Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform > Elan School

Waynes Meltdown Memoir!! Reviewed honestly for the 3rd time.

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DannyB II:
http://www.amazon.com/Life-Gone-Awry-Sc ... t_ep_dpt_2

By Michael T Pedone - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: A Life Gone Awry: My Story of the Elan School (Kindle Edition)
The author seems to have an interesting and important story to tell. Prior to reading this, I was not aware of the Elan School, the horrible things that allegedly occurred there, or the abuses that apparently occur at other similar programs. These are undoubtedly things we should seek to understand and prevent from reoccurring.

But here's the problem: The writing just isn't very good. This book really illustrates how digital self-publishing is a double-edged sword. It gives us access to stories that might otherwise be ignored by the big publishing houses, but it forces us to muddle through writing that needs editing and, in this case, could probably have benefited from a co-author. This book was a bit hard to follow in some spots (I'm only about 90% clear about what was involved in a "shot down", and it took most of the book to get there). It also includes a couple of sub-plot lines that aren't fully explored (I'm sure it was traumatic, but it would really help to know what happened in that basement). The epilogue almost reads like stream-of-consciousness -- it raised more questions than it answered for me.

Unfortunately, I think the author's credibility is undermined by the weak writing and the fact that he is apparently self-published. The accusations in the book are pretty harsh. It feels like a rant sometimes, and a rant without corroborative support from an editor who insists on fact-checking isn't entirely credible. To be clear, I'm not taking a position about the truth or falseness of the book. I'm just saying it's difficult to know one way or the other with confidence.

Bottom line: It's an interesting story, but a mediocre read. A moderately fast reader should be able to bang it out in one night, maybe two. It's priced right at $2.99.

DannyB II:
Well hell when Albert Beauchane is feeding you the story and his story ends 11/78 and you have told everyone you were there till 1980, you got a freaking problem Wayne. Your memoir could not have been more detailed, you didn't fucking have the details. You plagiarized story after story so you could grab folks attention and paid little attention to corroboration. The bozo's here who are supporting you are doing it out of a sense of duty or because it is me. Wayne if I had not pissed the people off I had, you don't have a book. I have always known this and would not want to change a thing.
The gentleman who critic your crap said pretty much what every professional has said that I have talked with. The corroboration was needed and this is something you will never have. The onus is on you to prove the shit you wrote, dumbass.

Anonymous:
You forgot this one


--- Quote ---By
Shaeeza Haniff "storyteller" (NY) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: A Life Gone Awry: My Story of the Elan School (Paperback)
 Years ago in Guyana, when I was eleven years, my family and I lived in Onderneeming Compound on the Essequibo Coast. Onderneeming was known for the "Boys' School". A reform school for delinquent boys run by the Guyanese government. We're told by our parents to never, EVER talk to the boys who were allowed outside. They had a watchdog system off record to make sure the boys did not come in close contact with the officers' children. But we were invited to their Christmas shows and movie nights. Some of the boys were allowed to do yard work in our compound. Every Saturday afternoon we would take over my mom's breads, cakes and rolls for the boys to put into their humongous oven. Never once did we talk to them. That was the extent of my experience with "bad boys".

Wayne Kernochan's book A Life Gone Awry: My Story of the Elan School has certainly opened my eyes to a life alien to me. Never in my wildest dreams and I've had many, would I ever come across a tumultuous life as young Wayne has endured. In reading this book, I paused more than once appalled at the atrocities and mind boggling treatment these young lives suffered.

Wayne has once again laid bare his deepest fears, monsters, trials, shame and he does it with the most honest voice. He faces his own soul searching and orientation during his stay in Elan. His description of the events that happened in the basement of the house in Brooklyn and the events leading up to his eventual stay in Elan is tastefully done and leaves the reader to his imagination as this book is about Elan and not about Wayne himself.

The dedication of this book to all the victims of such schools is heart wrenching and brings tears to the eyes as these victims were once someone's child.

Read it and spread the word about Elan School.
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Anonymous:
And this


--- Quote ---By
Ginger - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: A Life Gone Awry: My Story of the Elan School (Kindle Edition)
 Finally got a chance to read this book. It's well written and sooo familiar. My family was involved in a very similar cult called The Seed back in the `70's. Most of the rules had to do with constraints on communication. No talking out in group, no newcomers talking to newcomers, no talking to splits, pull offs or even graduates, no talking behind backs, no "getting into your head" (reflection), what goes on in group stays in group, anonymity and confidentiality. Believe it or not, I could go on! And so one day, long ago, it occurred to me that it might do wonders if we could just remove that one linchpin in the Program. RAMPANT talking out in group is what is needed. Broaden the dialog on every front and see what happens. I'd love to see this book turned into a screen-play, or at least a cameo in a popular drama.

Good work, Wayne. Glad to know ya!
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Anonymous:
and


--- Quote ---By
Dodge Dart (Classic Chrysler City) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A Life Gone Awry: My Story of the Elan School (Kindle Edition)
 Elan is a hell hole and places like it are not unique. You have so many all along the Eastern Seaboard, like the Heck facility where Jon Carey was beaten to death earlier in 2011. That was in the NY Times. You have Green Chimneys in Brewster NY where beatings have gone on for many years along with other kinds of abuse. You also have places like some of the Devereaux branches too. Wayne does not down play the atrocities that went on in this place. Elan is an ironic name because instead of "vigorous spirit and enthusiasm," like the dictionary definition, you get crushed spirits and brutalized. Wayne saved many people because RTC'ers are good at fooling people to leave their kids in places like these. And RTCs are in isolated places where if you scream for help you dont' get heard. People who work in these places have all kinds of backgrounds and anything can happen to you once you are in one.
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