Marcelo in the Real World

I just couldn't put this book down.

Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork.

The whole concept of the book was intriguing and as I read more of the story there was so much to think about. This is definitely for a more mature teen reader as the issues that arise in the telling are difficult. One of the main issues here is the treatment of people we perceive to be different. The main character, Marcelo, attends a private high school that specialises in students with "cognitive disorders". Marcelo, when pressed, will identify his condition as being close to Asberger's Syndrome. He perceives the world in a way that is very different from the rest of us, and yet what he sees is often more clear than the rest of us.

The story centres around Marcelo's summer job in the mail room of his father's law firm. His entry into "the real world" is difficult and forces him into situations where he must extend beyond his comfort zone. How he copes and the directions in which he finds himself going make for fascinating reading.

I was intrigued by how the author was able to get me, as a reader, into Marcelo's head. I found the whole book absorbing and now I am trying to figure out to whom I will strongly recommend it. Do you think you would like to give it a try?