Robert is different. He
has Asperger's Syndrome. He experiences the world differently to 99% of
the population. Follow his entertaining and highly empathetic story as
he struggles to realise and accept who he really is, try to understand
other people—which he cannot—and find a girlfriend. Especially find a
girlfriend—he's decided it's his special project for the year.
Accompanied on this transformative journey by his quirky flatmates,
Chloe (who also has Asperger's, amongst other things), Stef (who hasn't,
but doesn't mind) and their oddly-named kitten, Robert endures a myriad
of awkward moments in his quest to meet a nice, normal girl...and not
even a major earthquake will stop him.
This absorbing and humorous story is starkly told from Robert's point of view, through the kaleidoscope of autistic experience.
This absorbing and humorous story is starkly told from Robert's point of view, through the kaleidoscope of autistic experience.
I found
this book to be not only entertaining but also very informative regarding what
life is like for someone with Asperger’s. For the purpose of this review
I want to say I will be using some of the “slang” terms such as Aspie for a person
with the syndrome and NS which is people who are not on the spectrum, in other
words people without any form of the syndrome. We meet Robert and Chloe
both with Aspie trying to find their place in a “normal” world. The main
realization that I kept coming back to was how society made up the rules for
engagement in social settings, but people with Aspie didn’t get the manual, nor
do they understand the language. An example of this is when Robert was
talking about a glass being half full or half empty. For a NS that means
positive or negative but for someone with AS it just means there is still
liquid in the glass. Everything is clear cut, straight forward with them
when it comes to verbal communication. This gets Robert in a lot of
trouble, such as the time when he lost his kitten and he was calling for
it. He named the cat Sex; needless to say he spent some time at the
police station for that one.
The story
begins with Robert taking the challenge from his best friend Chloe in keeping a
journal. During this time period he takes us to parties that he attends,
the medicine he begins, moving from college campus to a place with Chloe and NS
friend. We watch him during events such as natural disasters and the
goals he sets for himself. He has never been connected to other humans so
when he meets Chloe his world begins to open up. He finds the courage in
others to venture out and try to become “normal” even though she reminds him
what is normal anyway.
I had to
laugh a few times because my husband and daughter are both Aspie and I listen
to them talk between themselves about how the rest of the family is so
confusing. While reading Robert’s story I was reminded of the time my
husband said he felt like people saw him as an alien because he didn’t know how
to play nicey nice with people. If they ask a question they should expect
a direct answer. This was Robert in a nutshell. He had no clue how
to read between the lines, how to drink out of a bottle when there should be
glasses. Common sense was lost on him because his brain was wired
differently. Crowds would make his brain go foggy like pea soup and
sounds would start creating a new tone in his head. Thinking through a
situation took longer than people felt it should so they would look at him like
he was abnormal. You live those moments with him in this book, but you
also get to live his accomplishments which were awesome.
Although
the ending felt abrupt, I did like how we were able to see where he was in life
after the months with the journal. What goals he accomplished and what he
still struggled with. The author let us experience the level of
acceptance Robert achieved in this time and we could celebrate his
victory. I look forward to starting the next book about his friend Chloe
to get her perspective in life. During this book she was very intriguing
with her college courses and her determination to just be who she is, plus it
will be nice to get more of her and Robert’s relationship. They were
really made for each other.
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