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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
This is a good book. It could've been one of those "you're on the spectrum but you shouldn't be coddled, and ta-da now you're a productive member of society" kind of book, but this one surprised me.
Marcelo is pushed into the "Real World", the working world, and is confused by all the unspoken rules, and understandably so. It plays on the trope of "foreigner trying to understand this strangers' land custom", kind of critique on society. Marcelo is questioning all the rules in life that we take for granted, and it's quite interesting. The most major themes are Sexuality, Religion and Work Ethics. I love how the book portrayed the protagonists Asexuality, and him trying to figure out how it "works in the real world". I've been noticing this trend whenever a teenage character is on the spectrum, the next question is, "what about their sexuality?", and it's somehow expected of them to be Asexual (even though no studies have found any correlation between the two -but really not many studies have been made). So really, if you've ever been confused by Asexuality, i feel this book goes through all the facets of it. Also Marcelo is trying to figure out the different natures of love, and what it means to make the right or wrong decision.
Even though it's a YA book, it didn't feel like an adult condescendingly writing to teens, so major positive points for that, and pretty accurate description of a person with High Functioning Autism. Also major positive points, Marcelo evolves throughout the book, but without conforming and compromising himself.
Marcelo is pushed into the "Real World", the working world, and is confused by all the unspoken rules, and understandably so. It plays on the trope of "foreigner trying to understand this strangers' land custom", kind of critique on society. Marcelo is questioning all the rules in life that we take for granted, and it's quite interesting. The most major themes are Sexuality, Religion and Work Ethics. I love how the book portrayed the protagonists Asexuality, and him trying to figure out how it "works in the real world". I've been noticing this trend whenever a teenage character is on the spectrum, the next question is, "what about their sexuality?", and it's somehow expected of them to be Asexual (even though no studies have found any correlation between the two -but really not many studies have been made). So really, if you've ever been confused by Asexuality, i feel this book goes through all the facets of it. Also Marcelo is trying to figure out the different natures of love, and what it means to make the right or wrong decision.
Even though it's a YA book, it didn't feel like an adult condescendingly writing to teens, so major positive points for that, and pretty accurate description of a person with High Functioning Autism. Also major positive points, Marcelo evolves throughout the book, but without conforming and compromising himself.
Marcelo, a young man with cognitive disorder most closely resembling Asperger's Syndrome, must spend the summer working at his father's law firm in order help him learn to function in the "real world." Frank discussions of religion, sex, power (over others and one's self), and what it means to do the right thing told in Marcelo's innocent, yet analytical voice make this story one that should provoke much discussion amongst readers. The story is not totally serious, however. I was entertained by Marcelo's attempts to comprehend the behavior of those around him.
"Her belief is in her deeds." I'm paraphrasing, but one of the characters says this about Marcelo's mother when he worries about her possible loss of faith. The more I thought about this line, the more I realized it applies to each character in this exquisite YA novel. Marcelo's father, the high-powered, self-made lawyer, wants to force Marcelo into the 'real world,' a place Marcelo, with his Aspergers, has been sheltered from...His father believes the 'real world' will toughen Marcelo, make him more competitive. Well, the real world does change Marcelo forever...he learns so much over the summer working in the mail room of his father's law firm. He learns about betrayal, courage, rules, love, sex; he learns he's stronger than he ever dreamed he was. This is a character who will live in my heart...Marcelo joins the real world, but he learns our belief is in our deeds; he sees through their deeds into the hearts of the people he comes in contact with.
Now, first of all, I am not an expert on disorders on the autism spectrum. Honestly, I don’t understand a lot of it, though I’ve tried reading books about it. So I can’t say one way or the other if Marcelo is an accurate portrayal of a young man with Aspies. On Goodreads, people argue that he is or he isn’t, so I have no clue. That aside, though, I enjoyed the book quite a bit. Marcelo’s voice is different and new, making the book fresh and unique as you learn Marcelo’s short comings and struggles to deal with other people. Marcelo and the other characters have realistic interactions, interesting motivations, and characters develop and grow as the story goes, specifically Marcelo’s growth into more emotion and Jasmine’s growing trust and affection for Marcelo.
The writing style is good, but not the best I’ve read, but it’s still good enough to convey Marcelo’s growth and inner workings. The story deals with the ambiguity of the law and Marcelo’s growing emotional feelings toward right and wrong and developing a more aware compassion for others. The plot is interesting but the story is really made by the characters and the way they act and react to Marcelo.
