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Haddon has cornered the market on a unique subject matter. He gives us a rare glimpse into the mind of an autistic teenager. Add to the mix an obsession with Sherlock Holmes and a love for animals and soon Christopher is compelled to solve a neighborhood murder (Wellington, the poodle). There are some interesting twists to the tale as Christopher soon finds out some dark family secrets along the way. I love how he views everyday life through great detail and numbers, colors, etc. You can see how much the father struggles to keep a close relationship with him and also deal with a failed marriage. Near the end, Christopher goes on a very daring and brave quest that will astound you. He tests his own limits and boundaries. And that's what I really love about it!
I got this book because it was the summer reading book for my kids in high school. I always read the book they are assigned because I want to know what they are being exposed to. We were warned by the principal (Catholic School) that there were words in there that we didn't find acceptable for our children to use. I did not find the swearing overused (the f word is minimal). As for the subject of the book, it was a book that takes some careful reading at the beginning to learn the style of the writer, but it moves along after that. The boy in the book I think may be autistic, comes across as a more articulate "Rainman". He prefers order and familiarity in his life, but finds out that his family is far from that. He also was told by his dad, who he lived with, that his mom was dead. The dog's murder that opens the book is the fixation of the boy for a time (solving who killed the dog becomes his focus; he tries to methodically determine who would want to hurt the dog). Trying to get the clues for the dogs killer becomes stressful for him. He has to talk to strangers (neighbors) and move around his neighborhood in unfamiliar ways. He keeps a journal and was told to write a book by his teachers. He writes about the "investigation" of the dog killer. His dad finds the writings of this and tells him to stop snooping around. His dad takes his journal and he thinks has disposed of it. Then he must sneak around to continue his investigation, because he cannot stop fixating on this. He finds out some things about his parents that he didn't know that shock him and cause him to lose trust in his dad; his primary caregiver. He snoops in his dad's room and finds his journal, along with letters to him from his not so deceased mother. She had been run out of town by his father with the man she was having an affair with; the husband of the neighbor whose dog was killed... I won't tell you the spoiler of who killed the dog, but he runs away to find his mother and finds her. Some divorced family drama ensues, custody battles and adult relationship stuff is in there too. This story is definitely a book about a boy growing up, normal teenage defiance and seeking the truth; even when the odds are not with him in doing these normal teenage things. I don't think his parents thought he had it within him to to the things he did. He looks to the future with pride and hope; because he didn't think he was capable of all he did to find his mother and go out in the world alone either. He found things within himself and overcame paralyzing fear to get what he needed to find his mother and figure out how to survive alone in the world. I really liked rooting for the underdog in this story. I also felt sorry for his father, since he was the one who took on this boy who had lots of emotional issues that he dealt with alone. I thought the mother took the easy way out by agreeing to leave without saying goodbye to her son. She was lucky she ever saw him again. I liked it alot and read it in a couple days by the pool. Now if I can get the kids to read it in the next 4 weeks!Read full review
This book is very well written, but it does require focus from the reader. The main character,an autistic young man, carries the reader along in his endeavor to solve a mystery involving the killing of a neighborhood poodle. As his mind moves around from topic to topic, it can be hard to follow at first. You soon begin to understand more about how his mind works and a little about his background, and what was confusing at first begins to make perfect sense- almost. The book was required reading for my daughter in her college freshman English class. I read it primarily because of the seller's recommendation, and I am glad I put the time in to do so. It's not the type of book I would normally read for pleasure, but we all need to break away from our comfort zone now and then and read something to stretch our thinking.Read full review
I am the only one in my book club that gave this book a #3. I just didn't like it and I believe that is a personal thing. The book affects you on many different levels.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
I bought this book for a monthly book club meeting. The writing style is very different and made it difficult for me to "get into" the book. While I can't say I really enjoyed the book, I must say that it has generated a lot of thought about the book which is a sign of good literature - it makes you think. In my opinion, the author did do a good job of increasing my understanding of the challenges an autistic person must deal with every day. In that regard, it was a real "eye opener" to autism and the family members who must also learn how to deal with an autistic child and the patience required.
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