The London Eye Mystery (2007)

4Q, 4P It was fascinating to read a story from the perspective of an autistic narrator, Ted. The details of precise times and numbers that Ted notices while struggling to understand metaphors is enlightening in reminding readers that not everyone thinks the same way, regardless of whether or not they have a diagnosis. I refuse to say disability because a diagnosis does not have to be disabling. This story can also be enjoyed by a wide range of readers. It is fast paced, autisim is well known if not familiar, and London/the London Eye are also well known even for people who have never visited.

3Q 3P
Meteorology obsessed Ted struggles to navigate a world of emotions and social norms that his Asperger syndrome prevents him from fully understanding. But when his cousin Salim disappears during a ride on the London Eye he sets out to solve the mystery.
This is a light and quick read that doesn't really delve too deeply into serious issues. Ted has the makings of an interesting protagonist but his narrative doesn't feel authentic or genuine. This novel pales in comparison to other exemplary works such as The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time. ( )

3Q, 3P
Ted and his sister must assemble the clues surrounding the disappearance of their cousin while the three teens were visiting the London ferris wheel. The only issue is that communication isn't Ted's strong suit- he's been told he has a syndrome and has had to navigate the world without the ease that everyone else seems to find. With many roadblocks in his path, Ted alone, solves the mystery and learns how to make himself heard and appreciated. Though the premise of this book seemed intriguing, and the mystery was expertly delivered, I didn't feel this was much more than an attempt to put autism in the mainstream. And that is an okay goal, I just felt this fell a little flat. ( )

Imagine you and your sister have just started a one week school holiday.
Imagine your cousin Salim and his mom stop by London to visit for a couple of days before they move to New York City.
Imagine you and your sister and Salim are waiting in a long, long line at the London Eye for tickets.
A stranger comes up and offers a free ticket. You and Kat have been up in the London Eye before, and since Salim is your guest and has never been on the ride, you all agree he should take it.
You and your sister watch Salim board the car for the ride.
You and your sister watch the other members of his car get off half an hour later, but Salim does not disembark. And he's not in the car. Or in any of the other cars on the giant wheel. It's like he's disappeared off the face of the earth. His mother is hysterical. The police are baffled.
What do you do?
Well, if you are Ted, whose brain runs on its own unique operating system, or Ted's older sister Kat, whose motto has always been act first and come up with excuses later, you set about solving the mystery.
Is your brain wired close enough to Ted's that you'll be able to solve the mystery? The clues are there, but they're not easy to spot. ( )

Ted’s Aunt Gloria and cousin Salim are stopping in London to visit on their way to New York to live. While there, Ted, his sister Kate, and Salim set out to go on the London Eye. But due to a mysterious set of circumstances, only Salim ends up going–and when the Eye comes down, he’s not there.

His disappearance threatens to rip the family apart. In the end, it’s up to Ted and Kate to set aside their differences and solve the mystery.

This was a great book. It didn’t sugar-coat Kate and Ted’s relationship, but it didn’t make disliking each other okay either. Ted was a great narrator, sympathetic and interesting. I loved the details of Ted’s “different operating system”. At the same time, that did bring up my one minor quibble: I’m glad that Dowd left Ted’s syndrome unnamed at first, but by the end it seemed a bit coy. I’m sure she was trying to avoid having either Ted or the book labeled, and I can support that, but it did annoy me just a smidge (it’s fairly obviously Asperger’s).

I did figure out the solution to the mystery fairly quickly, but I think for a reader in its intended age range, The London Eye Mystery would be a fun, tricky story and a great riff on the classic “locked room” idea. ( )