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.

Book Review: How David Met Sarah

by: Anne Kelleher

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:
The heartwarming story of a young man with Down Syndrome who falls in love with a young woman with autism. Written from the point of view of the young man with Down Syndrome, this book has been endorsed by the National Down Syndrome Society and has been praised not only for its accessiblity, but also for the insights it offers into the world of the developmentally disabled. How David Met Sarah was inspired by the author's own brother, a 36 year old man with Downs' Syndrome. Find out more about us at http://HowDavidMetSarah.blogspot.com

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I've been dying to review this one, but Anne and I kept missing each other. So when she posted it was free for the holiday I grabbed it up! I'm really glad I did.

The synopsis says "heartwarming" and it really is. David works in the mailroom of a large company and he loves his job delivering the mail. Everyday before work he stops at a diner and gets an egg sandwich. He has tons of friends. Everything is going great until he meets Sarah. Not that this is a bad thing, on the contrary. David falls in love, and Sarah likes him too. The tricky part is that David is quite social and Sarah has autism and doesn't do well around lots of people.

It's very simply written, and the flow of the story never slows down. Sometimes it came off as too simple, but the descriptions are vivid and the pace doesn't wait around for you to complain. David has a very full life and lots going on. This is a story that will leave you feeling good. Yes, there is conflict within the story but I don't want to give too much away. You'll just have to read it yourself.