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Best Boy
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Sent to a therapeutic community for autism at the age of eleven, Todd Aaron, now in his fifties, is the Old Fox of Payton LivingCenter. A joyous man who rereads the encyclopedia compulsively, he is unnerved by the sudden arrivals of a menacing new staffer and a disruptive, brain-injured roommate. His equilibrium is further worsened by Martine, a one-eyed new resident who
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Paperback, 272 pages
Published
May 24th 2016
by Liveright
(first published August 18th 2015)
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Start your review of Best Boy
As soon as you start reading you enter the mind and thoughts of fifty something Todd Aaron, an autistic man who has lived at the Payton Living Center for a good portion of his life. The wonderful and sometimes strange ways he looks at things and people. One cannot help but take this character to heart. He is trusted at the Center being the oldest resident there, and is usually quite content with things with a few exceptions. His new room=mate at the cottage who tries repeatedly to give Todd,
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Jun 24, 2015
Angela M
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
edelweiss-reviews
The first person narrative by an autistic man is as the description notes , reminiscent of the teenage narrative in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night . I don't know a lot about autism , but what I do know is that I certainly felt the tension and anxiety that Todd feels as he described when he is having "an attack of volts " and we clearly see how much he really wants to go home .
There's a sweetness here as Todd looks up the definition of love on Mr. C , a computer. There's also ...more
Most often it takes a few chapters before I can truly say, “I’m enjoying this book”. Not so with Best Boy. I liked it from page one, in the spot I met Todd Aaron. You see, Todd is easy to like. He is joyful but routine; smart but simple; inquisitive but tentative. Well who isn’t I say. Sometimes Todd gets the volts. That comes with his autism.
So what’s this story about? It’s about Todd, yes, but through Todd’s narrative, I found that it was the story about people. He has spent 41 years at Payton ...more
So what’s this story about? It’s about Todd, yes, but through Todd’s narrative, I found that it was the story about people. He has spent 41 years at Payton ...more
”You were a best boy who became a beautiful man and made everybody who knew you very proud.”
Imagine seeing the world through the eyes of someone who is completely defenseless against it. Someone incapable of deception, who does not distinguish laughter from contempt in people he doesn’t know. A person who experiences a completely different world than the one you and I inhabit – both scarier and more wondrous. Now imagine just how easily he could be taken advantage of, or become lost, confused, ...more
Imagine seeing the world through the eyes of someone who is completely defenseless against it. Someone incapable of deception, who does not distinguish laughter from contempt in people he doesn’t know. A person who experiences a completely different world than the one you and I inhabit – both scarier and more wondrous. Now imagine just how easily he could be taken advantage of, or become lost, confused, ...more
This story is told by Todd Aaron, a man in his 50s who is autistic. I thought the author did a great job writing from his point of view. I have always had a special place in my heart for people with special needs, and I am interested in stories like this that are told well.
I loved this book!
I loved this book!
BEST BOY stole my heart......
So many raw emotions/feelings/sensations were purged from me through this deceptively quiet, micro-suspense novel: love, tenderness, anger, frustration, joy, innocence, angst, vulnerability, fear, heartbreak, sweetness.
Everyone in book club today, with the exception of one, had nothing but glowingly wonderful things to say about this bittersweet novel. And even the one thought it was exceptionally well written; she just couldn't fully connect with the narrator. We ...more
I absolutely loved this book. I know that a large part of my enjoyment of it, is because my son is on the autism spectrum. I saw a lot of him in Todd. It also was a good look into what might go through my son's mind at times, why he struggles in certain situations.
My own personal experiences aside, this book was beautifully written. It makes you laugh, it makes you cry. It was a great read.
My own personal experiences aside, this book was beautifully written. It makes you laugh, it makes you cry. It was a great read.
Todd, an autistic man has lived at Payton Living Center for decades. Todd was dropped off at the age of 13, when his family could no longer tolerate his occasional violent outbursts. Told by his mother when she leaves him to be the "best boy" possible, Todd has tried to live by the rules and finds happiness in the memories of his beloved mother. Now his brother is his caretaker, someone who was cruel to Todd as a boy, and now does his duty from what a appears to be a guilty conscious. Lucky for
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This wasn't my home. It pretended to be. It pretended with all its might that it was filled with people who were my family and also that it was the right place for me. But none of these things were true and they never would be.
