Note: This review may contain spoilers.
This is a very interesting life story of Christopher, a boy who is autistic. He is very smart and he got an A level grade for the A maths. He wanted to solve the mystery of the death of Wellington, who is Mrs. Shears dog. He has a family with a caring father and a lost mother.
The book is very straightforward and direct to the point, and this is because Christopher, the protagonist, is very straightforward and direct to the point. He likes things in order, like train tables, but does not like the colors yellow and brown. When he sees four red cars in a line, he believes that it will be a Super Good Day, while seeing 4 four yellow cars in a line will be a Black Day, and he will not speak to anyone on a day like that.
Besides maneuvering the quite halting style this book has been written in, you may not find it easy to read about Christopher, especially when you try to imagine how the people around him must feel. (Christopher himself does not like to imagine, but he knows that White Lies are truths that are not said completely.) His family is torn apart by his curious behavior, like when he reads difficult books or watches videos about undersea life, while getting in trouble at school for punching a classmate. He himself is an oddity, but he is logical enough to survive in the real world – probably better than a non-Special Needs adult.
This slice of life tale, said in the voice of an autistic yet gifted teen, is a look into the world of some people we probably do not understand due to their conditions. It is a refreshing perspective which brings not only understanding, but also a lot of heart. A number of surprises happen here and there, from the discovery of family secrets, to Christopher repeatedly threatening people with the saw blade on his Swiss knife, so it really makes for an amazing story.
Truly an inspiring look into what goes on in the heads of the people we describe as “autistic”.
Read this book now! Here’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time on Amazon (for Kindle).
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
