When I Was Five I Killed Myself

Oh my! What a wonderful, strange, quirky, insightful, quick little read this is! I would not go as far as comparing it to Catcher in the Rye, as some critics have done so, but it is very good in its own self.
This is the story of how 8 year old Burt ends up in an institution for disturbed children. It is superbly well told in his own voice. The author captures an 8 year old's frame of mind down to a T: the scattered thoughts, the obsessive ones, the way they process events in their minds...very nice.
The story is told in two timelines: what happened before Burt got admitted into the institution and then everything that goes on in there. It flawlessly delivers because you can't turn those pages fast enough to see what the outcome will show more be.
Burt is certainly a troubled child, no doubt about it. His behavior, his train of thought, his reactions and his violent outbursts are something to be concerned about. The adults involved in his life are not to remain guilt free of his turning out; after all, the chilling ending makes us stop and think so, so many things.
I feel that if I keep reviewing this book I will give the story away. This is a book that must be read and one must be prepared for the shocking ending.
In my opinion, when a book makes you feel a wave of emotions so strong that you have to close it for a bit to regain composure, that book deserves 10 stars out of five. Don't miss it! show less

Loved this book. Unbelievable capturing of what it is like to be 8! Picked this up from a friend who was downsizing his book collection and both the title and the cover intrigued me. A very quick read with moments that made me want to find Burt, the main character and give him a big hug and tell him it will all be OK.....and for me, that's something! A little sad, but that part is the whole point. Highly recommended.

This book portrays the confusion felt by an autistic spectrum child when he interacts with the 'normal' world. His literal interpretation of speech and events lead to his institutionalisation for reasons he does not understand. A challenging read.

Written in English by France's noted autistic specialist, it has been read by millions in France alone. This psychologist has written 5 books on his subject. This is his only fiction.
This is more than a good novel. The main character is a troubled boy narrating and navigating his way through a difficult time in his life; and the understanding and help, or lack of it, from those he encounters along the way.
It is one of a kind.

The reviews say it is a modern Catcher in the Rye. The problem is the charachters are young (about 9) and end up having sex. It just seems like a person who has little kids having sex is bizarre. Also the boy seemed to be psychotic at times and I couldn't empathize with him most of the time.

Sentimientos encontrados con esta novela. Me estaba gustando mucho, pero el final me ha dejado un poco fría....

I put only three stars to that book, because I got a little bit disappointed. Indeed, before reading the book I had seen the movie. The movie is really well-done, poetic, wonderful and consequently I expected a lot from this book (perhaps too much). Usually it is quite the opposite; the book is often better than the movie, but here is (according to me) an exception.

J'ai mis que trois étoiles, car ce livre m'a un peu déçu. En effet, avant de le lire, j'avais vu le film qui est très bien tourné, poétique, magnifique. Par conséquent, j'attendais beaucoup de ce livre (peut-être trop). En général c'est l'inverse ; le livre est souvent meilleur que le film, mais dans ce cas-ci, il s'agit (selon moi) d'une exception