Review: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Title: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Author: Mark Haddon
ISBN/Publisher: 978-1-4000-3271-6/Vintage Books (part of Random House)
Age Group/Genre: Young Adult & Adult (I found it in both sections)

Christopher Boone, an autistic fifteen year-old tells his story. He lets us know that one way to help him relax is by doing math problems (and not easy math problems at that). When things get too much for him, he starts to moan. He doesn't like to be touched and he does not eat foods that are yellow or brown, but if he can dye them red it will be okay.

But the main part of the story is what happens when he discovers that his neighbor's dog was murdered. Now, he'll try to be like Sherlock Holmes in order to track down the killer. But what he doesn't sign up for is the revealing of his parent's broken marriage. Christopher explores a world that he finds difficult and confusing. He can't find a way to relate to others and others find him weird.

Does Christopher solve the murder???

I absolutely adored this book. It may be because I used to work with autistic children and reading from a special-needs child's point-of-view was kind of different, but a great different. This book gave me a better understanding of how their minds work. It was easy for me to imagine Christopher as a real child because he did remind me of one of the little boys I worked with.

I loved that Christopher was a math genius and I caught on before he mentioned that the novel's chapters are labeled using prime numbers (I was the nerd in school that loved the prime number unit & I admit that it's my favorite math section to tutor). Also, the book portrayed a parent's love for their child really well. And in this situation the need to protect a child from hurting and being different.

Mark Haddon does an amazing job telling this story. It is informative to those who don't understand autistic children and would like a better understanding on how their minds work. He also adds humor to the book. This combination is always a win win for me.

I totally recommend this book. However I've noticed that some people have a hard time reading it because it is an autistic child's point of view. But I promise...once you get used to it, you will definitely enjoy it!!!

My Rating

Now go and grab your cup of tea (or whatever beverage you prefer) and HAPPY readings!!!