The Art of Adapting

Cassandra Dunn

2014 • 368 pages

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"A recently divorced woman rises to the challenge and experiences the exhilaration of independence with the unlikely help of her brother with Asperger's, who she takes in to help pay the rent"--Amazon.com.

Lana's husband leaves her after nineteen years. As the newly single mother of two teenagers, in a house she can barely afford on her salary, her new life is a balancing act. She takes in her brother Matt, who has Asperger's syndrome. Adding Matt's regimented routine to her already disrupted household seems like the last thing Lana needs, but her brother's unique attention to detail makes him an invaluable addition to the family: he sees things differently.

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Susan Scribner

This was a fun, light read despite some very serious topics (divorce, Asperger's, eating disorders). I would have appreciated more from Lana and Matt's POVs and less of the YA high school angst of Abby and Byron. Focusing on the two adult characters might have allowed the author to more fully develop their potential romantic interests. Lana's eventual boyfriend doesn't appear to have a flaw, and Matt's girlfriend, who appears late in the story, doesn't seem to have any concerns about dating an individual with Asperger's.

The Art of Adapting tries so hard to be a true “feel-good” novel that everyone is paired off at the end, and even one of the meanest characters is redeemed. I would have been okay with a little more messiness or ambiguity, but I would recommend this debut novel to readers who like to have their happy endings tied up neatly with a bow.

October 7, 2014