3.5 stars
For me this is a story about love - the beautiful kind (his mom and Raykene) and the more complicated kind (his brother and sister-in-law). There are many novels about kids with autism but this is the first one I've read about an adult, which gives you a very ...more
When his mother brought Todd Aaron to the Payton Living Center, she gave her autistic son words to live by: "Life has a song of happiness at the heart of it, but you can only hear that song if you work hard and are always a Best Boy and do exactly what you are told." Forty years later, Todd has a childlike innocence, enjoys music, and has an excellent memory for information in the Encyclopedia Britannica (Mr B) and on the computer (Mr C). He's a good worker on the lawn crew or cafeteria line.
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Unfortunately I don't have time to do full reviews for any books right now but this was a magnificent and unique read. This is not another "he's fascinating because he has asperger's syndrome" book (although I love those). The character in this book deals with some undefined autism spectrum disorder and being developmentally delayed. Both the main character and the supporting characters are very believable. To me, a great novel is all about deep, complex, believable characters. When you finish a
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Best Boy, by Eli Gottlieb, is told from the perspective of Todd Aaron, an autistic fifty-something-year old man and long-time resident of Payton Living Center, a therapeutic community for people with developmental disorders. Though Todd demonstrates certain levels of higher functioning, in that he reads (the Encyclopedia Britannica is his favorite), uses a computer, pines for a girlfriend, enjoys travel, etc., he still has only limited understanding of what is going on around him--which means
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Exceptional and powerful. Reminds me more of Temple Grandin's The Way I See It than Curious Incident as the narrator is a grown man who has lived in care for years and years. There is so much here to think about. Some of the passages are honest, affecting, and deeply poetic. I know I will continue to reflect on this book for a very long time.
4.5 Stars
Brilliant, just brilliant. This novel is written in the first-person of an autistic, adult man named Todd who lives in a center and is just trying to get by everyday with who he is. I had tears in my eyes a lot while listening to it. This story was almost a 5-star read, but there were a few storylines that I wished had tighter finishes. But overall, just incredible. I loved it.
Brilliant, just brilliant. This novel is written in the first-person of an autistic, adult man named Todd who lives in a center and is just trying to get by everyday with who he is. I had tears in my eyes a lot while listening to it. This story was almost a 5-star read, but there were a few storylines that I wished had tighter finishes. But overall, just incredible. I loved it.
“What happens when someone on the autism spectrum grows up, and they aren’t a cute little boy anymore? Gottlieb’s novel follows the story of Todd Aaron, a man in his fifties who has spent most of his life a resident of the Payton Living Center. Todd begins to wonder what lies beyond the gates of his institution. A funny and deeply affecting work.”
Elizabeth Olesh, Baldwin Public Library, Baldwin, NY
Elizabeth Olesh, Baldwin Public Library, Baldwin, NY
I was really disappointed with this book because I liked it so much, and then it was suddenly just over. The whole book they seemed to be building up to something that never happened. Characters were introduced and things were coming together into a climax, and then suddenly they weren't and the characters were gone, no exit, no goodbyes, nothing -- the pace of the book came to a grinding halt and it was suddenly, "the end."
Best Boy has a sort of unique charm and an original tone that I found to ...more
Best Boy has a sort of unique charm and an original tone that I found to ...more
A brilliantly imagined and insightful story narrated by Todd, an autistic man in his 50s who has spent most of his life in institutions. But Todd's very orderly world is thrown into chaos when a new resident and a malevolent new staff member arrive at Payton Living Center. This remarkable book will remain with readers long after they have turned the last page. Highly recommended.
Eli Gottlieb, the author of BEST BOY, does have a brother with autism who has been institutionalized since the age of 11. Gottlieb’s background and family history provides a realistic backdrop to this engaging and illuminating novel about an autistic man, now in his 50’s, living in a therapeutic community. Gottlieb chose to write this story in first person, which allows the reader to understand, somewhat, the mind of an autistic person.
Realistic fiction bestows the benefits of learning about ...more
Realistic fiction bestows the benefits of learning about ...more
I really enjoyed the authenticity of this book. It was well researched and it was well written. I thought it was a perfect idea to write this from the perspective of an adult male with autism who lives in a home. He has a brother who visits occasionally and his parents are deceased. The author tapped into the many relationships in a way that felt honest and true. I loved the layers of description. I just wanted to climb in and help Todd out especially when people expected him to understand their
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Real To me
The opening scene made me cry, because I have a child with special needs and I too will be living that scene but in a much different way. A happy way I pray. We all have different paths as children and his parents to those children. Feeling blessed
The opening scene made me cry, because I have a child with special needs and I too will be living that scene but in a much different way. A happy way I pray. We all have different paths as children and his parents to those children. Feeling blessed
A beautiful and redemptive tale of family, autism, and love. Fresh telling of adult autism makes this story even more compelling. Bravo Mr. Gottlieb, bravo! Much much love.
