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Loading... Rubberneckerby Belinda Bauer
Work InformationRubbernecker by Belinda Bauer
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. I really enjoyed this book. There are a lot of twists and turns and timeline play that I won't go into so as not to spoil anything. The MC has high functioning autism (called Asperger's in the book) and so his outlook is very unique, interesting and oftentimes unintentional amusing. He does not understand what happens when someone dies and in that lies how our mysteries unfold. I was engaged from the very beginning and the pacing kept me that way through the end. I have never read this author before but I added as many of her books as I could find at my library. It’s been quite a while since I read a novel in one sitting, and except for bathroom breaks and snacks, I stayed up until 2:30 in the morning devouring this unusual tale. Winner of the 2014 Theakston’s Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year Award, Rubbernecker is an intriguing tale of a young man with Asperger’s Syndrome who unwittingly discovers something amiss with the cadaver he’s dissecting for an anatomy class. Patrick has been obsessed with death since his father was killed in a hit and run accident, not understanding where the person goes, or what happens after death. Hoping to satisfy his morbid curiosity, he takes an anatomy class at a local medical school. The novel is narrated by four characters: Patrick, his alcoholic mother, a female student in the anatomy class, and most unusually, the consciousness of a man in a coma, who witnesses a murder when he briefly awakens. How all these narratives proceed and converge creates the page-turning experience of Rubbernecker, which has plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader engaged. Patrick isn’t the most likeable character, but his struggles to live his life on his own terms with his disorder reflect some truly tender and at times, humorous, moments. The surprise ending seems, at first, rather implausible, but upon further reflection (and this book does stay with you long after you finish) this story ends just right. no reviews | add a review
"The dead can't speak to us," Professor Madoc had said. That was a lie--because the body Patrick Fort is examining in anatomy class is trying to tell him all kinds of things. His Asperger's syndrome already makes life strange enough for him without having to solve a possible murder on top of it--especially when no one believes a crime has even taken place. No library descriptions found.
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)823.92Literature English & Old English literatures English fiction Modern Period 2000-LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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I happened upon this book by chance and was unfamiliar with the author. The summary fails to illuminate the unique elements of immersive parallel stories. A rather unusual anatomy student suffering with Asperger syndrome uncovers what he feels was the murder of a cadaver being dissected, though due to his behavior he's ignored. Well paced and filled with plot twists, we're taken on his journey toward discovery and in the process, tragedy surfaces. Ms Bauer crafts a tale that is not only unusual, but one that's evocative in many ways. I found myself comparing Patrick, the central character to Rain Man due to their unusual talents, different that they are. For those who enjoy mystery, plot twists and stories that bend genre, I highly recommend this book! ( )