Christopher Boone is a fifteen-year old autistic boy living in Swindon, England. A teacher at his school has encouraged him to write a novel, so he's decided to write about his investigation of the murder of his neighbour's dog.
Christopher's voice is unique because of what makes him unique. His writing meanders off topic frequently in a way that must be totally logical to him, but comes across as bizarre and funny to the neurotypical reader. What I loved about Christopher is that Haddon manages to make him so real, and so touchingly funny, without even a hint of condescension. He's just about the worst detective you can possibly imagine - completely lacking in social skills, including tact, brutally honest because he's incapable of being any other way. Yet somehow he manages to make a really important and huge discovery and experience personal growth. Through Christopher's eyes, we can get right under the skin of a kind of person who's normally shut off from the rest of the "normal" world and find out what it really feels like to see the world through the lens of autism.
If you're an avid reader, you've probably heard about this book. It really is as great as people say it is.
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