Seven minutes after midnight, Christopher John Francis Boone found a dead dog outside of Mrs. Shears' house. Someone had stabbed the animal with a garden fork. Since Christopher's teacher had encouraged him to write a story, he decides to write a murder mystery about the death of the dog. Christopher's book documents his own investigations into the dog’s death; he could never write about something that didn’t actually happen. Despite his father’s command that he “stay out of other people’s business,” he sets out to detect who killed the dog—and ends up uncovering a host of family secrets in the process.
Christopher has autism. The entire novel is told in his voice, in a stream of consciousness style which gradually reveals the details of his life to the reader. The book examines the challenges that Christopher faces because of his disability, the tensions in his family and relationships, and also the beauty of his world and his unique and brilliant perspective on life. This is all captured in the framework of Christopher's murder mystery.
Mark Haddon, who has worked with children on the autism spectrum, crafts the story masterfully, drawing the reader in immediately and keeping him or her captivated for every page. Although stream of consciousness can often be a challenge for authors to write well, Haddon articulates the style perfectly. Christopher's voice is believable and clear, and his experiences range from humorous to heartbreaking. The book is not long, which is good, because once you start reading, you will not be able to put it down!
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