Scan barcode
bug_lightyear's review
2.0
An awful book. Why did an author who has no first hand experience in autism choose to write such a story? The main character is an autistic kid who sees colours for sounds and is face blind, and is framing himself as a murderer but nobody believes him. This book has bullying, r-word insults, child abuse and more awful themes, and the autistic kid is mostly a stereotype of being a genius at painting and doing quite bad with social cues, with a dad who doesn't understand his stimming (flapping and rocking to keep up with the stereotypes). He loves parakeets and despite other reviewers hating them I actually missed more heavy infodumping because he clearly has a deep interest in them and knows more than we're told.
The intrigue peaks with more child abuse and a very distressed main character. I got this book for free because the library was giving it away and I was wondering why, well now I understand, it's not a good book especially taken as a book to understand autism or synaesthesia. I was looking forward to reading a possibly relatable book from an autistic point of view, but it's written by someone who did research, and that research falls short from portraying a genuine autistic character.
I usually avoid these kind of books and themes and should have looked at content warnings before.
The intrigue peaks with more child abuse and a very distressed main character. I got this book for free because the library was giving it away and I was wondering why, well now I understand, it's not a good book especially taken as a book to understand autism or synaesthesia. I was looking forward to reading a possibly relatable book from an autistic point of view, but it's written by someone who did research, and that research falls short from portraying a genuine autistic character.
I usually avoid these kind of books and themes and should have looked at content warnings before.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Sexual violence, Child abuse, and Gun violence
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Self harm, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Sexual violence, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Murder, Medical trauma, Gun violence, Grief, Death of parent, Vomit, Mental illness, Adult/minor relationship, and Ableism
eastofreaden's review
5.0
This book was one of the most original mysteries I’ve ever read, and the initial reason I read it wasn’t even because it was a mystery. It was that the main character, Jasper, a 13-year-old boy, has synaesthesia and experiences the world as a kaleidoscope of colour. He is also on the spectrum and has prosopagnosia (face blindness). Jasper befriends his new neighbour, Bee, but when she is murdered, he doesn’t know the extent of how much he is involved.
As you experience things through Jasper’s point-of-view, the reactions of those around him and flashbacks to previous events, the complete picture begins to piece itself together. A lot of the time, you are putting things together before Jasper is. As the details started to form fully, I remember being genuinely shocked by what was revealed to me as his memories untangled.
I also want to add that Jasper's autistic traits are written respectfully and genuinely. I've read several other books with a main character on the spectrum, and they can easily come across as a parody of what it is. Harris did a lot of research, including working with the National Autistic Society and interviewing many people with autism, including a woman with prosopagnosia and synaesthesia. She took the right steps, and it shows.
As you experience things through Jasper’s point-of-view, the reactions of those around him and flashbacks to previous events, the complete picture begins to piece itself together. A lot of the time, you are putting things together before Jasper is. As the details started to form fully, I remember being genuinely shocked by what was revealed to me as his memories untangled.
I also want to add that Jasper's autistic traits are written respectfully and genuinely. I've read several other books with a main character on the spectrum, and they can easily come across as a parody of what it is. Harris did a lot of research, including working with the National Autistic Society and interviewing many people with autism, including a woman with prosopagnosia and synaesthesia. She took the right steps, and it shows.
jemimamc's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
pollyandthebooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
ainens's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
laura_a's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
estherhgg's review
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Ik moest even opstarten met dit boek. De eerste 150 pagina's hebben me een hele tijd gekost, maar daarna kon ik het nauwelijks meer wegleggen. Hele bijzondere "whodunnit" (of hoe je dat ook spelt) met een bijzonder hoofdpersonage waaruit ik heel graag las. De groei in mensen om hem heen en hun begrip voor hem was een mooi detail om te lezen.
starscattered's review
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75