The Book Depository A Boy Made of Blocks by Keith Stuart
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Price: £8.99
Brand: The Book Depository
Description: A Boy Made of Blocks : Paperback : Little, Brown Book Group : 9780751563290 : : 23 Mar 2017 : A beautiful, funny and most of all uplifting story of family and love, perfect for fans of The Rosie Project, David Nicholls and Jojo Moyes. The Book Depository A Boy Made of Blocks by Keith Stuart - shop the best deal online on thebookbug.co.uk
Category: Books
Merchant: The Book Depository
Product ID: 9780751563290
MPN: 9780751563290
GTIN: 9780751563290
Author: Linda's Book Bag
Rating: 5
Review: Sam Rowe is autistic and his parents’ separation is not aiding his progress. I found the self deprecating and honest first person narrative in A Boy Made of Blocks totally convincing so that it felt as if I knew Alex personally. The more I read, the more he had my empathy and sympathy even though I thought he’d been selfish and unhelpful towards Jody in the time before the novel actually begins. Here is a man with flaws and struggles so many of us can relate to. I felt Keith Stuart balanced the challenges of dealing with Sam with the use of wry humour very effectively, giving a realistic and touching narrative in which I became so immersed I forgot I was reading about characters in a book and not real people. I’m not sure if that experience for me was because Keith Stuart has lived a similar life to Alex or because the writing was so skilful and effective but either way I absolutely loved this book. Having no experience of dealing with children like Sam, I have no idea how realistic this portrayal is, but it felt thoroughly honest, convincing and authentic to me. It also taught me to be less judgmental of other people’s children when I’m out! The allegory of the Minecraft game works incredibly well as a device to illustrate Sam’s life as it is invariably scary and also an adventure. I appreciated the multiple meanings of the title as Sam uses blocks to create his Minecraft world and suffers blocks in his actual life – from society, school, his father and his own perceptions of what he can achieve. However, I felt actually this was not a story so much about a boy made of blocks as a man, Alex, building a wall of blocks around himself. Both narrative elements are wonderful. I thought the plotting was so stylish as the story is really about the quotidian events many families face, but I found it held my attention so thoroughly that I couldn’t bear to put the book down to do other things. I was completely engaged by the sub-plots involving Alex’s wife Jody, his sister Emma, his best friend Dan and Alex’s mother too. This isn’t just a novel about autism, it’s a novel about humanity, relationships and our insecurities and triumphs. I honestly adored this book. I cried, as I often do with affecting reads, but A Boy Made of Blocks had an emotional intensity for me from despair to joy that I found extremely touching. I usually pass on copies of books to others to read. I’m keeping this one as it’s too special to part with.
Author: Iris Marle
Rating: 4
Review: I enjoyed this book, but hesitated between giving four and five stars as it seemed a bit too upbeat, with its happy ending and its implication that autism is something that can be mastered. The book describes the strain put on the relationship of Alex and Jody by their autistic son, Sam, who is 9 when the book begins. Sam is extremely difficult with lots of obsessive behaviour and prone to tantrums. At school he is bullied and shunned by the other children which breaks his parents' hearts. Alex has the further blow of losing his job and splitting with Jody. However, when Sam develops a passion for Minecraft, an online game, Alex finds some common ground and Sam begins to enjoy some self esteem from his success at the game which is highly creative and satisfying. However, he is shattered when some other kids break into his game and ruin it. I found all of this very believable and moving. The author then guides the plot along more cheerful lines with various successes for both Alex and Sam. I have some personal experience of autism, and this part of the book seemed less truthful, as the sad fact is that it is not really a curable condition and sufferers will continue to experience great problems relating to other people and the strains on the family will go on. Marriages do frequently break up over this. It would be nice to think they all live happily ever after, but I just couldn't buy it. Having said that, Keith Stuart writes in a lively, journalistic style which keeps the reader involved and you will not be bored.
