I love this book so much that I am not just reviewing it, but I am also giving away a free copy!!! To enter for the giveaway, all you have to do is leave a comment (either on facebook or on my blog) about a book you’ve read that you really enjoyed, that changed your life, or that impacted you in some other way. It doesn’t have to be an essay, even if you just write the title of the book that’ll do. I will select a winner at random on Saturday morning. So excited!!!

Anyway, on to the review:

Unlocked is one of the best books I read last year. It is truly beautiful. When I saw that it was about a guy with autism I didn’t know what to expect, and I honestly didn’t think I’d enjoy it. But it was amazing and I was so glad I gave it a chance. Warning: you will need tissues on one particular part.

My favourite character in the book is Ella Reynolds. She is amazing and a truly beautiful character. She’s not just a pretty face but she’s has a heart of gold and bucket loads of confidence. She stands up for what she believes in and doesn’t let anyone push her around. Everyone needs a friend like her. The way she sticks by the autistic guy, Holden, is great, because she really doesn’t care what anyone thinks. Holden is also a sweet character. My heart really broke for him.

There are also some extremely ugly characters in the book, like Jake and his friends. And there are some truly pitiful characters; I felt sorry for Ella’s mum a lot.

The two main things I took from this book are:

1. It’s important to love people.  As Christian we’re supposed to be loving and accept people for who they are.
2. The prayers we send up during the course of each day are actually heard by God. I knew that before reading this book, but there are characters in this book that are constantly praying and it just made me more aware that God really is listening.

This book gets five stars from me. Here’s the synopsis

Before You Take a Stand … You Got to Take a Chance. Holden Harris is an eighteen-year-old locked in a prison of autism. Despite his quiet ways and quirky behaviors, Holden is very happy and socially normal—on the inside, in a private world all his own. In reality, he is bullied at school by kids who only see that he is very different. Ella Reynolds is part of the ‘in’ crowd. A cheerleader and star of the high school drama production, her life seems perfect. When she catches Holden listening to her rehearse for the school play, she is drawn to him … the way he is drawn to the music. Then, Ella makes a dramatic discovery—she and Holden were best friends as children. Frustrated by the way Holden is bullied, and horrified at the indifference of her peers, Ella decides to take a stand against the most privileged and popular kids at school. Including her boyfriend, Jake. Ella believes miracles can happen in the unlikeliest places, and that just maybe an entire community might celebrate from the sidelines. But will Holden’s praying mother and the efforts of Ella and a cast of theater kids be enough to unlock the prison that contains Holden? This time, friendship, faith, and the power of a song must be strong enough to open the doors to the miracle Holden needs.

If you have already read this book what did you think of it?