A story about love, marriage and infidelity, subjects covered in many books however this was a book that I really enjoyed and appeared to have that little something extra that made it stand out from the crowd as I have found myself recommending it to others., a sure sign that I loved it.

The book is told from two points of view, both husband and wife, and I really like this style of writing. They are in love, but they are two very different people, they say opposites attract and in this couple., I think they really did. Their son is autistic, and it is through origami that he his able to express his thoughts and it is when he starts to attend a origami club that his true self begins to grow.

It is through Standard Deviation that the author is able to look at a couple's relationship and the pressures felt and the difficulties faced by a couple and the family as a whole who have a child with autism. it is a sympathetic but true account of such a family and I really enjoyed reading about it.

The Good Stuff
I think the Asperger’s representation was more than great. I think the author managed to capture the difficulties of both living with a child with Asperger’s and also being a child with Asperger’s. She also managed to show that Matthew was just like other kids in some aspects, while also being quite unique in others. I think that was done so great, and I think she managed to capture how a parent with a child like that might feel and resonate and think about life. It was my favorite part of the novel and the only reason I finished it.

The Bad Stuff
This is entirely vapid. Painfully so. It’s that awful book about middle-class white men and the wives they have and cheat on. Graham is an insufferable character and just the way infidelity is handled in the book made me want to pull my hair out. Graham cheats on his first wife, Elspeth, numerous times and then, he marries Audra who ends up cheating on him as well. And then Graham finds out that his first wife also cheated on him. And it’s this vapid cycle of stupidity. And there’s no real conflict in the book.

Moreover, the writer tried awfully hard to make the characters quirky and eccentric in a way, but in my opinion, failed miserably. The characters did not feel like real people, they felt like caricatures and insufferable ones at that. I love unlikeable characters, but that’s because I feel like people are unlikeable and flawed. These characters did not feel like people, not one bit.

And on a larger scale, I felt this book was largely pointless. I did not get anything from it. Even the great Asperger’s rep was overshadowed by how shallow and bland the rest of the book felt. It’s like things never got any traction. And that’s to some extent a consequence of the structure of the novel, which is told through vignette styled chapters. But also due to the fact that the story lacks any sort of substance.

Final Thoughts
I really disliked this. I think the good stuff was largely overshadowed by the vapid, bland and seemingly shallow characters and overall storytelling. I would not recommend this novel at all.

Graham is married to Audra, and they have a son Matthew who is on the autistic spectrum. As they deal with the trials and tribulations of parenthood, Elspeth enters the story; Elspeth is Graham's first wife who he left for Audra. As Graham begins to have doubts about Audra's own fidelity, he rediscovers a close friendship with Elspeth. Alongside the exploration of adult relationships, Graham and Audra try to make sense of Matthew and his attempts at friendship - involving joining an origami club comprised of middle-aged men. Will Matthew turn out like them? Will Graham and Audra stay steady? A book about parenting, relationships (and origami!). A sweet and light read, amusing at times - recommended.

Really enjoyed first half of this but found the second half a real struggle and the non ending came out of nowhere!

Standard Deviation

After being sent an email about this book, I really wanted to read it!!

I really can't recommend this book enough, it's a heart warming and heartbreaking tale of love, marriage, infidelity and origami that made me laugh out loud in some places! 5 shiny stars!

Addictive, comic, marvellous - I inhaled this over the course of a flight. I have recently been drawn to books which address female identity and motherhood (such as Lullaby and The Resurrection Of Joan Ashby) and this novel complemented them surprisingly well! (Also, it gets a star alone for the title!)