Mockingbird

I just finished a book called Mockingbird. The main character Caitlin is an 11 year old girl with Asperger's. Caitlin and her dad are the only ones left of the family when her mom dies of cancer and her brother Devon is shot. Devon was the only one to help Caitlin through her problems(Asperger's). Now Devon is gone and there is no one for her to talk to. Dad isn't any help because he is still trying to overcome the two tragedy's.

Everything for Caitlin is taken so literally. She doesn't seem to understand certain things. She tries to work things out with the knowledge that she has. I will give an example or two of times she was literal throughout the book. Caitlin doesn't understand the pronoun "Your Manners" on her manners chart. She thinks that means everyone else's manners but it really means hers. She thinks she has to watch every one's manners for them but really she just has to worry about her own. The chest that Devon was making Caitlin wanted to finish and she needed quarter-cut oak. So she knew that oak was a wood and she had an oak tree in the backyard. She knew what a quarter was. So she tried cutting her oak tree with a quarter.When Mrs. Brook said that you had to put yourself in someone else's shoes when they were working on empathy, Caitlin thought she meant to literally change shoes with them.

Josh at school is the cousin of the person who killed Caitlin's brother Devon. Everyone at school stereotypes Josh as being a bad kid just because his cousin killed Devon. Just because someone related to Josh did something bad does not mean that he will to. He could be a very nice kid but no one gives him a chance. They never found his inner self. Everyone also thinks her is a bully but truly the only reason he is mean to others is because they are mean to him first. He doesn't try to be a bully to them, people are bully's to him.

Closure is what Caitlin has been trying to find throughout this book. Closure is the state of experiencing an emotional conclusion to a difficult life event. Caitlin was set to find this "closure." As literal as she is, I think she thought she could see closure. I always wonder, did she realize that closure isn't a visual thing. It is like a mental adjustment.

Caitlin doesn't really have emotions so she doesn't cry or anything over the death of her brother. When her dad asked her what she wanted for her birthday she said she wanted Devon to take her shopping. Dad thought Caitlin meant that he was still here and he wasn't. But Caitlin understood that. That is still what she wanted though.

Caitlin was an interesting character to follow along with. It is different understanding how Caitlin "Gets It." She doesn't think quite like everyone else but I think even as a character has a lot of potential to be a great friend even though people don't always give her that credit.

Kiley