Very well written and nicely flowing, Mirror Man is a fascinating coming of age mystery with a profound insight into human nature. 'What could I do? Me, the weird kid who didn't look at people in the eye, who had to use mirrors to have a proper conversation.' Especially when doubt is all but clouding his judgement. A man who doesn't belong there and whose threatening presence will leave John-Michael with no choice but to abandon his odd ways to get to the bottom of the mystery threatening everything he knows.Ī very hard thing to do for someone like him. Trouble that starts with a strange man in a blue suit, who makes Claude, the boss of John-Michael cower in fear. Because from hate and resentment, I ended up rooting for her in the end!īut back to the story, because I digress, John-Michael soon finds himself neck-deep into trouble that's by far more serious than the occasional drive home in the back of a police car for trailing someone or the other.

I may have wanted to slap her at times but then, can one blame her truly? And hers was a truly impressive character ARC. Maybe I could learn how to fix it, and I'd be accepted by everyone, but especially by Mum.'Īnd this was the cherry on the rotten top for me. Because he knew something is wrong with him but didn't know how to fix it and he tried so damn hard!! 'All I knew was I had something missing, and somebody out there had what I needed to make me whole again.'Īnd I swear my heart just about broke for him. Because he has an odd compulsion, an urge that leads him to follow and mirror the men around town in search of something he can't explain. Unfortunately for him though, his method of coping, hinders his efforts towards acceptance. There are two things our John-Michael wants most in life to be accepted and to be treated like an adult. And he'll have a real tough time blending in, and even functioning at times, without a strong method to cope. In such a place, among such people with a limited understanding, John Michael will be instantly labelled as a 'retard, not quite right in the head'. Not a really big issue nowadays but certainly a huge one in a small town full of small minded people who have no understanding whatsoever of autism and it's characteristics.

John Michael is a 21 year old young man suffering from functional autism. A unique tale with an intriguing mystery and an absolutely wonderful insight into the mind of a young man with functional autism.

Mirror Man by Jacques Von Kat