The speed of dark: A Novel
Author:
Publisher:
Varies, see individual formats and editions
Pub. Date:
Varies, see individual formats and editions
Language:
English
Reading Level:
IL: UG - BL: 5.1 - AR Pts: 19
Description
In the near future, disease will be a condition of the past. Most genetic defects will be removed at birth; the remaining during infancy. Unfortunately, there will be a generation left behind. For members of that missed generation, small advances will be made. Through various programs, they will be taught to get along in the world despite their differences. They will be made active and contributing members of society. But they will never be normal. Lou Arrendale is a member of that lost generation, born at the wrong time to reap the awards of medical science. Part of a small group of high-functioning autistic adults, he has a steady job with a pharmaceutical company, a car, friends, and a passion for fencing. Aside from his annual visits to his counselor, he lives a low-key, independent life. He has learned to shake hands and make eye contact. He has taught himself to use "please" and "thank you" and other conventions of conversation because he knows it makes others comfortable. He does his best to be as normal as possible and not to draw attention to himself. But then his quiet life comes under attack. It starts with an experimental treatment that will reverse the effects of autism in adults. With this treatment Lou would think and act andbejust like everyone else. But if he was suddenly free of autism, would he still be himself? Would he still love the same classical music--with its complications and resolutions? Would he still see the same colors and patterns in the world--shades and hues that others cannot see? Most importantly, would he still love Marjory, a woman who may never be able to reciprocate his feelings? Would it be easier for her to return the love of a "normal"? There are intense pressures coming from the world around him--including an angry supervisor who wants to cut costs by sacrificing the supports necessary to employ autistic workers. Perhaps even more disturbing are the barrage of questions within himself. For Lou must decide if he should submit to a surgery that might completely change the way he views the world . . . and the very essence of who he is. Thoughtful, provocative, poignant, unforgettable,The Speed of Darkis a gripping exploration into the mind of an autistic person as he struggles with profound questions of humanity and matters of the heart.
More Details
ISBN:
9780345447555
9780345472205
9780345472205
Reading Level:
UG
Level 5.1, 19 Points
Level 5.1, 19 Points
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Grouping Information
Grouped Work ID | f2c35690-c2db-672e-35c9-91280611e9f7 |
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Grouping Title | speed of dark |
Grouping Author | moon elizabeth |
Grouping Category | book |
Last Grouping Update | 2019-02-15 23:13:35PM |
Last Indexed | 2019-02-16 00:09:50AM |
Solr Details
accelerated_reader_interest_level | UG | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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accelerated_reader_point_value | 19 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
accelerated_reader_reading_level | 5.1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
author | Elizabeth Moon | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
author_display | Moon, Elizabeth | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
available_at_school | Antioch High | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
collection_school | Fiction | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
detailed_location_school | Antioch High - Teen Fiction | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
display_description |
Tenth anniversary edition In the near future, disease will be a condition of the past. Most genetic defects will be removed at birth; the remaining during infancy. Lou Arrendale, a high-functioning autistic adult, is a member of the lost generation, born at the wrong time to reap the rewards of medical science. He lives a low-key, independent life. But then he is offered a chance to try a brand-new experimental "cure" for his condition. With this treatment Lou would think and act and be just like everyone else. But if he was suddenly free of autism, would he still be himself? Would he still love the same classical music—with its complications and resolutions? Would he still see the same colors and patterns in the world—shades and hues that others cannot see? Most important, would he still love Marjory, a woman who may never be able to reciprocate his feelings? Now Lou must decide if he should submit to a surgery that might completely change the way he views the world . . . and the very essence of who he is. Thoughtful, provocative, poignant, unforgettable, The Speed of Dark is a gripping journey into the mind of an autistic person as he struggles with profound questions of humanity and matters of the heart. Praise for The Speed of Dark "Splendid and graceful . . . A lot of novels promise to change the way a reader sees the world; The Speed of Dark actually does."—The Washington Post Book World "[A] beautiful and moving story . . . [Elizabeth] Moon is the mother of an autistic teenager and her love is apparent in the story of Lou. He makes a deep and lasting impact on the reader while showing a different way of looking at the world."—The Denver Post "Every once in a while, you come across a book that is both an important literary achievement and a completely and utterly absorbing reading experience—a book with provocative ideas and an equally compelling story. Such a book is The Speed of Dark."—Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel "A remarkable journey [that] takes us into the mind of an autistic with a terrible choice: become normal or remain an alien on his own planet."—Mary Doria Russell, author of The Sparrow "A powerful portrait . . . an engaging journey into the dark edges that define the self."—The Seattle Times |
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format_category_school | Books, eBook | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
format_school | Book, eBook | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
id | f2c35690-c2db-672e-35c9-91280611e9f7 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
isbn | 9780345447555, 9780345472205 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
item_details | ils:CARL0000195239|35192029202383|Green Hills - Adult Fiction|Fiction Moon|||1|false|false|||||On Shelf||GH||, ils:CARL0000195239|B00685143|Antioch High - Teen Fiction|F MOO|||1|false|false|||||On Shelf||60110||, overdrive:e0d9613c-b210-4b46-a403-04ec70dbbb8d|-1|Online OverDrive Collection|Online OverDrive|eBook|eBook|1|false|true|OverDrive|||Adobe EPUB eBook,Kindle Book,OverDrive Read|Available Online|||| | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
itype_school | , Book | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
last_indexed | 2019-02-16T06:09:50.924Z | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
lexile_score | -1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
literary_form | Fiction | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
literary_form_full | Fiction | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
local_callnumber_school | F MOO | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
owning_library_school | Schools | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
owning_location_school | Antioch High | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
primary_isbn | 9780345447555 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
publishDate | 2003, 2004 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
record_details | ils:CARL0000195239|Book|Books|1st ed.|English|Ballantine Books,|2003.|viii,340 p. ; 25 cm., overdrive:e0d9613c-b210-4b46-a403-04ec70dbbb8d|eBook|eBook||English|Random House Publishing Group|2004| | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
recordtype | grouped_work | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
scoping_details_school
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subject_facet | Autism -- Patients -- Fiction | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
title_display | The speed of dark | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
title_full | The Speed of Dark A Novel, The speed of dark / Elizabeth Moon | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
title_short | The speed of dark | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
title_sub | A Novel | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
topic_facet | Autism, Fiction, Patients, Science Fiction |