Gottlieb did a superb job of imagining the mindset/thought processes of an autistic man. It was realistic, and highly entertaining. I loved how he would weave facts and statistics about autism into the thread of Todd's thoughts. Todd often referenced the encyclopedia, which he referred to as Mr. B. and in his mind, Mr. B had this calm, soothing tone that he used to speak to him - i.e. the voice in Todd's head.

The characters were all well done, from the brother (who was a total jerk, if I do say so) to Raykene, as well as Tommy Doon, Todd's roommate who liked to try and give Todd "the volts." Something to think about is how these facilities might be so understaffed they'll take anyone, as in the character, Mike Hinton. He seemed to have no clue at all about how to handle the individuals living there. He tried to drag Todd into his deceitful foray by attempting to blackmail him, as if he could depend on/trust Todd to do what he wanted. Mike "The Apron" (Todd's name for him - which was hilarious) reminded Todd of his father, and I thought the direction of this storyline could have been deployed a bit more.

There were funny parts (the breeze in his pants) and sad parts (his longing for his mother and home). I thought the ending was perfect, and was glad/happy to see how he wrapped it up, giving Todd something special that he'd needed throughout the story. ( )

adult fiction (autistic man with memories of abusive father). I was hoping this would be a happier story, but it feels awfully dark (like Green Mile dark). If you are looking for a happier autistic character story, I would recommend the curious incident of the dog in the nighttime or (the much more cheery) the Rosie Project.

Fifty-year-old Todd Aaron resides at the Payton Living Center where he is considered to be the "Old Fox". He is autistic and has been at the center for many, many years. Todd is a pleasant hard-working member of the center who tries to follow the rules and stays out of trouble. But that all changes when a new female admission encourages him to stop taking his medications and, when additionally, a new staff member creates trouble and puts Todd under pressure to cover for him. Todd just wants to go back to his childhood home and so he attempts to escape the center.

The narrator of this audio version of Best Boy created an excellent voice for Todd who was telling his story and the reading certainly brought life to the author's words and to Todd's autistic personality. ( )

Todd Aaron, a man in his 40s, has spent so much time in an institution (Peyton Living Center) that he is known as one of their "ambassadors," assigned to give tours to incoming patients. It's never exactly stated what Todd's problem is, but clearly he is on the autism spectrum. His voice (as narrated by Bronson Pinchot) is flat, except when he is overly anxious or afraid; he doesn't like to be touched; he has some odd habits and practices repetitive gestures. Things happen to and around Todd, but he doesn't react as most people would; he has little sense of appropriate v. inappropriate and is often taken advantage of This is his story, narrated by Todd from the perspective of the world as he sees it. He takes us back to memories of the father who brutalized him, the mother who loved him and carted him off to a series of doctors and institutions, the brother who was cruel to him. We see what it's like for Todd to almost fall in love with the one-eyed Martine, to long to be welcomed into his brother's home, to fear the staff member he calls Mike the Apron.

Call me jaded, but I found this novel just a bit too sweet and many of the characters stereotypical. I stuck with it to the end, but overall, it was a mediocre read/listen for me. ( )

Payton Living Center was the sixth place in row Momma had taken me but neither of us knew it was the one where I'd stay forever and ever."
So begins Eli Gottlieb's novel called Best Boy, narrated by a 52 year old autistic man named Todd Aaron. Life in Payton Village has been okay for Todd, who tries to live up to the pet name his mother called him and the title of the story. Todd's experience with a manipulative staff member, his attraction to another female patient and his desire to go back home and live with his brother make up the plot of the novel and provide insights into the mind of this special needs character. Much like The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, Best Boy does a nice job of describing the emotions and triggers that affect the narrator's thinking. Evidently the author has had some personal insights regarding a sibling with autism. Hopefully he was nicer than the brother presented here. ( )