100 Books in 2012: Book 34 "Marcelo in the Real World"

I read Francisco X. Storks's novel in preparation for a plot class I am attending this weekend. While this probably isn't something I would have picked up on my own, I'm glad I did.

Marcelo is on the high functioning end of the Autism spectrum, but this label makes him feel guilty. He's seen people who have a much harder time fitting into the "real world" than he does, so Marcelo tends to avoid his diagnosis. When his father forces him to work at his law firm for a summer, Marcelo is thrown head first into the "real world": a world of deceit and harm, but also a world with wonderful people in it. Jasmine, the young head of the mail room, befriends Marcelo despite initially not wanting to hire him, and their relationship teaches Marcelo about things he's never considered before. But when Marcelo is faced with a choice between right and wrong, his decision could shatter his father's world forever.

Like "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime," this novel transports readers into the mind of a narrator who thinks in a unique way. Reading this book was a beautiful experience, and I'm glad it was assigned!

Support the other 100 books challenge participants as they read as much as they can this year.

What book have you read with a narrator who was truly unique?