I think I said in a review of another book that you should never mix first and third person narrative, but there are of course always exception to the rules. In this book every chapter starts with a journal note from Colin (and sometimes they show up in other parts of the text), written in first person, but the book is told in a more omnipresent third person narrative. It worked great.

This book was good! I liked the characters, liked getting to know Colin, and I liked the mystery, finding out how a gun ended up in a high school caféteria. Maybe the ending shouldn't have been hinting that much at a sequel, but other than that a great, quick read. ( )

I really liked the main character! ( )

ehh. i had to reAd it for school but i didnt enjoy it. it was confusing and hard for me to understand. it was kind of all over the place.

I like the set up. kind of felt like a kid wrote it. a fun setup. this book would have been better if it wasnt as overwhelming. events seamed to acted out or dramatized. wasnt to good of a book...

I understand it is supposed to be difficult to relate to Colin and his tendencies, but I found the other characters around him a bit overwrought. I have worked in public education for 10 years (including middle and high school) and never has anyone gotten their head stuck in a toilet. Some of the events just seemed overdramatized for the sake of the narrative, which made the entire novel hard to swallow. ( )

This novel is a 2014 Lone Star selection; it is realistic fiction. Colin Fischer has Asperger’s Syndrome and likes Sherlock Holmes. When a gun goes off in the cafeteria, Colin knows the wrong person was accused and he plans to investigate.

Because he has Asperger’s, Colin has trouble recognizing emotions; he has to keep a cheat sheet with facial expressions and their meaning with him at all times. He also keeps a notebook where he records what he sees all day. Some students consider him “strange” and have little to do with him, laugh at him, or bully him. Oddly, the student accused of setting a gun off in the cafeteria bullies Colin, but Colin is determined to prove he’s innocent. During his investigation, surprising relationships develop and Colin proves he is much like Sherlock, seeing clues and making correct conclusions.

I enjoyed the novel and liked his parents. They handled Colin well, letting him grow up and have independence but also support him due to his Asperger’s. I wouldn’t say this book is about Asperger’s, but it is important to understanding the character of Colin. It’s an engaging book and I recommend it, especially if you liked Fourth Stall. ( )