Friday 17 February 2012

Trueman Bradley - Aspie Detective by Alexei Maxim Russell

Title: Trueman Bradley – Aspie Detective
Author: Alexei Maxim Russell
Publisher:Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Published: November 2011
ISBN: 978 1849052627

Rating: 3.5/5

The cover on this is very cartoonish, giving the book a feel of wanting to be a graphic novel.

Let me start by saying I didn’t know a lot about Asperger’s Syndrome prior to reading this.  Whilst it’s not meant as a work of non-fiction, I feel I’ve come away with some insights as to what Asperger’s is, the prejudices surrounding it and an idea of how someone with Asperger’s might behave.

Trueman Bradley has Asperger’s Syndrome.  He moves to NYC after the passing of his grandfather, so he can pursue his dreams of becoming a detective like Dick Tracy.  Things fall into place really well (almost too easily).  He gains friends, a business and success with his new venture despite those who were vocal in saying he didn’t have what it took.

Overall, I thought this was an easy to read and follow book.  I was a bit bewildered that Trueman made a machine to calculate crime – this gave the book a slightly unreal edge.  Other than that Truemans character, mannerisms and the way he logically does things made for interesting reading.  This has some unseen twists which compliment the storyline well.

Book synopsis:
Trueman Bradley is a genius detective with a difference, he has Asperger's Syndrome (AS). Trueman leaves his hometown of Heartville, Illinois, and arrives in New York City, hoping to fulfil his dream of becoming a private detective, like his comic book heroes. He is soon told that a guy with AS could not possibly succeed as a detective. Undeterred, Trueman uses his exceptional mathematical skills to invent a crime-fighting equation, and with the help of his new friends and some amazing inventions, sets out to test his skills against the criminal world of New York. He is determined to show the police, his friends, and himself, that a guy with AS can become as good a detective as anyone else, maybe, even, one of the best. "Trueman Bradley - Aspie Detective" is a fantasy adventure that will capture the imagination of anyone interested in Asperger's Syndrome.

Source – A copy was received in return for an honest review.

  

2 comments:

Tia Church said...

Hm, I read this and would give it far above 3.5(and the 2 you gave it on goodreads) even if jus for the very good dialoguist the author is. also I thought there was not a single boring part to it, unlike most books. but then it is your blog not mine! I admire your fairness. but i see good reviews everywhere for this one.

Michelle at Clover Hill Book Reviews said...

3.5 out of 5 = A good read - above average and definitely worth checking out. I think that's a fair review...it's certainly not the lowest rating I've given :) I find it interesting that you've only been on Blogger since February and don't appear to have a blog yourself.

On Goodreads there are mixed reviews about it - the one I read was from a parent of an aspie child who didnt like the idea of using this character as a hero figure for his child....everyone has a different view & therefore reviews will differ, that's the nature of reading with us all being different :)