This book is unputdownable, mesmerizing, and heartbreaking.

Marcelo Sandoval is a seventeen-year-old boy who has an autism-like impairment.  He hears music in his head, has an infatuation with religious sayings, and has difficulty reading people’s mannerisms.  When his father asks him to enter “the real world” of a law firm for a summer, he reluctantly agrees.  The challenges he faces are real–too real for any child–and he has to parse out where the truth lies.

Marcelo enlightened me.  Marcelo moved me.  In the end, I wanted a friend like Marcelo.  [That’s Marcelo with a “s” sound, not a “ch” sound.]

You can read an excerpt here.  In this section, Marcelo’s lawyer father is explaining why Marcelo cannot “do” or “say” religious things in public, for fear of offending someone, and Marcelo is confused.  If he’s not hurting anyone, why is it wrong?

My heart ached when I turned the last page.

I don’t know why Marcelo didn’t win the Printz this year.  Or at least a Printz Honor.  Grrr…

*    *    *

On a completely different note, dear readers.  If you are anywhere near Stillwater, MN, this Saturday afternoon, come see me at The Valley Bookseller.  I’d love to meet you!

Or if you’re in a book club, and you want to “meet & mingle” with a handful of authors face-to-face (and possibly invite them to visit your book club!), go to MinnPost’s Book Club Blast at Open Book in Minneapolis on Sunday afternoon, March 7th.  I’ll be there!

You can find information on both events on my News & Events page.