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I have worked with a lot of autistic kids and this authors just NAILS it. I love the concept of the reader being able to grasp everything that's happening while the narrator is still figuring it out. There is an innocent humor throughout that's just lovely. Then everything gets turned upside down. Bravo and thanks for an amazing read.
p. 3, 6 I like dogs. You always know what a dog is thinking. It has four moods. Happy, sad, cross, and concentrating. Also, dogs are faithful and they do not tell l ...more
p. 3, 6 I like dogs. You always know what a dog is thinking. It has four moods. Happy, sad, cross, and concentrating. Also, dogs are faithful and they do not tell l ...more

The play is better, especially with pacing. There are issues and questions I have (I really want to know what a social worker thinks of the parents). And the context surrounding this book is even most frustrating than the book itself...it’s still the most widely read and “celebrated” books with an autistic MC and it isn’t ownvoices. Professional reviews from allistic people were all “Wow! He captured autism! So smart and eccentric! So much empathy!” Ugh.

Heart breaking. It's amazing to see life from the eyes of Christopher, an autistic teen who has been living a lie unknown. It's a realistic story of a broken family trying to get by with the difficult situation they've been dealt. It's a story that makes you smirk and tear up at the same time.
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Maybe this is naive but I would rather read a book that inspires. I loved the idea to narrate a book through the eyes of an autistic boy. I felt that he did a good job of it. I didn't like any of the characters (may have liked Siobhan if I knew her in real life, but in the book she was just a reference now and then). Didn't love the plot.
I don't love the tendency to portray people's flaws in this tone which so many writer's do now. Of course humans are flawed- but why focus in on it instead of ...more
I don't love the tendency to portray people's flaws in this tone which so many writer's do now. Of course humans are flawed- but why focus in on it instead of ...more

On paper this is the sort of book I should love since it involves a kid who loves Sherlock Holmes and math, two things I can appreciate it. Instead I just found the book to be exhausting to read, which is probably appropriate since it's told from the POV of a boy with autism and having all those thoughts and actions to deal with every day would be tiring. My main problem though is with the adults in the story, they were all just too ridiculous to believe, especially his parents.
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I love people who have neurodivergencies like the narrator in this book, and so I found the perspective refreshing. There were definitely some things that disturbed me. But, I think they were supposed to. What really impacted me was the opportunity to see how families and communities can be impacted by the suffering of another. I consider this well worth the time to read it.

Sep 12, 2010
Jennifer Daum
marked it as to-read

Oct 24, 2011
Savannah Oakes
marked it as to-read