A 17-yr-old asperger's boy works in a law firm the summer before his senior year. He is in the real world now, very different from his special needs school.

This plot could've worked even if Marcelo was written as a normal boy. (Normal--is there such a thing--but you know what I mean).

Actually, I think I would've preferred it that way: 17-yr-old boy is working in the real world for the first time. All the awkwardness that Marcelo goes through, and his moral dilema would still pertain. As it is, I felt this book tries too hard to present Marcelo as different and special, because he didn't understand things that most people would. Yet, it seems like he understands a lot; he seems more aware of his surroundings than I was at that age, and he definitely has better social skills and manners than I did as an awkward teen.

He's practically got a halo on his head. Yes, he's special, but he has no faults?

I thought the other characters weren't developed, especially Jasmine. I got annoyed that Marcelo keeps explaining himself; he has to make an effort to look people in the eye, but he can look someone in the eye and tell them it's hard to look them in the eye. I didn't like Marcelo's way of speaking really stiffly and I didn't buy that he couldn't tell if a woman was beautiful. But, I guess this made for some good dialogue, like when he's talking with Wendell. I can see the appeal. All the girls in my YA lit class really liked this. I was into to it at some points but mostly I wasn't.

I usually love coming-of-age stories with a moral dilema, and I know this is not meant to be a typical one.