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sandin954's review against another edition
3.0
Perfectly pleasant story of a young man with Asperger's who is challenged by his father to work in the mail room at the law firm his father heads so he can get some experience with the real world. Marcelo's voice is really well done throughout the entire book but I felt most of the other characters were a bit slight and wished the author had a lighter touch at certain points during the book. I listened to the audio version read by Lincoln Hoppe who really excelled with Marcelo's first person narration.
floralfox's review against another edition
4.0
Why haven't I written a review for this book yet? I love it to pieces and it's the first thing I recommend whenever someone needs a new book to read.
anemone42's review
3.0
The star rating for this one is hard. I'd give the first 2/3 of the book five stars, and the solution to the problem in the novel one star. It seemed barely believable; why would Marcelo make the choice he did without considering other choices? It also suffered from Just-Ask-Already Syndrome. The characters are fantastic, I love Marcelo to pieces. I think these characters were worthy of a much better plot.
perilous1's review
4.0
I struggled with the rating on this one, but ultimately rounded up to emphasize just how much more I appreciated this book above and beyond the more famous one it is so often compared to: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime.
Marcelo is a mild, readily likable character. Which is fortunate, because it's through his sole POV we are told this story. There's a wisdom to his innocence and a relatability to his frustration with the less logical of human behaviors. Where the main character in TCIOTDITN comes across as a teen with the comprehension of a 5-year-old with savant prowess in terms of mathematics, Marcelo seems to think and act his age despite his naivete--which comes off as simply neuro-atypical rather than stunted. Marcelo doesn't have a particular savant talent, but he does have a "special interest" in religion, which he knows he must reign in conversationally and avoid altogether in certain environments.
This book was genuinely beautiful at points. It's got realistic stakes, languid pacing, and relatively low tension throughout. But the point seems more so a character study in the face of multiple moral quandaries. In spite of Marcelo's "special interest," the expression of religion isn't heavy-handed. It's more thoughtfully and consistently applied, yet safely vague. And though our MC seems to have a Catholic background, his primary religious advisor is a woman rabbi. I did appreciate the organic feel of their dialogue. (I had actually never heard that exact take on the fall of Man, and what the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil truly bestowed.)
I could have done without the decrepit old man ranting about bovine penises... on multiple occasions. Once was overlookable in the name of characterization. But the second (and extended) round of this made me seriously wish I weren't in a car listening to it on audiobook with no ability to skip ahead and spare myself. :/
Worth the read. Especially if you are in search of respectful, well-developed neuro-diversity. (The claim here is like-Asperger's-but-not, which offers a bit more interpretive leeway.)
Marcelo is a mild, readily likable character. Which is fortunate, because it's through his sole POV we are told this story. There's a wisdom to his innocence and a relatability to his frustration with the less logical of human behaviors. Where the main character in TCIOTDITN comes across as a teen with the comprehension of a 5-year-old with savant prowess in terms of mathematics, Marcelo seems to think and act his age despite his naivete--which comes off as simply neuro-atypical rather than stunted. Marcelo doesn't have a particular savant talent, but he does have a "special interest" in religion, which he knows he must reign in conversationally and avoid altogether in certain environments.
This book was genuinely beautiful at points. It's got realistic stakes, languid pacing, and relatively low tension throughout. But the point seems more so a character study in the face of multiple moral quandaries. In spite of Marcelo's "special interest," the expression of religion isn't heavy-handed. It's more thoughtfully and consistently applied, yet safely vague. And though our MC seems to have a Catholic background, his primary religious advisor is a woman rabbi. I did appreciate the organic feel of their dialogue. (I had actually never heard that exact take on the fall of Man, and what the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil truly bestowed.)
I could have done without the decrepit old man ranting about bovine penises... on multiple occasions. Once was overlookable in the name of characterization. But the second (and extended) round of this made me seriously wish I weren't in a car listening to it on audiobook with no ability to skip ahead and spare myself. :/
Worth the read. Especially if you are in search of respectful, well-developed neuro-diversity. (The claim here is like-Asperger's-but-not, which offers a bit more interpretive leeway.)
deberryangel's review
2.0
I thought it was okay but some of the incidents and cursing I could do without.
kawarwick's review against another edition
4.0
a great book. Good if you what more insight to life dealing with autism.
lizaroo71's review
4.0
marcelo sandoval has asperger's syndrome and has lived his life happily at paterson school. his father, arturo, wants marcelo to challenge himself and work at arturo's law firm the summer before his senior year. if marcelo can complete the summer position and interact in what his father deems a "normal" way with his co-workers then marcelo can decide what school he will spend his last year of school at: paterson or the regular high school.
marcelo works in the mail room and helps out jasmine. jasmine is not too excited about marcelo's assistance, but she begins to train him and comes to find out he's a diligent worker. marcelo also meets wendell, the son of a partner in the firm. wendell wants to use marcelo to get closer to jasmine. and wendell's motives are less than proper.
as marcelo continues to adapt to his environment, he is assigned to assist wendell with the firm's biggest case. while sorting through documents, marcelo finds a photo of a young girl whose face is damaged by a faulty windshield designed by the client that makes the firm the most money.
marcelo finds himself at a crossroads in his life. should he go against his father and seek out the girl in the photo and find out what really happened? or should he keep his mouth shut and do his job so he can go to paterson for his senior year?
the book does a satisfying job of allowing the reader to see the world from a person with asperger's syndrome viewpoint. it also does a good job of handling the delicate issues of loyalty and betrayal.
marcelo works in the mail room and helps out jasmine. jasmine is not too excited about marcelo's assistance, but she begins to train him and comes to find out he's a diligent worker. marcelo also meets wendell, the son of a partner in the firm. wendell wants to use marcelo to get closer to jasmine. and wendell's motives are less than proper.
as marcelo continues to adapt to his environment, he is assigned to assist wendell with the firm's biggest case. while sorting through documents, marcelo finds a photo of a young girl whose face is damaged by a faulty windshield designed by the client that makes the firm the most money.
marcelo finds himself at a crossroads in his life. should he go against his father and seek out the girl in the photo and find out what really happened? or should he keep his mouth shut and do his job so he can go to paterson for his senior year?
the book does a satisfying job of allowing the reader to see the world from a person with asperger's syndrome viewpoint. it also does a good job of handling the delicate issues of loyalty and betrayal.
laura_m_j's review
5.0
One of my favorite books because it let me get inside the head of an autistic teen and see what the world looks like from his perspective.
bookgirl4ever's review
4.0
Marcel is high functioning Asperger's but has lived his life in a very controlled environment. At the beginning of his seventeenth summer, his dad changes Marcel's plans for and tells him he will be working at his law firm as a summer job. If Marcel can succeed in the "real" world he can return to his special school in the Fall; otherwise he must enroll in regular public school. Marcel finds himself stretched beyond his comfort zone as he makes unexpected friends, has to chose between what is right and his loyalty to his dad, and learns about love.
Really not what I expected. Recommended for 11th grade and older.
Really not what I expected. Recommended for 11th grade and older.