Marcelo in the Real World

Marcelo is 17 years old.  He loves ponies.  He is enthralled with religion.  His bedroom is a tree house.  He is autistic.  He is also at a crossroads.  His father is determined that his son be "normal".  To that end, he insists that instead of taking care of the ponies at Paterson, Marcelo's school, that Marcelo works in the mail room of his law office.  If Marcelo complies then he can choose to return to Paterson in the fall or attend the local public high school.  If Marcelo does not join the "real" world for the summer, he must attend the local high school.

Francisco Stork has created a beautiful character in Marcelo.  He is both child-like and extraordinarily wise.  When we first meet him, he is unable to understand or exhibit real emotions.  He will occasionally become angry, but he doesn't cry, has never felt "in love" and he doesn't understand jealousy or competition.  However, by the end of the summer, with the help of Jasmine, his boss in the mail room and, Wendell, the son of his father's partner, he feels all of those emotions.

I had thought Marcelo in the Real World was simply an autistic boy's coming-of-age story, but this novel is so much more.  It is a love story and a mystery as well.  The story kept me totally engaged with its twists and turns.  I came to despise Marcelo's father and Wendell.  The character of Jasmine is so well-written and multi-dimensional.  I adored her! 

This book would be appropriate for high school students and some middle school students.  While there is nothing totally untoward about the book, some parents may object to some of the language in the book.  The book provided insight on how a child on the autistic spectrum thinks and responds to certain situations.