Cover of Eye Contact

Eye Contact

Adam, a nine-year-old autistic boy, is discovered hiding near to the body of his murdered classmate. Now the police are relying on Adam as the only witness to an appalling crime. But he can't tell the police what he saw—or what he heard. Barely verbal on the best of days, Adam has retreated into a silent world that Cara, his mother, knows only too well.

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A young girl has been murdered and the only witness is a child who cannot tell what he saw.

In the woods of a small town, Adam, a nine-year-old autistic boy, is discovered hiding near to the body of his classmate. They both wandered off from the school playground several hours earlier, and now the police are relying on Adam as the only witness to an appalling crime. But he can't tell the police what he saw—or what he heard. Barely verbal on the best of days, Adam has retreated into a silent world that Cara, his mother, knows only too well.

With her community in shock and her son unable to help with the police investigation, Cara tries to decode the puzzling events. Adam has never broken the rules before, so why did he disappear with the little girl during recess? As a single mother, Cara has devoted her life to opening paths of communication between her son and the outside world. Now, she must interpret the changes in Adam's behavior not only to help him through the trauma, but to help the police catch a killer. Cammie McGovern brings her own experience as the mother of an autistic child to articulate the struggles—and the victories—that consume the lives of parents raising children with special needs. A powerful story of the tangled emotional bond between mother and son, and a thrilling novel of psychological suspense, Eye Contact won't let you go. Lovers of Mystic River will be captivated by this fresh and fascinating journey into the world of a child in crisis and a mother who longs to bring him through unscathed.

Audience
adultchildrensyoung adult
Length
medium · 288 pages

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Liked Eye Contact? Here’s where I’d start.

These suit anyone who liked Eye Contact. Sign in and mark a few books for picks shaped around your own taste.

  1. Daniel Isn't Talking Shares autism, fiction, contemporary fiction
  2. A Wild Ride Up the Cupboards Shares autism, fiction, adult
  3. Strange Son Shares autism, special needs, psychology
  4. Saving Max Shares mystery, fiction, autism

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“If you want more of the same (mystery about disability), start with these.”

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  4. Hit List

“If it was the autism that hooked you, try one of these.”

  1. The Pucelle Connection
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“These start from a similar idea, even if they go somewhere else with it.”

  1. Breaking the Silence: Two little boys, lost and unloved. One foster carer determined to make a difference
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