If you haven't heard of this book yet, just to tell you, it won the National Book Award for young people's literature. And let me tell you, it certainly deserved it. Through Erskine's book we see the world through Caitlin's eyes and mind. She doesn't Get It (as she would say) most of the time, as she can't understand certain emotions or reactions. She has to work really hard to see how another person is feeling and how to make them feel better, instead of worse. It's very illuminating to see how a person with Asperger's might view the world, and gives us a tool to understand them better and the way they see things better. Simpson, D. (2015). William David Ross. In Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved from http://www.iep.utm.edu For a girl with Asperger's who has lost her brother in a school shooting, safety is a luxury she can't reach while people keep staring at her and while her father is in deepest grief. Finding "Closure" is her mission, and as her world is literal and doesn't contain the complexity of different underlying meanings, she goes by her beloved dictionary's definition of closure to start with. In a process that requires incredible bravery, she manages to develop a method for herself to reach other people - working on discovering empathy in a practical rather than linguistic sense - and she makes connections in life through literary references. Being as honest as you can be will pay off in the long run. The pain, hurt, anger, and disappointment will diminish once you've cleared the way to a better, more realistic understanding of the situation.

This story takes place after a school shooting, and Caitlin’s family and fellow students have to deal with the effects at both home and school. Caitlin, the main character, has Asperger’s, which is a type of autism. Therefore, she has a difficult time understanding people’s feelings and emotions. Her bother, Devon, was one of the victims of the school shooting. So now the family is only Caitlin and her dad, who has to deal with the loss of his son while taking care of Caitlin. Throughout the story, Caitlin sees a school counselor who tries to help her learn about other people’s emotions and learn about empathy. This creates the person vs. self conflict in the book because Caitlin must learn to empathize. Caitlin also learns that she, her father, and the whole community need closure to move on from the shooting. Caitlin and her father end up building a wooden chest, which was Devon’s Eagle Scout project. This helps bring them closure. Caitlin also makes a new friend in Michael, who lost his mother in the school shooting. By befriending Michael, Caitlin also learns a bit about empathy. In the end, Caitlin finds closure and begins to understand people’s feelings. Do a letting go ritual. Though you may not be superstitious or believe in rituals, doing a letting go ritual can help you feel better about the end of the relationship. This could be a simple act, like lighting a candle and letting it burn until you feel you have closure on the relationship. Or, you could do a more drastic ritual and burn personal possessions or objects that remind you of the relationship in a small fire. Kathryn Erskine spent many years as a lawyer before realizing that she'd rather write things that people might actually enjoy reading. I don't know if he means to keep cutting the oak tree or work on the chest but I say, 'Yes,' just in case he means the chest. A theme of this book clearly is empathy. Not only does Caitlin have to learn how to feel empathy, but it seems as though the author’s purpose is to make the reader feel empathy for Caitlin. The first person point of view helps us feel empathy for Caitlin. This point of view helps the reader see things as Caitlin sees them. It helps us get an understanding of what someone with Asperger’s would think like. She has an emotions chart that she uses with the counselor to help her recognize people’s emotions. We can see Caitlin try to use this chart when she sees people. For example, Caitlin thought this as she saw a boy sitting alone on the playground, “I wonder why he’s sitting like that. He’s rubbing his eyes so he’s either sleepy or sad. I think those are the only two things it could be.” I know I do not have to think like this; my brain automatically can recognize other people’s emotions. It is interesting to see how Caitlin has to train her brain to do this.I came away from this book very satisfied. As a female with Asperger's I felt that Caitlin was portrayed realistically. There can be wide differences in how males and females present and I think the author managed to bring those out in Caitlin, though the intense plot does put Caitlin in a situation above and beyond normal everyday life. form. The fees for the advice of an attorney should not be compared to the fees of do-it-yourself online

I'm a little conflicted, because I can't deny that Caitlin is an incredibly well written character. On the flip side, it's very clear that the author strongly believes in ABA Therapy, as the book centers around that and she even put in her end notes "the main character has aspergers syndrome but is receiving early intervention through the public school system". "Early intervention". Um. Instead of going into great detail, Zusak uses short chapters that feel more like sneak peeks into her life. Additionally, it serves the purpose of joining Liesel, the main character, with the narrator, Death, and allowing them to converse on more equal terms. When asking yourself if you could’ve done things differently, look at all the things you did do right and give yourself credit for them. If another person was responsible for your loved one’s death, look for ways to let go of the circumstances leading up to your loved one's death and accept that you can’t change the outcome. 3. Keep a journal This book doesn't lose its beauty or heart for me, no matter how many times I read it. It still gets me, every time. His hand closed automatically around the fake Horcrux, but in spite of everything, in spite of the dark and twisting path he saw stretching ahead for himself, in spite of the final meeting with Voldemort he knew must come, whether in a month, in a year, or in ten, he felt his heart lift at the thought that there was still one last golden day of peace left to enjoy with Ron and Hermione.When you don’t have the answers you seek, it’s easy to go into a downward spiral of sadness and despair. But the reality is that you won’t always get answers to questions you seek, making it difficult to find closure. The following tips are for those times when you might not get the closure you seek or desire. 6. Focus on moving forward Finding truth doesn’t equate to the end of your pain and suffering. And, reasons don’t always mean that it makes a positive difference in your grief journey. He blows a little air out of his nose and nods. He lets go of my hands and does one more big sigh. 'Maybe we can make something good and strong and beautiful come out of this.' Finding closure doesn’t mean an end to the love you had for your loved one or that you’ll stop loving them or forget about them. There’ll forever be that aspect of their being that you’ll miss and yearn for from time to time.