In honour of World Autism day 041BOOKS columnist Lauren Hewitt rounds up a lovely collection of books with characters on the autism spectrum.
The curious incident of the dog in the night time by Mark Haddon
Fifteen year old Christopher is about to embark on an investigation…
Lots of things are mysteries. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t an answer to them.
It was 7 minutes after midnight. The dog was lying on the grass in the middle of the lawn in front of Mrs Shears’ house. Its eyes were closed. It looked as if it was running on its side, the way dogs run when they think they are chasing a cat in a dream. But the dog was not running or asleep. The dog was dead.
This is Christopher’s murder mystery story. There are also no lies in this story because Christopher can’t tell lies. Christopher does not like strangers or the colours yellow or brown or being touched. On the other hand, he knows all the countries in the world and their capital cities and every prime number up to 7507. When Christopher decides to find out who killed the neighbour’s dog, his mystery story becomes more complicated than he could have ever predicted.
House Rules by Jodi Picoult
Emma Hunt has spent fifteen years raising Theo and Jacob on her own, and has created what she sees to be a stable and happy life for them, despite the challenges of Jacob’s Asperger’s syndrome.
Jacob’s behaviour has sometimes frustrated Emma, but she has never doubted her son’s good heart. Yet, when his tutor is found dead, suspicion begins to surround Jacob and the Hunt family, who have never quite fitted into the community.
Now, as more and more evident links Jacob to the crime, Emma is determined to prove her son’s innocence. Can she believe in it?
Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine by Gail Honeyman
Eleanor Oliphant has learned how to survive – but not how to live
Eleanor Oliphant leads a simple life. She wears the same clothes to work every day, eats the same meal deal for lunch every day and buys the same two bottles of vodka to drink every weekend.
Eleanor Oliphant is happy. Nothing is missing from her carefully timetabled life. Except, sometimes, everything.
One simple act of kindness is about to shatter the walls Eleanor has built around herself. Now she must learn how to navigate the world that everyone else seems to take for granted – while searching for the courage to face the dark corners she’s avoided all her life.
Change can be good. Change can be bad. But surely any change is better than… fine?
The Kiss Quotient series by Helen Hoag
(18+)
This is a three book series:
⦁ The Kiss Quotient
2. The Bride Test
3. The heart principle
The three books are standalone romance books, where one of the main characters in each of the books is on the spectrum and the story follows their course to finding love.
While I haven’t personally read this series, I do own the first two and they’re on myTBR stack! I am told that they are quite steamy- so use your own discretion .
Leave a Reply