Mead is unwilling to explain his actions because he is still struggling to understand them himself. The story takes in many personalities, the underlying reasons for their actions and Mead's attempt to understand it all. It is a tale of a young man growing up in a small town filled with the problem that most people face daily. Whether it is the loss of a loved family member, the loss of a valued friend, the fight of a young man to prove himself worthy of his family's expectations of him or simply to understand the motivations that move people through their daily lives...Mead is faced with a wealth of psychological matter that would confuse even the most intelligent of beings. This is a well written story, full of interesting characters with both usual and unusual motivation factors. It will keep a reader's interest and provides a satisfying ending. Jacoby is destined to be one of today's best fiction writers and this reviewer looks forward to her next work.

" Jacoby's first novel Life After Genius is a smashing success. Mead Fegley is the most intriguing teenager to come along since J.D. Salinger created Holder in Catcher in the Rye."

Quirky and funny... M. Ann Jacoby offers readers an extradinary, thought-provoking, humorous plot. Life After Genius is the story of genius, Theodore "Mead" Fegley. Only eight days before graduation, eighteen-year-old Mead drops out of college. He returns home and joins his father and uncle in selling furniture and running a funeral home. Mead is a genius; he loves to learn. However, he has few social skills. His mother has controlled him all his life, and his father is indifferent. He has faced abuse and cruelty at the hands of his peers. He was so close to graduating. Why would he drop out with only eight days to go? The clues to why Mead dropped out of college are woven throughout Life After Genius. This book is very humorous and yet sad. People really are cruel. Mead was passed through school so fast that he never really had an opportunity to mature socially. I have known people that seemed to have a "kick me" sign on their back. Mead comes across that way. We all want our kids to excel, but maybe there is such a thing as over excelling. I really like this book. It is amazing. I highly recommend Life After Genius.

A uniquely explored collection of characters -- from the oddball loner outsider, to his eccentric family and community, to the threatening bully with whom there lies potential for a deeper friendship, all described in quirky prose and with surprising twists in the way each relationship develops. A coming-of-age story chronicling the experiences of only a rare few, but emotionally relatable to all. I highly recommend this book!