You Should Read The Rosie Project

I just finished The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion. This is a great book. Here is why I think you will love it too.

You will become very pleasantly lost in the storytelling. This is a difficult book to put down.  Ayelet Waldman wrote one of the testimonials that appear on the book jacket. She loved it so much that she read it in a single sitting. Someone else called it compulsively readable. If you are a binge reader, then this is the page-turner for you.

My sense of humor gets me through a lot. This book is hilarious.

But The Rosie Project isn't just funny. The characters are realistically and poignantly drawn. They get into situations you wonder how they will get out of. You feel like you're old friends by the time you've finished this book. I wanted to hang out with people from The Rosie Project.  I had to keep reminding myself: This is fiction.

Don Tillman is the main character. He is extremely appealing, bright, creative and resourceful. He also has Asperger’s Syndrome. He's self aware and nuanced. His unique way of experiencing the world creates difficulties sometimes. It also makes him special. And brilliant.

There is a saying I've heard again and again. If you've met one person with Asperger’s Syndrome, you've met one person with Asperger’s syndrome. Don Tillman is not a stereotype. He's his own person. He's an individual who happens to not be typical. I found this very relatable.

If you possess any kind of difference that makes you seem like an outlier, then I think you will love this book. It's inspiring and optimistic and real.

If you have someone important in your life who marches to the beat of their own drum, then you will love and find comfort in it his book. Even as you notice the differences between the quirky person you love and Don Tillman, you'll gain understanding and insight anyway. This is what happened to me.

Let's say you were the head cheerleader in high school and married the star football player. Your friends are neurotypical. Your children are popular. I think you will like this book too. But more importantly, maybe you really need to read it. You especially.

One of my teenagers read it at the same time as me, and loved it as much as I did. The other teen is planning to read it. It's great for teens without screaming YA book.

It's also romantic without being Chick Lit. You'll love it guys. Really.

You will feel sorry when the book ends, but there is good news. Graeme Simsion is already working on a sequel. Once it comes out, I will buy it right away. I will not be reserving this at the library. I will not want to be on a waiting list for the next one.