Paperback, 304 pages
Published May 10, 2022 by Harper Perennial.
For readers of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and Nothing to See Here, a first novel as suspenseful and funny as it is moving, the unforgettable story of a fiercely resilient young man living with a physical disability, and his efforts to solve a mystery unfolding right outside his door.
Daniel leads a rich life in the university town of Athens, Georgia. He’s got a couple close friends, a steady paycheck working for a regional airline, and of course, for a few glorious days each Fall, college football tailgates. He considers himself to be a mostly lucky guy—despite the fact that he’s suffered from a debilitating disease since he was a small child, one that has left him unable to speak or to move without a wheelchair.
Largely confined to his home, Daniel spends the hours he’s not online communicating with irate air travelers observing his …
For readers of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and Nothing to See Here, a first novel as suspenseful and funny as it is moving, the unforgettable story of a fiercely resilient young man living with a physical disability, and his efforts to solve a mystery unfolding right outside his door.
Daniel leads a rich life in the university town of Athens, Georgia. He’s got a couple close friends, a steady paycheck working for a regional airline, and of course, for a few glorious days each Fall, college football tailgates. He considers himself to be a mostly lucky guy—despite the fact that he’s suffered from a debilitating disease since he was a small child, one that has left him unable to speak or to move without a wheelchair.
Largely confined to his home, Daniel spends the hours he’s not online communicating with irate air travelers observing his neighborhood from his front porch. One young woman passes by so frequently that spotting her out the window has almost become part of his daily routine. Until the day he’s almost sure he sees her being kidnapped...
The author bases their main character on their friend's son who has spinal muscular atrophy. I appreciate how positive the writer shows this young man to be. They do show police to be incompetent as they usual seem to be in real life which was good but the end was very cinematic and I didn't quite like that. Otherwise a great slow burn thriller!
A novel reminiscent, in some ways, of "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time". Diagnosed as a child with spinal muscular atrophy much of the book is preoccupied with the effects this has and continues to have on the protagonist's life. This was also the aspect I enjoyed the most.
Though, overall, a relatively enjoyable and readable book I found the ending too abrupt and quite meh, with the "mystery" driving the plot uninteresting and lacking a satisfactory dénouement.
I had forgotten what the blurb said it was about, so I approached it blind – and was rewarded with an interesting protagonist, a fast-paced mystery, and fun/ny writing. In short: a perfect listen for a roadtrip. It was zippy enough to hold my attention, but not so complicated that I would need to rewind if I focused on traffic. I'd read more by Will Leitch.