The book is very good, I understand why so many people adore it, but it felt like a little bit of something was missing. While I can’t name it, it shouldn’t defer anyone from reading this book which has incredibly satisfying emotional growth for the main character. It’s definitely a homerun for a book, even if it doesn’t knock it out of the park.
The writing style is good, but not the best I’ve read, but it’s still good enough to convey Marcelo’s growth and inner workings. The story deals with the ambiguity of the law and Marcelo’s growing emotional feelings toward right and wrong and developing a more aware compassion for others. The plot is interesting but the story is really made by the characters and the way they act and react to Marcelo.
The book is very good, I understand why so many people adore it, but it felt like a little bit of something was missing. While I can’t name it, it shouldn’t defer anyone from reading this book which has incredibly satisfying emotional growth for the main character. It’s definitely a homerun for a book, even if it doesn’t knock it out of the park.
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
started this book while i was reading ADSOM, as a light read, to balance out my reading schedule.
and to be fair, im not a huge fan of contemporary anymore, actually i never really was a huge fan, but im not going to give this book an unfair review.
i thought it was okay. the premise was interesting, i love reading about mental illnesses and disabilities, especially from the affected persons perspective. the author did a decent job, but it was just too unrealistic. something about it was unrealistic, and i cant put my finger on what it is right now, perhaps i'll get back to it at another time. but overall, this book was okay.
and to be fair, im not a huge fan of contemporary anymore, actually i never really was a huge fan, but im not going to give this book an unfair review.
i thought it was okay. the premise was interesting, i love reading about mental illnesses and disabilities, especially from the affected persons perspective. the author did a decent job, but it was just too unrealistic. something about it was unrealistic, and i cant put my finger on what it is right now, perhaps i'll get back to it at another time. but overall, this book was okay.
Phenomenal! One of my faves. Read for my adolescent lit class. Would def recommend. A good representation of a perspective from a person on the “spectrum.”
I absolutely loved this book. The endearing characters take their flaws in stride, and question motives and religion in a profound way. This book definitely brought up some important questions that, although not answered (as they are unanswerable), were discussed with passion and thought.
Unlike so many people who read this, I had zero expectations. There was no hype preceding my adventure, as I only chose the book because I found out that we had 2 copies in the library (and we don't have 2 copies of much), and one of my students excitedly chose this for her Blind Date with a Book. I love the cover, and I knew it was one of those books that featured a character with autism, and that was it. MY blind date with this book was a huge success.
Marcelo, on the high, high end of the spectrum, first made me love him just by being his quirky, intelligent self. In the beginning, I could see that he had Asperger's Syndrome and loved this special school he attended. Next, his father decides he must spend the summer working at his law firm so that he can experience the unsheltered, unregulated, accommodating "real world." I worried for Marcelo--this should have been a disaster, as I am well aware of all of the supports that people with autism need to be successful in their environments. At least, based on all of the education that this neurotypical teacher and librarian has learned over the years. We are supposed to adapt the environment so that people are successful, not the other way around. This whole situation had me appropriately uncomfortable and made me think, a LOT. Marcelo's father, with his well-explained intentions, was basically throwing a toddler into the ocean and saying that he'd only learn to swim this way, not in toddler mommy-and-me swimming lessons at the YMCA. So I was hooked from the get-go.
Marcelo's experience captivated me as any well-written plot. The book was not about autism--it was an exciting drama that had my heart racing; there was an exciting hint that something dark and awful was about to happen at all times, as I recognized an antagonist as a sociopath and unfortunately, our naive protagonist just saw "friend." I had to stop reading at times because the tension was too awful. The great thing about this tension was that this was real life stuff, not a thriller. I got to see the "ugly side" of people as they used and manipulated unsuspecting people from this lens....characterization was believable, and people's motives were magnified because of the protagonist's autism. How much of this stuff is going on in my own work environment? The book made ME see the "real world" more clearly.
Marcelo's dealings with moral dilemmas, his conversations with one of the best characters ever, Rabbi Herschel, the philosophical and theological discussions about the nature of sexual intercourse (the difference between when it is good and when it is evil), the dealing of the issue of objectification of bodies and stereotypical thinking....I can go on and on... were exceedingly well handled. Even as an adult reader, I gained MUCH from the Rabbi's perspective. For this alone, I'd say that this is one seriously important realistic fiction novel for teens to read.
So why 4 stars and not five? It feels five-y. It really does, but something nags at me.
*****Spoiler Alert*****
Marcelo thrived, adapted, and changed to fit his environment, just as his father predicted. I pretty much forgot that Marcelo was on the spectrum at the end, as he began to act more and more neurotypical. To clarify, it's not that Marcelo became so normalized to me that I forgot his condition, it is that he definitely and totally began to act more neurotypical.
