Age R: 12+ (b/c of certain material I believe it's at least pg-13)
Release Date: March 1, 2009
Thoughts:
Marcelo is a 17 year old guy who has an autistic-like condition, not necessarily Asperger's but similar. He can hear music in his mind, Internal Music (IM). It's like experiencing the feelings one gets when listening to music, except without the music. Marcelo's "special interest" is religion. He often sees his mother's best friend, a female rabbi even though he's Catholic, to talk about religion and life. Marcelo lives in a tree house, has a dog called Namu, short for Namu Amida Butsu, a Buddhist prayer, so basically everytime you read his name you are praying. Nifty huh?
So far he's been used to attending a school called Paterson for special needs students, but now his lawyer father, Arturo, wants him to get out and experience the "real world" and if he can follow the "rules" he will go to Oak Ridge High School after the summer, which of course Marcelo does NOT want to do because he believes he will not fit in with the other students, but his father insist he work during the summer.
This is how he ends up working at his father's law firm in the mail room, alongside Jasmine and her beautiful azure eyes.
Unfortunately Marcelo has to deal with quite a few problems:
-the a-holes he has to work with (so rude and crule they can be!)
-the difficult decisions he keeps coming across
-the new discoveries he makes
-how to help the girl in a picture he found in a box marked "trash"
-what to do about one of the a-holes, Wedell who has "things" in mind about Jasmine
-figure out why he can't hear the IM anymore
Reading in Marcelo's POV was incredible. I loved how Stork chose to write this book in that format it makes the reader really connect with Marcelo.
I loved that I could relate to Marcelo, not just because he is Hispanic like me, but because of what he goes through. Okay I'm not autistic, but everyone goes through life and it's many complicated problems. It is different for all of us though of course, but hey what can we do? :D
I think that we, those considered normal, are all abnormal and that Marcelo is the normal one. He is one of the most amazing protagonists I have ever read about and I know I will be reading this book again. It warmed my heart, it really did. This book is one of those books that changes your life and your way of perceiving it.
Here are some of my favorite passages from the book, well the ones that don't spoil anything:
"'Help you for what?' Aurora asked. I missed an opportunity to tell her that it would help me to be like her. That the way she is strong and gentle on behalf of the children will be my way as well. The road seems long. Another year of high school, then college, then a degree in nursing and then work- doing what I can to lessen the hurt in the world. But where? There has to be a place where I belong."
-tvandbookaddict.blogspot.com
Release Date: March 1, 2009
Thoughts:
Marcelo is a 17 year old guy who has an autistic-like condition, not necessarily Asperger's but similar. He can hear music in his mind, Internal Music (IM). It's like experiencing the feelings one gets when listening to music, except without the music. Marcelo's "special interest" is religion. He often sees his mother's best friend, a female rabbi even though he's Catholic, to talk about religion and life. Marcelo lives in a tree house, has a dog called Namu, short for Namu Amida Butsu, a Buddhist prayer, so basically everytime you read his name you are praying. Nifty huh?
So far he's been used to attending a school called Paterson for special needs students, but now his lawyer father, Arturo, wants him to get out and experience the "real world" and if he can follow the "rules" he will go to Oak Ridge High School after the summer, which of course Marcelo does NOT want to do because he believes he will not fit in with the other students, but his father insist he work during the summer.
This is how he ends up working at his father's law firm in the mail room, alongside Jasmine and her beautiful azure eyes.
Unfortunately Marcelo has to deal with quite a few problems:
-the a-holes he has to work with (so rude and crule they can be!)
-the difficult decisions he keeps coming across
-the new discoveries he makes
-how to help the girl in a picture he found in a box marked "trash"
-what to do about one of the a-holes, Wedell who has "things" in mind about Jasmine
-figure out why he can't hear the IM anymore
Reading in Marcelo's POV was incredible. I loved how Stork chose to write this book in that format it makes the reader really connect with Marcelo.
I loved that I could relate to Marcelo, not just because he is Hispanic like me, but because of what he goes through. Okay I'm not autistic, but everyone goes through life and it's many complicated problems. It is different for all of us though of course, but hey what can we do? :D
I think that we, those considered normal, are all abnormal and that Marcelo is the normal one. He is one of the most amazing protagonists I have ever read about and I know I will be reading this book again. It warmed my heart, it really did. This book is one of those books that changes your life and your way of perceiving it.
Here are some of my favorite passages from the book, well the ones that don't spoil anything:
"'Help you for what?' Aurora asked. I missed an opportunity to tell her that it would help me to be like her. That the way she is strong and gentle on behalf of the children will be my way as well. The road seems long. Another year of high school, then college, then a degree in nursing and then work- doing what I can to lessen the hurt in the world. But where? There has to be a place where I belong."
-tvandbookaddict.blogspot.com
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