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A review by lattelibrarian
The Real Boy by Anne Ursu, Erin Mcguire
5.0
This was the most wonderful and (un)expected retelling of Pinocchio I've read. Oscar has trouble acting the way that others do--he doesn't understand small talk, doesn't know how to infer from people's indirect questions. But as his master is called away, he's left to run the magic shop, something hugely outside of his comfort zone.
This retelling offers discussions surrounding on just what "real" is, the importance of the environment, and when it's best to let non-understanding to remain not understood. This tale is just so incredible in deconstructing what we think we know, cultural knowledge, and our understanding of humans. Not only that, but it offers a fantastical setting for an autistic main character--I've personally never seen fantasy with dis/abled main characters, so this was something just wonderful to see!
The Real Boy had me shocked, confused, eager to read more. I had to step away from it, I had to come right back. It left me reeling with so many emotions. Overall, it was a great book, and a good one, too. It's so worth the read. You will not be disappointed.
Review cross-listed here!
This retelling offers discussions surrounding on just what "real" is, the importance of the environment, and when it's best to let non-understanding to remain not understood. This tale is just so incredible in deconstructing what we think we know, cultural knowledge, and our understanding of humans. Not only that, but it offers a fantastical setting for an autistic main character--I've personally never seen fantasy with dis/abled main characters, so this was something just wonderful to see!
The Real Boy had me shocked, confused, eager to read more. I had to step away from it, I had to come right back. It left me reeling with so many emotions. Overall, it was a great book, and a good one, too. It's so worth the read. You will not be disappointed.
Review cross-listed here!