Topics Addressed

One of the remarkable things about this novel is the number of topics that it addresses. Friendship, family relations, love, parent-child relationships, finding one’s soulmate and even loneliness are touched on in the novel. Heterosexual relationships as well as homosexual relationships are also explored. In Jonah’s case, the book even details the break up of a homosexual relationship. The novel includes an emphasis on precautions to take when having sexual relationships with someone who is HIV positive.

Autism is a disability that is explored in the novel. The author not only includes a nod to a special talent that Mo possesses but also outlines how an autistic person acts and why he acts as he does. Also noted are the two stances parents often taken when dealing with a handicapped child. They often become either too involved to the exclusion of their spouse...