Lynn Evarts (VOYA, December 2003 (Vol. 26, No. 5))
Christopher Boone is taking his A-level mathematics exams, does not tell jokes, will not eat any food that is yellow or black, and creates flow charts to make decisions. He is a typical fifteen-year-old, but one diagnosed with autism. Finding a murdered dog in his neighbor's front yard prompts him to begin investigating and writing a book as if he was Sherlock Holmes. This book leads Christopher to some disturbing revelations about the death of his mother and sends him on a very frightening and over-stimulating journey to London to solve the mystery. First-time novelist Haddon captures the confusing, analytical, unemotional world of autism in her endearing narrator. Christopher relates events as a newspaper reporter, but readers will applaud his tenacity and empathize with his family issues. When he says, "I was brave and I wrote a book and that means I can do anything," he leaves the reader convinced that he can and will. Students interested in math and physics will appreciate Christopher's chapters solving math problems and looking at hypothetical graphs about frogs in a pond, and everyone will cheer for Christopher as he emulates his hero, Sherlock. VOYA CODES: 5Q 3P S A/YA (Hard to imagine it being any better written; Will appeal with pushing; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12; Adult-marketed book recommended for Young Adults). 2003, Doubleday, 226p., $22.95. Ages 15 to Adult.