Literary magazine

Curious The Incident of the DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME

I think prime numbers are like life . They are very logical but you could never work out the rules , even if you spent all your time thinking about them...

Perfect for preteen mystery fans, this compelling

book will tug on your heartstrings, with every page

beckoning to be turned.

Mark Haddon’s honest portrayal of an innocent 15 year

old boy with Asperger’s is packed with a plethora of

gripping twists and turns. Although the dog murder

opens the book, the event soon takes a back seat as

Christopher uncovers a new and life changing truth.

Christopher John Francis Boone is the narrator and

detective in this spell-binding novel. Due to his condi-

tion, everything is expressed through an unusual narra-

torial voice: the chapters are numbered only with prime

numbers. As his mother is dead, he lives in Swindon

with his father. In his unique, upside down world, noth-

ing goes unnoticed yet very little is understood. The

inexplicable murder of a neighbour’s dog prompts

Christopher to search vigorously for the killer, but what

he discovers instead leads to an adventure which

brings everything he knows crashing down.

Outstandingly written, The Curious Incident pro-

vides a heart-warming insight into life through the

eyes of a boy with autism. The 2003 winner of the

Whitbread Book of the year is strongly recom-

mended for 11-14 year olds who desire a new and

intriguing take on mystery. With the use of neither

complex vocabulary, Mark Haddon has still

managed to create a sensationally engaging novel.

This coveted book has won the Guardian Chil-

dren’s Fiction Prize as well as the South Bank

Show Book Award, and will definitely win

your hearts.

-Jack Yu, Year 7

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