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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.
drlisak's review
5.0
Such a beautiful, quiet, honest, musical book. I couldn't put it down. "The right note sounds right and the wrong note sounds wrong."
readwithpassion's review
5.0
I loved it! This book is worth the hype. Marcelo has an Asperger's-like cognitive disorder. His father forces him to spend the summer working in a law office, promising if Marcelo follows the rules of the "real world," then he can choose between his special ed school or public school for his senior year. Marcelo really wants to complete his senior year at his special ed school, so he agrees. Marcelo offers an innocence that is both frustrating and moving for me. I also found Jasmine to be a very complex character, and I felt very connected to her.
albiesays's review
5.0
Beautiful, wonderful book...that also made me think I had Asperger :3
Story : It's quite a beautiful story, told from the eyes of a boy, a teen really but a boy who is kind of forced to go into the real world after so many years of being in a bubble, among other children and teens who had disabilities. I think this is one of those stories that will stick and I didn't want it to end , I will miss Marcelo, I really will.
Characters : Marcelo is a wonderful human being, who shows us that he may have cognitive problems, he sees the world clearer than we ever will. I think it was important he met people like Jasmine and Wendell , to show him the good and bad in people. I also think the "real world" was a character, probably the biggest.
Final Words : I can easily recommend this book to anyone, especially if want a wake up call on how we tend to see those who are not like us as unequal but they just see the world differently. Marcelo doesn't even know what he had, Asperger or Autism, but he was aware of it and dealt with it. He was such a strong and intelligent character , smarter and wiser than some of those "normal" characters in other books.
9.5 out of 10
Story : It's quite a beautiful story, told from the eyes of a boy, a teen really but a boy who is kind of forced to go into the real world after so many years of being in a bubble, among other children and teens who had disabilities. I think this is one of those stories that will stick and I didn't want it to end , I will miss Marcelo, I really will.
Characters : Marcelo is a wonderful human being, who shows us that he may have cognitive problems, he sees the world clearer than we ever will. I think it was important he met people like Jasmine and Wendell , to show him the good and bad in people. I also think the "real world" was a character, probably the biggest.
Final Words : I can easily recommend this book to anyone, especially if want a wake up call on how we tend to see those who are not like us as unequal but they just see the world differently. Marcelo doesn't even know what he had, Asperger or Autism, but he was aware of it and dealt with it. He was such a strong and intelligent character , smarter and wiser than some of those "normal" characters in other books.
9.5 out of 10
nssutton's review
4.0
raced through this to finish it before my flight to minnesota (and also to catch up with the kids who are totally kicking my ass at the summer reading challenge). i was drawn in by the cover, as much as the reviews, but was still surprised by how much i like it. autistic main characters as a genre are always a little iffy for me but this book was beautiful. also, have you seen the cover of this book?
tasharobinson's review
4.0
Very neat book, probably of interest to anyone who liked "The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time." This one's similar, in that it's from the point of view of a 17-year-old with an Aspergers-like cognitive disorder who has trouble with eye contact, loud noises, interpreting other people's emotions, etc. When his father forces him to spend a summer working in the law firm where his father is a partner, he's supposed to learn to deal with "the real world," but he mostly learns about moral compromise and hypocrisy. The book takes a very interesting tack on religion, Aspbergers', and breaking away from parents in general. Recommended.
sarakday's review
4.0
Like The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, this novel works best when the narrator has a specific task to grapple with. The unexpected romantic elements are much more effective than I would have anticipated, too.
heatherl0413's review
5.0
Marcelo is on the very highest end of the Autism/Ausperger's spectrum. He understands his limitations and abilities. He has amazing foresight about himself. He has always attended Patterson, a local private school for students who are different. He plans to work there over the summer, training the Haflinger ponies and the in the fall begin his senior year. However, his father has different plans for him. His father owns a very prestigious law firm and he has decided that Marcelo should spend the summer working for him, and if Marcelo is successful than Marcelo can choose to return to Patterson for his senior year, but if Marcelo struggles or is an unacceptable employee than Marcelo must spend his senior year at the local public high school. Marcelo starts working in the mailroom under Jasmine, who resents the fact that she has to work with the boss' son when she already had someone else she had planned on hiring for that position. Then there is Wendell, his father's partner's son, who wants Marcelo's help in his conquest of Jasmine. And then, there is Marcelo's father and the company he represents who is hiding a major secret. Can Marcelo survive in the "real world"?