In Jennifer Roy’s Mindblind
, 15 year old Nicholas has Aspberger’s Syndrome. Whereas in Kathryn Erskine’s Mockingbird, Caitlin is 11 years old and her special interest is dictionaries, in Mindblind 15 year old Nicholas has an aptitude for mathematics. (Although he doesn’t fit the formal definition of genius, of which he is obsessed, Nicholas comes darn close.) There is a huge maturation that occurs between 11/12 year olds and 15/16 year olds, so while in Mockingbird, Caitlin is trying to figure out what is socially acceptable and what isn’t, Nicholas has it pretty well sorted out. Whether he acts on it or not seems to be a conscious decision on his part.
While in both books, the community at large is accepting of its ‘Aspies’, the big difference between the books is that Nicholas’ father can’t accept what Nicholas is. Despite his aversion to crowds and loud noises, his father wants Nicholas to be a normal teenager and forces him to go to a party. The fact that Nicholas has friends (whereas Caitlin was still working on that) and is relatively normal doesn’t satisfy his father. You can imagine the results.
As with Kathryn Erskine’s story, Roy reiterates that with early detection and intervention (in this case, from Nicholas’ mother), Nicholas is a ‘normal’ or in his words ‘neurotypical’ teen. Roy, too, has created characters that readers can relate to, want to relate to, want to meet and get to know. I’m glad I read Mockingbird first and Mindblind second because I can now imagine how Caitlin turns out and that adds a special element to the story.
The merits of both Roy’s and Erskine’s books are too numerous to mention. The writing, the story, the characters all shine. Bringing Asperger’s Syndrome to the forefront, as does Francisco X. Stork in Marcelo in the Real World (I just had to mention him again) does a tremendous service. These three books form an Asperger’s Syndrome Triumvirate and should be on everyone’s reading list. Educate yourself while giving yourself a treat and read Mockingbird, Mindblind and Marcelo in the Real World. (I wonder if there’s any significance to the fact that the titles of these books begins with the letter “M”?
Ran across your review on Kathryn Erskine’s site. I’ve reviewed Mockingbird and Marcelo in the Real World, but wasn’t familiar with Mindblind. I especially enjoyed your comparrison of all three books. Nice job! Will have to check out Mindblind. If you are interested in reading some other books in the autism spectrum, I highly recommend Canadian author Beverly Brenna’s “Wild Orchid” and “Waiting for No One.” A third book will be released next year, “White Bicycle.” Her story is about 18-year-old Taylor, who is making the transition into adulthood. Brenna’s first book became a series. And, it’s been fun to watch Taylor blossom.
Best.
Patricia
Patricia,
Thanks so much. I will check out some of your suggestions. Glad you liked the post.
Ed
Loved the comparisons as well. And as a mother of an ‘aspie’ I can vouch that all of them were accurate if somewhat painful to read.
It’s good to know that not only are these books entertaining, but they’re informative. Thanks.
HI Ed
I am old friend of Susan’s and have really enjoyed your posts. I work with kids who have been diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum and love to read books that enlarge my view. I have added these to my reading list.
If you are interested in reading real life accounts of folks on the Autistic Spectrum, I suggest “Born on a Blue Day” By Daniel Tammet. He is a math savant and does a great job of explaining how the world looks and feels to him. He memorized pi to 20,000 places and details how the numbers look like shapes rather being static entities of mathematical function. Another great one is “Nobody Nowhere” By Donna Williams. This one is a bit more challenging to read, partly due to her writing style but mostly due to her heartbreaking story. Both are fabulous accounts of what it is like to live in a neurotypical world with a non-neurotypical brain.
Thanks for the posts. I read faithfully when they come into my inbox but I haven’t gotten to respond.
Bernadette
Bernadette,
Thanks for the post. I’ll definitely check out some of the books you recommend.
Ed