The Mystery of the London Eye – Review

Ted has a loving family but no friends—at least not by his own definition. His brain runs on a "different operating system," as he puts it. The signs of Asperger's syndrome are unmistakable, though never named directly, along with his struggles to read social cues. Yet it is precisely these difficulties—and his particular gifts—that allow Ted, together with his sister Kat, to unravel the mystery of their cousin Salim's disappearance. Though Ted and Kat don't always get along (and thus don't quite qualify as "friends" in Ted's taxonomy), their search transforms them. They emerge with a deeper understanding of each other and a newfound strength. This engaging novel for young readers, written by Siobhan Dowd before her untimely death in 2007, stands as a thoroughly worthwhile read for ages 12 and up, offering a clear-eyed and moving exploration of difference, disability, and ethnicity. Winner of the 2012 Andersen Prize, it is also available as an audiobook (Emons-Uovonero), narrated by Pietro Sermonti.