Jessica (HDB)

In the spirit of full disclosure, I did not expect to like this book as much as I did! As you'll see from the glowing five star rating, The Rosie Project totally threw me for a curve. It's impressive to me that I went into this book completely annoyed with the main character, and then two chapters later I couldn't stop reading. Things kept getting better. Don kept surprising me. By the time I reached the end, I was breathless and satisfied. That, my friends, is the mark of a damn good book.

The thing is that Don, our main character, has Asperger's. I've read quite a few books with protagonists that faced the same challenge, but Don takes the cake in the personality department. How would I describe Don? Words that come to mind are: punctual, organized, brutally honest and often insufferable. At least, that is, at first. If you go into this book not loving Don, please keep reading. The growth that he shows, the barriers that he knocks down, it's just all so amazing. He ended up being one of my favorite characters. I definitely wasn't expecting that.

I've seen others take issue with the way that Asperger's is portrayed in The Rosie Project, and I'll honestly say that I can't take a stand on that. Not having any previous interactions with anyone like Don, I don't know if this is an accurate portrayal or not.  What I can say is that I never felt like the author was being negative about Don's behavior, or trying to make him a joke. Quite the opposite actually. I learned so much about the ways that he had to adapt simply to fit in with the craziness that is us. When  you look at it from his perspective, we're the ones who make no sense.

That, and I think a lot of the more negative light falls on Rosie in this instance. She's a feminist at heart, but still wants her swoon-worthy romance as well. She's all about standing out, but sometimes is uncomfortable with not fitting in. Rosie is a paradox, but that fits perfectly into this story. She helps Don find his best self, and learns more about herself along the way. I liked her, I loved him, and the whole story that revolved around them drew me in.

So what am I trying to say through all the rambling? This is a damn fine book. I wasn't sure about picking it up at first, but after reading so many glowing reviews I gave it a shot. I'm sincerely glad I did. The Rosie Project deserves all those fantastic reviews, and I'll happily add another one into the mix.