The Cheap Reader

I loved the narration choice of the book. Kids with autism tend to have a rigid grasp on reality so it only makes sense for Nathaniel to file his memories like files on a computer. Every time there’s a flashback it’s prefaced with something like “Open file: C:/My Files/BradenParty_Jessa.avi (Date: 10/12/10)” It helps the reader know it’s a flashback but it also provides a glimpse in to Nathaniel’s mind.The relationships in this book really make the book for me. Thankfully we live in a world where more and more people know about autism. People might not be sure exactly how to behave with autistic people but they at least understand a bit about it. The book highlights the typical reactions people have to autism. You’ve got the people who think the disease is a bunch of BS & think the kid should toughen up (Nathaniel’s dad), the people who know about all the ups and downs & love the person just the same (Nathaniel’s mom), the people who are oblivious to the differences (Nathaniel’s little step-brother), and the people who treat the person as normally as possible (Nathaniel’s friends). All of the relationships seem so normal and natural. I really appreciated that the author made Nathaniel as “normal” as possible. He’s a kid, not a spectacle.The path of the story is very natural. It’s very much a coming-of-age story that shows only a snippet of Nathaniel’s life (not including tiny flashbacks). There’s not a radical change of character. It would be silly to expect that. Instead you see small little changes in Nathaniel which for him is fantastic progress.The bottom line? I enjoyed it!