The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon is a mystery novel that reveals how curiosity can lead to the findings of information that you might not have wanted to have found. This book begins with a boy named Christopher finding a dead dog in his neighbor’s yard, and slowly reveals that he is obsessed with finding the killer. Through his investigations his trust in others slowly deteriorates. This book is very interesting and entertaining because it is narrated by a young boy who appears to have special needs. The author reveals the opinion that people are dishonest, and Christopher reveals how dishonesty is harmful. I agree with this as throughout the book the majority of characters have lied to Christopher, the people who he thought he could trust have all betrayed him. Even though there are some characters he can trust, he is still skeptical. Throughout the book it is not revealed but the character is described to have Asperger’s which is on the Autism spectrum. It is shown that he is obsessed with math and also numbers, extremely obsessed with prime numbers, he hates brown and yellow, and finds the color of cars to determine how his day will be. He is also obsessed with telling the truth and is very literal. The issue this raises is that people discriminate against people with special needs. This book raises the idea that all people need to be respected for their thinking process, and it also shows that telling the truth is very important. For those who Enjoyed The Giver by Lois Lowry, they would also enjoy The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Both of these books explore the importance of the truth. Through the character of Christopher, I am more understanding of those who are different than me. I feel that I can relate to this because I have grown up with children who can sometimes act like Christopher, but I now understand that they have a different way of processing information and thinking. I have learned to become more understanding and patient. I recommend this book to others, and I also give it a five-star rating. The narrator Christopher reveals a unique curiosity that takes the reader on an investigation in a very interesting way.
