The main character of this novel is an autistic 15-year old boy. An intriguing mystery begins on the first page, when the boy walks outside his house one night to discover his next-door neighbor’s dog killed with a garden rake. He decides to figure out who did it and why. This unlocks all sorts of deep secrets and complicated, surprising developments.
While I can’t say that I enjoyed this book, it was mesmerizing, simply because of the insight it provides into how the autistic mind works. Never before have I been curious about what it must be like to live inside the mind of an autistic person, but I do try to understand different world points of view, and this book was simply outstanding for accomplishing that task.
I recommend you go over to Amazon and preview the first two or three pages. You will immediately see what I mean about experiencing the world through a mind that processes information a little bit differently. If you are intrigued by the preview, you will like the book. If the preview does not appeal to you, read no further. What you see is what you get, and you probably won’t warm up to the book.
Although this sort of novel is not my usual fare, I found it touching, eye-opening, and very illuminating. It is also a quick read, which is always a bonus!