This book is not about anything in particular. It is a stream of consciousness of a mother and son as they write in a diary. The single mother is working hard to make ends meet while ensuring her son's emotional requirements are fulfilled. The son is unsure of the secrets his mother keeps from him, and his analysis of the world (as the blurb proclaims) was interesting. For the most part, the (almost) alternating chapters of the duo are distinct. There are some instances where the distinction blurred, and I needed to verify the page's title to orient myself.
It is a slice of their life, and I could not read it in single sittings. I need to pace myself in order to keep going. The writing is well done, and you can feel the emotions of the characters. I even chuckled at a few instances. There is no exact point to the ending since this is just an exploration of the duo's relationship with each other and the world they interact with. For the most part, they are characters that people will recognize or identify with, making it an entertaining book to read.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

This book was such a great read and truly captures what it is like for someone dealing with loneliness and autism. Not only did the author capture Clarence's feelings, but also the struggles of the mother who wants to protect him. I work with autistic children and thought that the author captured the disorder in a honest and respectful way.

"If you let a truth live inside of you for too long, it takes over, precisely the way a virus does."

This book tells the story of twelve year of Clarence Clark. He is an astute observer who has a unique way of looking at things. Clarence is lonely and writes letters which he attaches to balloons and hopes to gain a pen pal. When Clarence receives a letter back from a man named Peter, he is excited and the two write to each other and eventually meet.

Without Clarence's mother, Sarah, mentioning Clarence's diagnosis, we know that he is unique from his way of thinking, interreacting with others, and his matter of relating to things in his environment. He is an observer who often thinks about the father he never knew and things he encounters in his life.

This book is broken down alternating chapters which tell Sarah and Clarence's POV. Though this technique we learn some secrets and get to know each character better.

I found this to be an interesting and charming book. I enjoyed Clarence's observations and outlooks.

Thank you to Black Rose Writing and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.