What a great piece of Teen fiction! It deals with Asperger syndrome, which in itself is quite an interesting topic, but it's much more than that. The plot also deals with ethics in litigation law, standing up for yourself and for those around you, and with finding out who you are and what you want as a young adult. What a great book!

The hype surrounding this title seemed like the ideal amount: mentioned a few times in literary publications, a starred review in Publishers Weekly, winner of a somewhat-obscure book award. (Huh. My idea of "ideal hype" doesn't involve any raving book blog reviews. It'd be interesting to examine that idea further.) But it looks like my expectations still ended up a wee bit too high. Let's start with Marcelo. He's introduced to the reader in a variety of situations in which he's comfortable, allowing us time to get used to his unique viewpoint. There are pages solid with passages of his narration that are, not if exactly likeable, certainly thought-provoking. And perhaps in that Stork has accomplished the most impressive feat of capturing the true voice of a teen with Asperger's; an ordinary person wouldn't ever comprehend the way he or she thinks. One strike against this book is the side characters. Oh, they're all intricately layered, but none are quite all the way on Marcelo's side. Therefore, the feeling that we're in over our heads never goes away, which makes the 300 pages a little uncomfortable. Rabbi Heschel is a spout of wit and wisdom; in contrast, Wendell is cruel pond scum and Arturo (Marcelo's father) isn't worthy of his son. Even Jasmine stays a bit too enigmatic for my taste. (Goodness. At this rate, I'll probably end up nominating Namu as my favourite side character.) The first fifteen or so chapters are paced on the slow side, with Stork laying down the groundwork through Marcelo's observations of his workplace. What the groundwork was for soon becomes apparent, and it's that particular mystery that rings true the most (and also picks up the pace). Instead of facing touchy issues like lust, competition and hate, injustice is at the heart of this plotline, making it much easier for the reader to side with Marcelo. Okay, I'm just going to drop all remaining vestiges of professionalism here and say Marcelo in the Real World didn't ring a chord, though I felt like it had the potential to. It's definitely still worth a read, because I can see the good parts of it. It's just not for me, I guess.

I found Marcelo in the Real World to be an exceptional book about a young man who has autism. He is on the higher end of the spectrum, and his father, who apparently has some difficulty in accepting that his son is different, has decided that he should spend the summer working in his law office. He is hoping that Marcelo will agree to go to regular high school in the fall rather than staying at the special school that he has been attending. Being seventeen, Marcelo is at an age of questioning everything. He ponders on matters of trust and loyalty, sex and friendship, religion and music, all with his own unique way of looking at things. As we work through his thought processes with him and see how people he comes into contact with treat him, it is impossible not to fall in love with him. Working at the law firm and allowing himself to be stretched this way, Marcelo eventually stumbles upon a moral decision that he must make. This decision could have averse affects for both himself, his family and the law firm. This story of self-discovery, told in such a unique voice was a wonderful read. Compelling and thought-provoking, my only complaint was as authentic as I found Marcelo’s voice, many others in this story felt too formal and stiff. Marcelo himself is far from perfect, I can only imagine how difficult it is for parents to cope with a son who really prefers to be on his own, would rather live outside in a tree house than in the family home, doesn‘t like to be touched, and becomes obsessed over details. Marcelo in the Real World gives us a different type of hero to root for and a fair picture of what living in the real world can be like for people who are classed as being different.

Marcelo is quite likable and that makes this book a genial read! Insightful line: "For all the pain I saw at Paterson, it is nothing compared to the pain that people inflict upon each other in the real world"

An enjoyable and insightful work of fiction from the perspective of a young man with autism. It helps the reader to appreciate the conflicts encountered when an incredibly literal person who is not neuro-typical struggles to make his way in the "real world." Some language is course but only as necessary to accurately reflect authentic situations and individuals. It can be heartbreaking when you reflect that the rules and values we try to instill in children growing to adulthood are the same rules we often bend to the point of breaking. Inspiring.

I loved the characters and couldn't put the book down once I got into it. The writer definitely succeeded in the suspense department for me. He also did a great job of giving the reader a glimpse into the mind of a teen with Asperger's. Enjoyable read.

I loved this story! It gave me some understanding of what is going on in the mind of someone with Aspergers. There was some suspense in the book and it was a great story - showing the good and evil in the world.

Great book, Marcelo is a very lovable character that you can't help but root for. Also, the plot gave me a surprise, I thought I could see where the author was going with the plot but Francisco took a totally unexpected route. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a read that is "real world" orientated ;-) Marcelo's problems are very rooted in the real world and how we as people operate. Marcelo provides an awesome perspective on what drives people, on the human emotions that drive people because he is a bit removed from such emotions and so struggles to understand them.

I think this ranks way up there. It is my favorite book for 2010.

Autism