Tangled Tongue: A F.U.S.E. Adventure by Jean Husband

Tangled Tongue is a middle grade realistic fiction book that was sent to me by the author. 12-year-old Duff struggles with speech disfluency, and his father invents FUSE, a focused ultrasound electronic. This device sends micro-focused sound waves into sensory-motor systems of Duff's brain to smooth his speech. When the device works, it attracts some negative attention from other scientists nearby who want to steal the rights to the technology. When his father is kidnapped, he manages to communicate with Duff through the FUSE. Duff teams up with an old friend and a new one to get his dad back- no matter the danger. 

I really enjoyed the story! While it is just 162 pages, a lot happened and was suspenseful and fascinating. Duff's character development was strong, and I liked watching him become more confident, stand up for himself, and even embrace openness to new friends and forgiveness outside of the soccer field. Duff's bravery and love for his father was strong, and I love that he never gave up hope. Kids can be more resourceful than adults give them credit for. The book is mostly fun to read, and the kidnapping is not gory or anything like that. Tangled Tongue could also create an interest in STEM. 

I like this cover better than the other version, but they still need some work, especially as the style of the art makes it seem for a younger audience and easier reading level than it can be. While I understand the symbolism, it also is a bit misleading with the illustration of the tongue when stuttering is usually caused by abnormalities in the pathways in the brain responsible for language, not controllable by moving your tongue differently. 

I won't go into the technicalities of the specific differences of gray and white matter and fractional anisotropy, but the book actually does a good job of condensing some of the science into an easily understandable way. Focused ultrasound neuromodulation, the basis of the FUSE invention in the book, is currently used to treat psychiatric disorders, traumatic brain injuries, dysmotility disorders, chronic pain, and epilepsy. Neuromodulation is actually fascinating and is one of the fastest growing areas of medicine. Most research supporting non-invasive neuromodulation's use for speech impairments and stuttering use transcranial direct current stimulation, as focused ultrasound is rarer and mostly proven for behavioral disorders, however there is no reason not to assume that it could still work. In the future, these devices could become much more prevalent in society. The book was also realistic in which letters people who stutter struggle with the most.

I recommend that you read this book and I am excited to read the next book whenever it is ready!

Here's information on the technology if you are interested: 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6881273/ 

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-28320-1

https://www.neuromodulation.com/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780123742483000021

Title: Tangled Tongue: A F.U.S.E. Adventure
Author: Jean Husband

Publisher: Jean Husband
Series: Yes, Book 1
Rating: 5 Stars
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