Annotation:
Christopher Boone is a 15 year old autistic boy who loves math, science, and puzzles. He doesn’t engage well with strangers but when his neighbor’s dog, Wellington, is killed he decides to track down the culprit. Along the way he brings to light secrets that change his life forever. Recommended for those 15+ who are looking for well written characters with social/ learning disabilities.
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| Cover from Goodreads.com |
Book Talk:
Imagine doing something so far outside your comfort zone that you barely even want to think about it. For 15 year old Christopher that’s talking to strangers but when his neighbor’s dog is killed he decides to face his fear and track down the murderer. But his life contains more mysteries than just The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
Book Review:
There is some debate about whether this book accurately and fairly represents people who are autistic or who have Asperger’s Disease. I am not an expert on the subject so cannot talk to the validity of Christopher’s character in that regards. I did think that Haddon did a remarkable job of getting into the head of an extremely socially awkward and self involved teenage boy. While Haddon did a great job developing his character’s the mystery aspect of this book was less than inspired. The case was solved in the first half of the book leaving the rest of the book to deal with Christopher’s character while he runs away from home.
If you’re looking for a mystery to read I would advise skipping this book but for anyone searching for well written characters outside of the “normal” social culture this is a great choice. There is a little bit of offensive language in this book making this book more appropriate for high school age teens.
Awards and Honors-
2004- Alex Award2004- Boeke Prize
Interested in learning more about this book or author? Check these out:
Author website: http://www.markhaddon.com/
Author Interviews:
April, 2004 article by Haddon in "The Guardian" about writing The Curious Incident
June 15, 2005 NPR podcast interview with Haddon:
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