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

I picked this book up at the library on a whim purely because of the title. Honestly, you see that (as well as the upside-down dog) on the cover - how can you pass that up? Lucky me, it was an excellent choice.

The book is written (by Mark Haddon) from the perspective of Christopher, a 15-year-old boy with autism who lives in England. Not being any kind of expert on the subject, I can't speak to how well it portrays the actual thought patterns of someone with this condition, but I did find it totally engrossing. From numbering his chapters with only prime numbers to refusing to touch things that are yellow, Christopher's actions and thoughts are clear and logical, when seen from his point of view.

Accused of a crime he did not commit, guileless Christopher decides to solve the mystery himself, despite his obvious difficulties. The combination of his interpretation of events and our understanding of what "really" is going on makes the story at times beautiful, at times heart-wrenching.

I read this entire book in one day, something totally unheard of since I've become a mommy, but I found it almost impossible to tear myself away.

5 out of 5 stars!