4.5 stars

I've seen some conflicting views of this beautifully written novel and they all seem to boil down to people feeling that this novel does not accurately reflect the reality of Asperger's Syndrome. I think it's important to remember that each and every human being is different and this, of course, includes those with AS.

I thought this was a beautifully written story about the reality of love, loss, grief and emotion. This novel cannot be viewed purely as a 'book about a girl with Asperger's Syndrome'. It deals with so much more than that. As we enter this story, we are immediately confronted with the heart-breaking situation of a school shooting with has resulted in the loss of Caitlin's brother, Devon. Grief is explored in this book from Caitlin's view of her father's loss of a son but also her own loss as she begins to come to terms with the loss. This is dealt with in a delicate and realistic manner and I felt it to be very touching.

As you read this book, you realise how hard life is for Caitlin outside of her family situation. She openly struggles with identifying emotions and social appropriateness due to her AS and by the end we see a Caitlin whose eyes are much wider open to the world around her than they are at the beginning of the book. She is learning the merits of having friends and how to begin socialisation successfully to make new friends.

As a teacher, I personally really loved seeing the relationship between Caitlin and her counsellor/teacher. Their relationship is so key to Caitlin's happiness and welfare and I couldn't get enough of the interactions between the two of them.

A well-written, emotional and delicate read.