Mindblind

Originally posted on Read Handed .

I read this YA book last year and absolutely loved it. Mindblind is about a teenage boy, Nathaniel, with Asperger's syndrome (a form of high-functioning autism) and his struggles with his friends, his parents, his fledgling band, and of course, the girl he likes. Sounds like typical teenage stuff, right? Exactly. Roy does an excellent job showing how Nathaniel is a typical teenage boy (for those who doubted it) with a few special circumstances.

First, Nathaniel, at fourteen, has already graduated college and is looking into graduate schools. The problem? He's not sure what to study. Mathematics? Science? Either way, he's convinced he'll have to make some sort of significant contribution to the world show more before he can consider himself a bona fide genius.

Second, Nathaniel is "mindblind" - it's difficult for him to pick up on social cues and body language, so he often has no clue what others are thinking. His best friend Cooper doesn't mind. Neither does Jessa, Nathaniel's crush. Cooper and Jessa are not only his friends, they're his band mates too. Nathaniel plays keyboard and teams up with Jessa to write a few songs they can perform at their first gig - a friend's bar mitzvah.

In the midst of all this, Nathaniel feels pressure from his dad to be a "normal" teenager with a love for parties and sports instead of formulas and The Amazing Race.

The book is an amazing glimpse into the workings of an "Aspie" mind. Here are a few quotes to give you an idea:

"I grab my laptop the second Cooper returns with it and escape, without even saying good-bye. I mentally rip up the Be Polite memory card and run back to my house, leaving a trail of imaginary social skills behind me" (pg. 152).

"In order to be labeled a genius, I must make a contribution to the world. I can do that. I will start, right after I wash the chocolate off my face. If I want to be seen as a genius, I should not look like an idiot" (pg. 14).

"But fourteen has not been an auspicious age in the life of Nathaniel Clark. For example, have you heard of me? No? Exactly. Because I have not yet become a genius. Yet. Horrifyingly, at age fourteen the equation remains: N ≠ G: Nathaniel does not equal genius" (pg. 16).

Mindblind is filled with lovable and generous characters who love Nathaniel just the way he is (obvious exception: Nathaniel's father). Nathaniel has an understanding, yet firm, mother and several good friends who support him and take his social awkwardness in stride.

I highly recommend this book. It's written for a YA audience, but it's applicable to adults as well. show less

Nathaniel is fourteen years old, enjoys video games and The Amazing Race, and plays keyboards in a band with his best friend and the girl he adores. He is also a homeschooled university graduate, very skilled at mathematics, and has Asperger syndome. Nathaniel's life goal is to be an official genius, which is what many people consider him to be due to his incredible memory and knowledge. However, according to a book he read when he was seven years old, someone must "accomplish something outstanding" (p. 14) before he or she can be considered a genius, so Nathaniel is determined to meet that objective as soon as he can. It remains to be seen if life will get in the way of his goal, and how he might manage to achieve it.

Nathaniel has a show more typically complex teenage life: a girl he secretly has a crush on, divorced parents, not getting along with his father, and an embarrassing episode at a party. On top of that, he struggles to communicate with his family and friends due to his difficulty interpreting social cues, but he is an eminently likable person and quite self-aware. I enjoyed seeing the world from Nathaniel's perspective.

The supporting characters have a lot going on as well. Nathaniel's mother was a highlight for me, and her interactions with Nathaniel were kind, firm, and she often exhibited a sense of humour. In many ways, Nathaniel's father is the villain of the book in that he steadfastly refuses to try to relate to Nathaniel in a manner that is outside his comfort zone or expectations. The developing relationships that Nathaniel has with his father's wife and his four-year-old half-brother were lovely to observe, and Nathaniel's best friend Cooper was solid as a rock. So many people in Nathaniel's life were supportive of him and his gradual awareness of this was heartwarming.

Author Jennifer Roy has taken her experiences with her son (who, according to her website, also has Asperger syndrome and his highly gifted) and as a teacher and woven them into Mindblind. Thoughtful, humourous, illuminating, and highly recommended. show less

Nathaniel Clark is fourteen and a college graduate taking a year off before graduate school. He has an off the charts IQ, taught himself Mandarin Chinese when he was four, and is on the ‘autistic end of Asperger’s’. He spends a lot of time happily alone – he was home schooled – but has in the flesh friends. He’s in a band. And he’s trying to become a genius, because, despite his high IQ, he can’t be a genius until he contributes something to society.

This book takes him through some regular teenage things- first crush, a party he really shouldn’t (and didn’t want to be) be at, misunderstandings. There is no great plot, but he grows emotionally.

I enjoyed the novel, but it has its flaws. The characters, except for his show more lout of a father (who doesn’t believe in the existence of Asperger’s syndrome) – who he thankfully only sees on weekends- are pretty perfect. They are totally supportive and accepting of Nathaniel’s quirks. They seem to have no real lives or problems of their own, no development, but just exist as props in Nathaniel’s life. His mother, who seems to have no emotions except for love for her son, is always there, never frustrated, never upset (except with her ex), and seems to exist for her son. She, like the friends, is perfect. I’m a little suspicious that the mother is a Mary Sue, the author having a son with Asperger’s. I’m sure she hopes to be the good mother than Nathaniel’s mother is; I’m also sure she hopes that her son’s life is navigated as smoothly (for the most part) that Nathaniel’s is; I hope so, too. Or perhaps this isn’t a flaw; perhaps these people are so flat because Nathaniel, mindblind to others thoughts and emotions, sees them that way.

