This was another book that was suggested by my cousins Ashleigh and Allison over the holidays. I had never heard of it and I had no idea what to expect, with the exception of the lamentation of my cousins pronouncing "This one is soooo good."When I looked at the back cover of this novel, one of the reviewers' quotes classified this novel as "A modern day Catcher in the Rye." And I thought, awesome (you all remember how well that one went for me).
However, I was pleasantly surprised by The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. The main character of this novel is Christopher, a British teenage boy with some sort of mental disability. He finds a neighbor's dog murdered in the yard, and he takes on the charge to solve the mystery of the dog's death.
Along the way, Christopher discovers more than he bargains for, and more than he can mentally handle. He lives with his father and his mother is dead and he has an entire list of things he does and doesn't like. For example, he hates anything brown and yellow; he loves anything red. Christopher is also a math genius and the smartest kid in his school and uses his ability with math and numbers to calm him when necessary.
When Christopher discovers that his father isn't the person he thinks he is, he sets off on a journey and achieves things he never thought possible. During this journey, we understand how difficult it is for a mentally disabled individual to do things that seem so simple, like riding a train or reading a map. But throughout the novel, we also realize how gifted Christopher is and how he can visualize and accomplish things that I could only dream of.
Above all else, this novel is a story of survival. Christopher has to survive every day and rise above the challenges his disability presents. And he also survives a realization that most human beings would let cripple them with hatred and distrust, but he teaches us all to rise above.
So, was this book anything like The Catcher In the Rye?
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