The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night time by Mark Haddon - review

‘It is one of those stories, like To Kill a Mockingbird, that I feel everyone should know about’

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night time is an incredible rollercoaster of a tale, written in the voice of a fifteen-year-old boy with Asperger’s Syndrome called, Christopher Boone After discovering his neighbour’s dog has been murdered, he sets off to find out who the murderer could be. On this quest, he discovers far more than he anticipated...

Some people struggle to deal with Christopher because he can be so uncompromising but I found him rather loveable. He is also completely true to himself, brilliant and like his hero Sherlock Holmes, driven by logic not emotion.

Without giving away the ending, he manages to solve the mystery of the murdered dog in the most extraordinary way and becomes the unlikely hero of the story. Not only are his detective skills excellent, he manages to get brilliant marks in maths exams without a lot of revision!

This is one of the most original and thought provoking books I have read in the last year. It is one of those stories, like To Kill a Mockingbird, that I feel everyone should know about. It has had a great impact on me as it has made me think differently about people with autism and understand their ways of thinking and other talents are amazing and important. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mystery, moments of heartbreak but ultimately a happy ending and plenty of humour along the way.

I have also seen the stage production of this story and I would recommend that as well but read the book first and celebrate with Christopher as he wins the day!

• Buy this book at the Guardian Bookshop

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