There are some brilliant bits. Showing Nathaniel organizing his mind in the form of computer files is great, both in the idea and in the delivery. The part where he has an episode of mania is so well done that you feel manic yourself reading it; you don’t really catch your breath until it winds down into hypomania and then finally normalcy. This is a book, I think, that would work well for tweens, but doesn’t really hold up for adults (not that it’s meant to). show less

Mindblind, a book suitable for intermediate elementary school students, by Jennifer Roy, tells Nathaniel Clark's story. Nathaniel is a fourteen-year old near genius who has Asperger's syndrome. Although this syndrome can affect an individual's ability to read and understand social situations, Nathaniel has a supportive mother who has guided him and is now attempting to navigate through the complicated lives of teens. In this book he experiences the ups and downs of teenage life- being in a band, his obsession with a reality T.V. program, a party, first love...and the pressure of choosing a university specialization! This is a well written book that allows a small glimpse into the mind of a teen with Asperger's.

I thought that Mindblind was alright. I enjoyed the glimpse into the life of a boy with Asperger's, and during and directly after the party scene I was really feeling the tension. I did think, though, that the plot was a bit too simple and not as interesting as it could have been. I feel like the author was depending upon the main character's syndrome to keep interest up throughout the book, and that didn't completely cut it for me. I also thought that all the kids rocking out to the algebra song was stretching reality, and that the wrapping up of the "genius" plot line at the end was a bit too forced. I thought that more of the plot could have centered around the father, as well, and was disappointed that he proved to be a static show more character to the end. It could have been a better book if it had really delved into the family issues here. show less

Open File: C:My FilesBooks_I_am_glad_I_readMindblind.avi(Date:8/4/12)

Mindblind is 14-year-old Nathan Clark’s story. As a boy with mild Asperger’s, he experiences life in 2 worlds.

One is his “Aspie” N-world where he often disappears when a word triggers a memory that he has stored in his brain, like a computer file. His best friend, Cooper, says he’s like a zombie when it happens. In his own N-world, Nathan creates and solves mathematical formulas and he isn’t forced to interact with people and “hangout” with other teenagers.

But Nathan can’t always live in N-world. Sometimes he has to be a part of the outside world where it seems that people want to “fix” him. In the outside world, he has to worry about things like show more the clothes that he wears and whether he has crumbs on his face.

People often call Nathan a genius, but he “knows” that technically, he isn’t one. When he was younger, he read in a book that “a genius is a person who has accomplished something outstanding with his or her talents.” Since he hasn’t made an impact on the world yet, Nathan knows that he isn’t an official “genius”…yet! And so his quest to become one begins.

While on his quest for genius, Nathan also has to deal with the normal stuff, just like everyone else. His dad just doesn’t get him, he has a crush on his band-mate, and he’s not sure if he’s ready to share his songs with the world.

Nathan is relatable and funny. Read Mindblind to see if he succeeds in his quest for genius. show less

In Jennifer Roy's Mindblind, 15 year old Nicholas has Aspberger's Syndrome. Whereas in Kathryn Erskine's Mockingbird, Caitlin is 11 years old and her special interest is dictionaries, in Mindblind 15 year old Nicholas has an aptitude for mathematics. (Although he doesn't fit the formal definition of genius, of which he is obsessed, Nicholas comes darn close.) There is a huge maturation that occurs between 11/12 year olds and 15/16 year olds, so while in Mockingbird, Caitlin is trying to figure out what is socially acceptable and what isn't, Nicholas has it pretty well sorted out. Whether he acts on it or not seems to be a conscious decision on his part.

While in both books, the community at large is accepting of its 'Aspies', the big show more difference between the books is that Nicholas' father can't accept what Nicholas is. Despite his aversion to crowds and loud noises, his father wants Nicholas to be a normal teenager and forces him to go to a party. The fact that Nicholas has friends (whereas Caitlin was still working on that) and is relatively normal doesn't satisfy his father. You can imagine the results.

As with Kathryn Erskine's story, Roy reiterates that with early detection and intervention (in this case, from Nicholas' mother), Nicholas is a 'normal' or in his words 'neurotypical' teen. Roy, too, has created characters that readers can relate to, want to relate to, want to meet and get to know. I'm glad I read Mockingbird first and Mindblind second because I can now imagine how Caitlin turns out and that adds a special element to the story.

The merits of both Roy's and Erskine's books are too numerous to mention. The writing, the story, the characters all shine. Bringing Asperger's Syndrome to the forefront, as does Francisco X. Stork in Marcelo in the Real World (I just had to mention him again) does a tremendous service. These three books form an Asperger's Syndrome Triumvirate and should be on everyone's reading list. Educate yourself while giving yourself a treat and read Mockingbird, Mindblind and Marcelo in the Real World. (I wonder if there's any significance to the fact that the titles of these books begins with the letter "M"? show less