Don't be fooled. At first glance, he is just another middle-class fourteen-year-old. But on closer inspection, Wendall is so much more. He's naive, sheltered, and insecure. Fortunately, he discovers a cure for his youthful shortcomings. He cannot control his curiosity. No matter how embarrassing, Wendall must know why people think, feel, say, and do sometimes-crazy things. During a span of four inquisitive years, his view of the world is transformed by a colorful cast of small-town characters. Some are mentors; others are tormentors. However, each is a specialist who thoroughly comprehends a specific facet of human nature: happiness, manipulation, and saying no, to list only a few. But Wendall isn't just a passive student. He gets his hands dirty when his father transplants the family to a rundown farm. Our nosey hero then battles a sadistic psychopath, gets cheated by a con man, and talks a best friend back from a botched suicide attempt.
Mentors and Tormentors is not another predictable, coming-of-age story. It is an instruction manual detailing how to handle yourself and other people. Wendall's adventures add some fun and entertainment, which balance and reinforce the seriousness of the lessons. Think of this book as a collection of modern fables with each chapter having a specific, applicable message. But unlike Aesop's fables, these truths don't stand alone. They coalesce and reveal the secret to enjoying life with complete peace of mind.
Mentors and Tormentors is Tim Jones's first literary work. The lessons and characters are loosely based on his own experiences and those of thousands of emergency room patients. Dr. Jones's thirty years of experiencing their humanity have made him uniquely qualified to write this book. His objective is to make readers laugh and learn. Laugh at Wendall's missteps and learn his lessons the easy way.