I'm not sure how possible this is, and I wonder what people from the autism community think about this novel. It almost suggests, okay it does suggest, that the less people accommodated Marcelo's special needs, the more a he was likely to adapt to "the real world." This seems like dangerous thinking. BUT, I may be totally wrong! Marcelo had a few supports in place, such as his mother providing a cell phone that easily contacted a caring adult when he was in trouble (that is a support), but he never used this. So maybe I'm being incorrect in thinking that Marcelo needed protecting all the time. On the other hand, he did mention that so many people with autism had far more severe symptoms than he had, so he does not represent all people with ASD (as no person represents all people with ASD). I did love how Marcelo explained the nature of "special interests" for people on the spectrum and all of the things he learned at Patterson--that seemed very realistic.
Despite this one issue with which I am not yet settled, this book was outstanding. I recommend it to ANYONE grade 9 to adult.
Marcelo, on the high, high end of the spectrum, first made me love him just by being his quirky, intelligent self. In the beginning, I could see that he had Asperger's Syndrome and loved this special school he attended. Next, his father decides he must spend the summer working at his law firm so that he can experience the unsheltered, unregulated, accommodating "real world." I worried for Marcelo--this should have been a disaster, as I am well aware of all of the supports that people with autism need to be successful in their environments. At least, based on all of the education that this neurotypical teacher and librarian has learned over the years. We are supposed to adapt the environment so that people are successful, not the other way around. This whole situation had me appropriately uncomfortable and made me think, a LOT. Marcelo's father, with his well-explained intentions, was basically throwing a toddler into the ocean and saying that he'd only learn to swim this way, not in toddler mommy-and-me swimming lessons at the YMCA. So I was hooked from the get-go.
Marcelo's experience captivated me as any well-written plot. The book was not about autism--it was an exciting drama that had my heart racing; there was an exciting hint that something dark and awful was about to happen at all times, as I recognized an antagonist as a sociopath and unfortunately, our naive protagonist just saw "friend." I had to stop reading at times because the tension was too awful. The great thing about this tension was that this was real life stuff, not a thriller. I got to see the "ugly side" of people as they used and manipulated unsuspecting people from this lens....characterization was believable, and people's motives were magnified because of the protagonist's autism. How much of this stuff is going on in my own work environment? The book made ME see the "real world" more clearly.
Marcelo's dealings with moral dilemmas, his conversations with one of the best characters ever, Rabbi Herschel, the philosophical and theological discussions about the nature of sexual intercourse (the difference between when it is good and when it is evil), the dealing of the issue of objectification of bodies and stereotypical thinking....I can go on and on... were exceedingly well handled. Even as an adult reader, I gained MUCH from the Rabbi's perspective. For this alone, I'd say that this is one seriously important realistic fiction novel for teens to read.
So why 4 stars and not five? It feels five-y. It really does, but something nags at me.
*****Spoiler Alert*****
Marcelo thrived, adapted, and changed to fit his environment, just as his father predicted. I pretty much forgot that Marcelo was on the spectrum at the end, as he began to act more and more neurotypical. To clarify, it's not that Marcelo became so normalized to me that I forgot his condition, it is that he definitely and totally began to act more neurotypical.
I'm not sure how possible this is, and I wonder what people from the autism community think about this novel. It almost suggests, okay it does suggest, that the less people accommodated Marcelo's special needs, the more a he was likely to adapt to "the real world." This seems like dangerous thinking. BUT, I may be totally wrong! Marcelo had a few supports in place, such as his mother providing a cell phone that easily contacted a caring adult when he was in trouble (that is a support), but he never used this. So maybe I'm being incorrect in thinking that Marcelo needed protecting all the time. On the other hand, he did mention that so many people with autism had far more severe symptoms than he had, so he does not represent all people with ASD (as no person represents all people with ASD). I did love how Marcelo explained the nature of "special interests" for people on the spectrum and all of the things he learned at Patterson--that seemed very realistic.
Despite this one issue with which I am not yet settled, this book was outstanding. I recommend it to ANYONE grade 9 to adult.
Being on the autism spectrum, I really like reading novels featuring people who are also on the spectrum. It gives me quite a bit of insight into myself, so it's always an intense experience reading these kinds of books. The autism aspect aside, this is a really good book that raises many interesting moral questions. One of those books that makes you look at your own life and your own choices. For me personally though, it probably wasn't such a good idea to read this. I'm absolutely terrified of entering the professional world -which I will have to do next year- and this story doesn't exactly help in that department. If anything, it's made me even more scared.