When their son, Hudson, begins having behavioral difficulties, Rosie and Don discover what comes with a weighty autism diagnosis. In Graeme Simsion's The Rosie Result, ten-year-old Hudson's struggles to make friends and tendency to act out result in major changes in the family's life.

Seeking advice and friendship, Rosie and Don outsource different sections of Hudson's life to the supportive group of people around them. Each takes a part in Hudson's development, care, and well-being.

Written in the voice of someone on the autism spectrum, The Rosie Result portrays the developmental disorder with humor and insight. Don's voice is particular—his intelligence extraordinary—and he is oblivious of how funny he is. His relationships with others are unique and excellently written.

Hudson and Don both grow in a phenomenal way, although their paths are not parallel or linear. Each teaches the other, and each discovers incredible ways of living with autism, while simultaneously teaching everyone about the stigmas around it. Their stories have the potential to reshape the way that people look at developmental disorders and those who fall on the spectrum.

Conversations are the focal point of the story, highlighting each character in depth. The realities of Rosie and Don's marriage are truthful and raw. Their mutual respect and admiration is evident, but their couples' bickering and eyerolling is also perfectly authentic. Although The Rosie Result centers on Hudson and Don, each character in it transforms in their own way, and it is excellent at demonstrating that creating a positive community is beneficial for everyone.

Our basic human needs––to be understood, to be accepted, and to have purpose and structure—are universal. The realities of autism and definitions of what's "normal" remain more obscure. Simsion's novel depicts autism in such unremarkable ways that its story becomes remarkable in the telling.

The third installment in professor Don Tillman's life from Simsion (The Rosie Project) has Don and Rosie recently moved to Australia, uprooting their now 11-year-old son, Hudson. Don notes many of the issues he faced in school coming out in his son and makes a list, which he calls the Hudson Project. Included are things society deems "normal" in children Hudson's age: riding a bike, learning to catch, socializing, and generally fitting in. As with most of Don's plans, unexpected variables throw a wrench in the works. Hudson's school seeks an autism diagnosis, Don quits his job to help his son, Rosie struggles with a sexist boss. Don and Hudson both are eventually able to see how their autism makes them extraordinary. VERDICT Simsion's intriguing look into the mind of a person with autism follows Don as he moves through a changing life. As always, his lighthearted humor and wonderful group of friends add a great touch, and the story will give readers a lot to think about when regarding autism in their communities. Highly recommended.—Brooke Bolton, Boonville-Warrick Cty. P.L., IN

Simsion concludes the Don Tillman trilogy (after The Rosie Effect), set in present-day Melbourne, with a whimsical tale of devoted, if rather unorthodox, parenting. Don's 11-year-old son, Hudson, has some social difficulties, and Hudson's teacher suggests the boy may be autistic. Don, who has been resistant to similar suggestions about himself, decides to help Hudson in ways he wished others had helped him when he was young. He leaves his job (after a well-meant lecture on genetics leads to him being misconstrued as racist), enlists assistance from friends and family, and develops a lesson plan, trying to teach his son ways to fit in. Meanwhile, Hudson is making changes and learning more about autism on his own, granting Don insight into himself and demonstrating how introspective a child can be. Don learns from his son that accepting oneself results in the ultimate happiness. Fans will find this sensitive and sometimes humorous look at Don's relationship with his son to be the ideal ending to the trilogy. Agent: David Forrer, InkWell Management. (June)