In my summer of reading classic children's literature, this was another book that felt like a lecture. This one at least is more realistic, with a more likable main character. But there are too many cliches, the writing itself is pretty boring, and the conflict feels underdone rather than nuanced (but there was an attempt at nuance and subtlety!). The plotlessness of this novel made it easy to put down and ignore.
I give 3.5 rating of this book, it was a great story of how a girl doing with a brother and a friend (at the OT she meet) in the world of people who judge them.
Typical 12 year Catherine is caught between finding a world of independence, and helping with her younger sibling who takes up an exceptional amount of time and patience. David, her brother with autism, struggles to follow the 'rules' she created to help him navigate a world not build for him. When a new neighbor moves in next door the same age as her, Catherine to face and accept that sometimes rules don't need to be followed. This book is especially supportive to the family members who are caught between love an frustration when living with a loved one with unique needs. The book is respectful, insightful, and leaves the reader with full heart.
3 stars for me: I like the book because it was interesting. One thing that was interesting was that Kristi didn't know that Jason was in a wheelchair, because she had never met him. She only saw pictures of him. Also, I like that Catherine after she denied Jason asking her to the dance she came back and asked him if he could go because he was sad. At first she was embarrassed and that was sad. Some of the book was repetitive. I didn't like that part. I think other people should read it because I think other people would like to read it, especially girls who have brothers or sisters with special needs. -Evelyn
5 stars for me: This book is special because there are not a lot of books like this on this subject. The characters seem so real. The story, emotions, and people all of them seem so real. This book is on my top three all time favorite books. Ignore the 1 star ratings and read this a.s.a.p. -Micah