The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime teems with quirky detail and a style of writing so unique you’ll be left with an open mouth in awe of Mark Haddon’s innovative style. I encourage anyone looking for a good read to check out Haddon's mystery novel.
The novel’s …more writing style stretches limits through its attention to detail and by delving into the questions of life without the typical clouded nonsense, like when an author tries to sound more insightful than he actually is, making these questions impossible to answer. The book’s autistic protagonist, Christopher Boone, does too. It’s got the foundations of a typical coming-of-age story: drastic situation leads to drastic measures. The hero must dive into uncharted territory, forcing himself to overcome his irrational fears to resolve the conflict. The mystery begins when Christopher finds his neighbour’s dog slain in the neighbour’s front yard. Christopher exhibits an uncommon bond with animals; he explains that this is because animals have three straightforward feelings: happy, sad, and okay.
   In the novel, Haddon mulls over the meaning of truth, death, love, hatred, and fear. He poses the questions, “What is truth, and what crosses the line to become a lie?” or, “How does fear dictate our actions? How about love and hate?” The author truly allows us to be free to evaluate these questions that have remained disputed since sentient beings have walked the Earth.
   This work emphasizes the power emotions have in our life, from the small intuitive details to the life-changing decisions, by showing life through a monochromatic or B/W lens. In doing so, we see how effective colour is, and how boring films would be if they lacked this element. The book makes the reader question everything they hold dear to them.

On an unrelated note, this is the first book I have genuinely enjoyed since reading Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder in fourth grade. I found the amount of detail to be compelling and oddly captivating. (less)