This story is about an autistic man named Todd Aaron. Todd narrates the story and we learn about his life as a villager at Payton Living Center where he is an elder. He has been at this home for many years. Todd reminisces about his life before coming to Payton and now he wants to go home. I really enjoyed the story and the way the author wrote it in Todd’s voice. I don’t have experience with anyone with autism but Todd’s autism felt authentic.
Jul 15, 2015
Susan (aka Just My Op)
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
arc-edition
Although there are currently hundred, it seems, novels about autistic characters, they still interest me when done well. Initially, I didn't think this one would do anything to set itself apart. Then I learned more about Todd, an autistic adult living in a residential center for people with various mental challenges.
What makes this book more readable than some of the others is the voice of Todd. He has a unique way of observing, of expressing himself, of thinking.
“Pets belong to the same ...more
What makes this book more readable than some of the others is the voice of Todd. He has a unique way of observing, of expressing himself, of thinking.
“Pets belong to the same ...more
I have mixed feelings about this book. I was interested to read about an autistic man in his 50's who had even institutionalized since age 13. Most of the books I've read have been about cute, quirky kids. The author's autistic brother was institutionalized at age 11 which gave him an authentic voice. Todd, who narrates the entire novel, is a resident of the Payton Living Center. The description of "the volts" which caused him to lose control gave me amazing insight. His spiky cognition was
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Thanks to the publisher for an advance reader's copy.
This novel is told from the point of view from an autistic adult named Todd, and his routines and minimal interactions with the world beyond his assisted living facility keep the plot spare. But Todd's limited narration belies the complexity of the information that he's giving the reader, even if he doesn't realize all the implications himself. While this could be used to give a pessimistic view of the world (and there is some of that), the ...more
This novel is told from the point of view from an autistic adult named Todd, and his routines and minimal interactions with the world beyond his assisted living facility keep the plot spare. But Todd's limited narration belies the complexity of the information that he's giving the reader, even if he doesn't realize all the implications himself. While this could be used to give a pessimistic view of the world (and there is some of that), the ...more
BEST BOY
Eli Gottlieb
A candid and terribly interesting book concerning care for the handicapped and how their lives develop. Todd Arron was sent to a therapeutic community for the care of autism when he was eleven. Todd is now fifty years old and the oldest resident in the community who obsessively reads the Encyclopedia Britannica and is quite content. That is until a new roommate, a menacing new staffer, and a fascinating and dangerous unusual young girl arrives, Todd is thrown and has some ...more
Eli Gottlieb
A candid and terribly interesting book concerning care for the handicapped and how their lives develop. Todd Arron was sent to a therapeutic community for the care of autism when he was eleven. Todd is now fifty years old and the oldest resident in the community who obsessively reads the Encyclopedia Britannica and is quite content. That is until a new roommate, a menacing new staffer, and a fascinating and dangerous unusual young girl arrives, Todd is thrown and has some ...more
What a lovely little book. It's not big on plot, just character. The audio version was performed beautifully by Bronson Pinchot.
It centers around the life of Todd. A grown man with autism who lives in an assisted living facility. To see the world through his eyes was heartbreaking at times, funny at others. It is sensitive in tone. Some of the descriptive passages were just amazing - the way Todd interprets the world around him and the people he interacts with. I enjoyed this very much.
It centers around the life of Todd. A grown man with autism who lives in an assisted living facility. To see the world through his eyes was heartbreaking at times, funny at others. It is sensitive in tone. Some of the descriptive passages were just amazing - the way Todd interprets the world around him and the people he interacts with. I enjoyed this very much.
What a great read!! Do yourself a favor and check it out when published - I don't think you will regret it.
What a beautiful story, I loved it.
"What was once thought to be a rare, severe ailment is now recognized to be a common neurobehavioral disorder that occurs along a broad spectrum."
'Best Boy' is a "special" book about a "special" life in words that are just that....SPECIAL!
I mean it. The story is beautiful. Not like any of your usual high adrenaline mystery-thrillers or psychological puzzles. (I did wonder for a while though, if I would have to be sweating over our clueless autistic protagonist being taken advantage of by "Mike ...more
'Best Boy' is a "special" book about a "special" life in words that are just that....SPECIAL!
I mean it. The story is beautiful. Not like any of your usual high adrenaline mystery-thrillers or psychological puzzles. (I did wonder for a while though, if I would have to be sweating over our clueless autistic protagonist being taken advantage of by "Mike ...more
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