Author: Kevin Berry
Title: Kaleidoscope
Published On: 2014-01-04
Pages: 228
Genres: Contemporary, Contemporary Women, Fiction, New Adult
My Rating:
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SYNOPSIS
The sequel to STIM...an Aspie new adult contemporary novel set in an earthquake zone.
Chloe is different.
She has Asperger's Syndrome, Bipolar Disorder and probably a few other inconvenient conditions as well.
She's a quirky, resourceful and clever psychology student, but her world is literally about to be shaken apart.
A devastating earthquake sparks a chain of events that spiral her life out of control.
She's off her meds.
Her oddly-named cat is missing.
She doesn't know what she wants out of life any more.
Misfortune and uncertainty don't mix well with bundles of energy and Chloe's tendency to ignore consequences.
It's as if mayhem and trouble are her constant companions.
Will Chloe be able to cope with the earth-shaking events that rock her world?
Share her journey.
[usr 4]
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Kaleidoscope picks up shortly following the events of Stim, though there’s nothing you’ll be missing other than a really good book if you read this as a stand-alone or out of order.
“Bipolar Disorder is awesome. I hate it.”
Chloe has Asperger’s Syndrome, Bipolar Disorder and probably a few other ‘rome’s and disorders in addition to a numerical dyslexia. She also doesn’t tolerate change well, like many on the spectrum, and unfortunately there’s a whole lot of change coming her way.
I found this book to be pretty dark. Poor Chloe just can’t seem to catch a break as change after change after situation after incident just piled up on top and snowballs from there. And without her medication, having lost it in the earthquake. Well let’s just say, it’s a recipe for disaster.
“It’s a freaking port-a-loo, not a Tardis. It doesn’t go anywhere, and it’s definitely no bigger on the inside”
A bit of humor in the whirlwind of chaos that was going on can make all the difference though, that’s what kept things more at a level of a viral video clip show and not local news footage of a tragedy.
To sum it up, a darkly humorous story. That while it didn’t have quite the impact for me as Stim did and I’m not really crazy about the ending but it was still a really good read that I would gladly recommend.
Stim Review
[usr 5]
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Stim isn’t your typical story. But then again, Robert isn’t your typical guy. He has Asperger’s Syndrome and his view of the world is different than anyone else. Which really can be said for anyone, it’s just that Robert’s is a little more off the beaten track of “normal” than most.
“Stef was lying on the other sofa, staring at us with her mouth wide open like she was about to scream, but she did not do that. For a few seconds, she said nothing, then said, ‘Um… Who would like a game of Monopoly?”
He actually reminds me a lot like Data from Star Trek the Next Generation – quite naive and clueless as to the emotional motives and social guides that everyone around him take for granted.
“We read through nearly everything we picked up, except the dictionary (I gave up on it because it kept changing the subject) and the telephone book (too many characters to follow)”
Following along with Robert is both heartwarming and heartbreaking as he navigates work, family, friends, and his grand project – finding a girlfriend in his own fashion. With results that range across the spectrum from comic to horrifying in a story that I would recommend to anyone!
“I am not an incomplete jigsaw who needs solving, fixing or curing… I am just put together in a different way. Who is to say what the final picture should look like anyway?”
