Book Review: When David Was Surprised

by: Anne Kelleher

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:
David - a young man with Down Syndrome - continues his pursuit of Sarah, the young woman with Autism who he's sure is the girl of his dreams. Things get complicated, however, when a rival appears for David's affections.

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Thanks Anne for letting me review this! I was dying to read it since finishing How David Met Sarah. And I was not disappointed.

It has the same fluid writing. Simple, yet fast paced. I think David is a wonderful guy. David's parents took David out for a surprise on a Sunday and it turned out he was the date of one of the young ladies from his socialization class. She keeps getting mad at him and he is thoroughly confused. Every man on the planet has been there, and his pops told him as much.

Sarah has competition in this story. And honestly, I found myself cheering for the new girl. Mariah's not really new, David has known her for years. But she's got a new haircut and a new wardrobe and she did catch David's eye.

I have a ton of respect for him because he doesn't forget Sarah. And I love Mariah because she's willing to wait for him. The reason I'm cheering for Mariah is that she loves to do all the same things David loves to do, like going to the theater and drama classes. Sarah has autism and doesn't like to be around large groups of people (something I totally understand), and while David adores her, they don't share much common ground.

But I suggest you read this book and come to your own conclusions. I'm happy there's another one coming out, Where David Went. The 1st chapter is included at the end of When David Was Surprised. I haven't read it yet, because I know I'll just want to keep going. I would say Anne's writing and David's story are like warm comfort food.