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suzy_g 's review for:
The Rosie Project
by Graeme Simsion
'The Rosie Project' was equal parts cute and impressive. It took me by complete surprise. If you're looking for a light read that is more than just your typical romance novel, I definitely recommend this one.
The story follows Don Tillman, who is neuro-diverse. Don presents as having Asperger's Syndrome (I read the book a while ago and can't remember if this is ever specified, hence why I've avoided stating categorically that that's the case). The exact nature of Don's neuro-diversity isn't the main focus of the book though - it is about his life, his hopes for it and all the ways it changes after he decides the time is right to get married. Don is highly logical, a consummate planner, and is in no way daunted by the task ahead of him. So, step one: find the perfect person. Step two: get hitched. What could possibly go wrong?
Of course, things don't go even slightly to plan (regardless of how well-laid those plans might have been). And although there's nothing ground-breaking in terms of the direction of the story itself, I did appreciate that it all revolved around a person whose life experience has been very different to many of his peers.
I am neuro-typical and so I can't say with any authority how successful the representation in this story was (I'd definitely recommend seeking out own voices reviews in this regard - I will be too), but speaking solely from a personal perspective I did think it was well done. Don faces different challenges in his day-to-day life than I might, and I felt that the book did a good job of communicating what those challenges might be and giving some insight into just how difficult it is to navigate a world that frankly isn't considerate enough.
It was a little predictable and a little too cutesy at times, but the combination of being enjoyable, memorable and featuring an under-represented point of view whilst - crucially - ensuring that this in no way appeared to be a gimmick, all won me over. Worth the read, for sure.
Reading challenges:
- Popsugar 2021: 11/50
- Prompt: A book you have seen on someone's book shelf
The story follows Don Tillman, who is neuro-diverse. Don presents as having Asperger's Syndrome (I read the book a while ago and can't remember if this is ever specified, hence why I've avoided stating categorically that that's the case). The exact nature of Don's neuro-diversity isn't the main focus of the book though - it is about his life, his hopes for it and all the ways it changes after he decides the time is right to get married. Don is highly logical, a consummate planner, and is in no way daunted by the task ahead of him. So, step one: find the perfect person. Step two: get hitched. What could possibly go wrong?
Of course, things don't go even slightly to plan (regardless of how well-laid those plans might have been). And although there's nothing ground-breaking in terms of the direction of the story itself, I did appreciate that it all revolved around a person whose life experience has been very different to many of his peers.
I am neuro-typical and so I can't say with any authority how successful the representation in this story was (I'd definitely recommend seeking out own voices reviews in this regard - I will be too), but speaking solely from a personal perspective I did think it was well done. Don faces different challenges in his day-to-day life than I might, and I felt that the book did a good job of communicating what those challenges might be and giving some insight into just how difficult it is to navigate a world that frankly isn't considerate enough.
It was a little predictable and a little too cutesy at times, but the combination of being enjoyable, memorable and featuring an under-represented point of view whilst - crucially - ensuring that this in no way appeared to be a gimmick, all won me over. Worth the read, for sure.
Reading challenges:
- Popsugar 2021: 11/50
- Prompt: A book you have seen on someone's book shelf