I’ve read the book called “A Curious Incident of a Dog in the Night Time” and both that book and this one are written by authors who know how to write from the point of view of a young boy, but the difference to me between the two books is that this one is just not as fast-paced, not quite as interesting because there isn’t quite as much going on and also the main character, Burt, does not seem quite as complete (like another reviewer said) as the boy in the other book. The subject matter is interesting though… I definitely don’t think it’s worth the hype on the back, but I also don’t think it’s a complete waste of time =)

I thought this was interesting, and provocative in its way—but not exactly worth the hype on the back cover and jacket flap. I found Jessica a more complete and nuanced character than Burt, and I feel like Buten deliberately misunderstands adults just as surely as he suggests adults misunderstand children.

Howard Buten took such an interesting approach to writing this book. It is hard to believe a man in his thirties can write from an eight-year-old’s point of view.