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I think Mark Haddon might be more to British tastes than US. I am seeing that many US reviewers mark him down for character development and seem to think his people don't ring true.

As a Brit I know so many people - exactly like the protagonists in Mark's work that I love both his books. The dialogue is very real and the characters' motivations and actions are so real it is almost painful to share the journey with them.

None of the main players in this book are very likeable - but they are interesting and their story pulled me in. It is a completely different kettle of fish from the Dog in the Night Time - a grown-up tale of angst and betrayal - both by loved ones and by one's own body and mind.

Not a light read by any standards - but a book that stayed with me and which I re-read regularly, because I came to include these characters in my 'fictional' family of people I like to re-visit now and then.