Reality Boy

This was my first A.S. King book. I don't know why I doubted, but when I read the premise I wasn't too thrilled. By the first two pages, I was hooked and because I read the first two pages out loud my 13 year old and my 15 year old were hooked too. I couldn't put the damn thing down. I did stop reading it to them because I became seriously worried that the older sister was sexually abusing the younger two and I wanted to prepare myself to discuss this with my kids before we finished, but my radar was way off on this one and I never could have predicted it went where it went. We will continue to read this together.
Gerald is funny, so smart, and, at times, I couldn't relate to him (I don't have anger issues) but I sure could empathize with him. Yay to a book that would tackle this issue! Yay to a book that would shed Special Ed in such an honest, loving light. Yay to everything in this book including a female character who is original, broken but strong enough to carry on. YAY YAY YAY!
I loved this book, seriously. I think it was on par, for me, with I Am the Messenger. Oh, what if King and Zusak co wrote a book together passes out from joy
I highly recommend this and, like Wonder, I will put it into the hands of many, many kids. I will be prepared to defend the language and sexual situations in it.