4 stars........Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork
I had picked this book up a couple of times in the last 2 weeks but always set it aside to read something else. Finally I opened it and began - then I could not put it down! I immediately fell in love with the main character, Marcelo, who has some type of cognitive disorder in the autism/Asperger’s spectrum. But this book is NOT about the neurobiological condition, but about the HUMAN condition.
Marcelo, age 17, is going to be a senior in high school. He has lived a somewhat coddled and sheltered life – living in a tree house next to the family home and going to a special school for children with disabilities. His father asks that he work the summer at his law firm in order to learn more about the “real world” and about the skills and abilities Marcelo will need for his future. Marcelo hesitantly agrees, knowing that the deal was that if he should do well, he will be permitted to return to his special school versus having to attend the public high school in the fall. Marcelo starts his job, meets his boss Jasmine and learns to make small talk, work and interact with the other employees in the firm, including the son of his father’s partner – a playboy with a bad attitude and poor ethics.
In the course of the story, Marcelo learns some secrets about himself, his father, and about a lawsuit in progress that show him that all people are not completely good and that the world is not black and white. His special obsession is religion and there is a lot of spiritual discussion in the book which at times went on a little long, but Marcelo does learn how to differentiate within shades of gray to make a very momentous decision that will change his outlook and his life. Recommend: BUY IT!
2 comments:
I have a friend whose son has Asperger’s. I'll tell her about this book. Thanks for sharing.
It's not due to be published until March of 2009 but do keep an eye out for it. I really enjoyed it.
DC
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