Book Review: Unlocked
Over the past month, several friends have suggested the book "Unlocked" by Karen Kingsbury. I got it on sale at Lifeway on Saturday afternoon. I read most of Saturday afternoon and evening and I finished it yesterday evening. I probably would've finished sooner, but I decided church was more of a priority! :)
If you haven't heard a thing about this book, here's a synopsis I found on Amazon:
Holden Harris is an eighteen-year-old locked in a prison of autism. Despite his quiet ways and quirky behaviors, Holden is very happy and socially normal---on the inside, in a private world all his own. In reality, he is bullied at school by kids who only see that he is very different. Ella Reynolds is part of the 'in' crowd. A cheerleader and star of the high school drama production, her life seems perfect. When she catches Holden listening to her rehearse for the school play, she is drawn to him ... the way he is drawn to the music. Then, Ella makes a dramatic discovery---she and Holden were best friends as children. Frustrated by the way Holden is bullied, and horrified at the indifference of her peers, Ella decides to take a stand against the most privileged and popular kids at school. Including her boyfriend, Jake. Ella believes miracles can happen in the unlikeliest places, and that just maybe an entire community might celebrate from the sidelines. But will Holden's praying mother and the efforts of Ella and a cast of theater kids be enough to unlock the prison that contains Holden? This time, friendship, faith, and the power of a song must be strong enough to open the doors to the miracle Holden needs.
I really enjoyed this book! (Seriously, I rarely read a book in 2 days!) Even though EK's autism manifests itself differently from the character in the book, I could relate with the mother and Holden himself. It made me ponder if EK comprehends more than we give her credit for. Hard to know since she's non-verbal. The author did her research and the main character, Holden, has similarities with a boy she met several years ago.
I think those who haven't been around someone with autism will learn a lot and hopefully be more compassionate to those families who deal with autism on a daily basis. Autism can be a very lonely thing, as portrayed in this book. It makes me truly thankful that my friends love and accept EK just the way she is! :)
If you haven't heard a thing about this book, here's a synopsis I found on Amazon:
Holden Harris is an eighteen-year-old locked in a prison of autism. Despite his quiet ways and quirky behaviors, Holden is very happy and socially normal---on the inside, in a private world all his own. In reality, he is bullied at school by kids who only see that he is very different. Ella Reynolds is part of the 'in' crowd. A cheerleader and star of the high school drama production, her life seems perfect. When she catches Holden listening to her rehearse for the school play, she is drawn to him ... the way he is drawn to the music. Then, Ella makes a dramatic discovery---she and Holden were best friends as children. Frustrated by the way Holden is bullied, and horrified at the indifference of her peers, Ella decides to take a stand against the most privileged and popular kids at school. Including her boyfriend, Jake. Ella believes miracles can happen in the unlikeliest places, and that just maybe an entire community might celebrate from the sidelines. But will Holden's praying mother and the efforts of Ella and a cast of theater kids be enough to unlock the prison that contains Holden? This time, friendship, faith, and the power of a song must be strong enough to open the doors to the miracle Holden needs.
I really enjoyed this book! (Seriously, I rarely read a book in 2 days!) Even though EK's autism manifests itself differently from the character in the book, I could relate with the mother and Holden himself. It made me ponder if EK comprehends more than we give her credit for. Hard to know since she's non-verbal. The author did her research and the main character, Holden, has similarities with a boy she met several years ago.
I think those who haven't been around someone with autism will learn a lot and hopefully be more compassionate to those families who deal with autism on a daily basis. Autism can be a very lonely thing, as portrayed in this book. It makes me truly thankful that my friends love and accept EK just the way she is! :)
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