Mockingbird: a brief review

Despite the fact that this latest book is a Young Adult book and a National Book Award winner, it's also a type of book that I haven't had much experience with. After reading this one, though, I think it's a world I need to read a lot more about.

Kathryn Erskine's Mockingbird is the story of fifth-grader Caitlin, who has Asperger's. Although much plot comes from the fact that Caitlin's mother died several years ago from cancer and her only brother died recently in a middle school shooting, the real uniqueness and true conflict comes from the fact that Caitlin is the narrator. Because she has Asperger's, she obviously tells the entire story through the lens of Asperger's. The reader gets the story in pieces and often has to read between the lines to know what she's talking about, and/or wait several chapters to get more information. It sounds like it would be confusing as a reader, and honestly it is...at first. But as with any unfamiliar style of writing (the southern drawl of Their Eyes Were Watching God and the British old school of Jane Austen, as examples), it becomes a second nature for the reader the more embedded into Caitlin's mind you become. She tells the story of her last several months of elementary school with the typical black and white, emotionless affect that comes with Asperger's. Meanwhile, her father is desperately trying to pick up the pieces of his life and mourn his son appropriately while dealing with his daughter's lack of understanding.

Although I really was touched by the overall plot and story, I think what interested me the most was the adults' reactions to Caitlin. Several different teachers, a guidance counselor, and her own father have constant interaction with her throughout the book, and it's so interesting (and convicting, from the eyes of a teacher and future parent hopeful) to see the frustration in their responses. Frustration, I might add, that Caitlin herself doesn't see because of her inability to read facial expressions and social cues. She is frustrating and she is difficult, and it's a hard call to know how you would respond to a student or a child in these situations. To be an adult mourning the loss of both a wife from a tragic disease and a son from a senseless classmate's murdering spree...while having a daughter who struggles with emotional connections and empathy and who brings it all up constantly without realizing how painful it is would be incredibly difficult. Seeing the transformation in Caitlin's character throughout the book is pretty cool and the ending is very sweet, but I think I would recommend this book the most for the discussion of Asperger's and our role as adults in the lives of these children. It's certainly a rising reality and we never know who will come into our lives that we will have a huge impact on. This is an easy way to get a glimpse into the mind of a fictional child with Asperger's and to reflect on how we might treat them if given the chance.