My take on: The Art of Adapting

For the past two weeks my commute to work has been flying by. I normally take a nap on the way to work, and read on the way home from work. But recently I have given up my morning naps. Why? Because I was so engrossed in The Art of Adapting by Cassandra Dunn.

I'm a sucker for family dramas. The family in this book certainly has its issues.

Lana is recently separated from her husband, Graham. She's left to raise her teenage children, Byron and Abby. Her money is dwindling. On top of all that, she has to keep an eye on her eccentric brother Matt, who has Asperger's. A renewed friendship with a former boyfriend has Lana thinking about dating again. Lana's perspective wasn't anything new, but it was enjoyable to read. She's wondering what she did or didn't do to save her marriage. When will life get better?

Everyone in this book is in their own world. The book is told from all four viewpoints, and I enjoyed taking a journey through Abby and Matt's world the most.

It's clear from the beginning of the book that Abby has an eating disorder. But everyone close to her seems to be in denial about it. Even Abby is in denial. If she just keeps the weight off, the cute guy in her chem class will finally notice her. If she just keeps the weight off, life in general will be better. Of course that's not realistic. But you can't expect a teenager to live in reality. Abby is the kind of character you just want to give a hug. Reading the book, I know she needs more than that but just a little more personal attention from her parents would have gone a long way.

Matt is a bit of an enigma. To the outside world, he's this insanely smart, odd, and creative person. His quirks include the same food for breakfast, special silverware, special coats, special seats, and staring out the window for hours. He doesn't like a lot of close contact. He doesn't like a lot of noise. If his day deviates from the plan in anyway, Matt goes into a tailspin. To the average person that sounds crazy. But from his perspective this makes perfect sense. Routine is essential to someone like Matt, and not everyone can understand that. Of course Matt isn't meant to represent everyone with Asperger's, but it was nice to read a perspective that isn't prevalent in today's fiction.

This one really held my attention. This family's story is extremely relatable. Everyone at some point will be left wondering what if? What could they have done to be a better person? Are they on the right path? When will they be the person they were meant to be? Definitely a book worth reading.

Rating: Superb

Note: I received a copy of the book from the publisher (Simon & Schuster) in exchange for an honest review.