HE COULD BE ANOTHER BILL GATES

A novel explores relationships, romance, and autism spectrum disorders.

On the first day of school at San Francisco’s George Takei High, sophomore Jack Kagen, diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, and his almost 40-year-old divorced mom, Anna, both meet their future loves. Despite Jack’s communication difficulties, he pursues his classmate Ashleigh Allen, who takes him on as a well-intentioned project. Anna has her hands full; as she puts it, “I had a job, two kids, no husband.” While strongly attracted to Jason Armstrong, a police officer, she must also defend herself against ex-husband and District Attorney Alex’s barbed comments and plots to ensure the success of their 5-year-old precocious daughter, Marissa. Jason finds his way into Anna’s heart but so does his teenage son, Trevor, who is also on the autism spectrum. They seem destined to become a family until ex-spouses cause trouble and Anna fears her children won’t be safe unless Jason and Trevor leave their lives. Meanwhile, Jack discovers Ashleigh’s secret and calls on all his abilities and courage to pursue her before she departs. Levin’s (There’s More Than One Way Home, 2017, etc.) tale employs multiple points of view: Jack’s, Anna’s, Ashleigh’s, and Marissa’s. Only Anna’s is first person, guiding the reader to align most closely with her. Her sections have the sexy, romantic vibe that will likely appeal to adult readers: “His shirt was tight across his broad chest,” she notes during her first encounter with Jason. Later, during a time apart, she laments: “I ached to feel the cotton of his uniform sleeves sliding against my skin.” Jack’s teenage point of view is striking for the glimpse it provides into Asperger’s. Words elude Jack, but he persists: “ ‘It’s something like…something like….’ The words were dangling up high in his brain.” Ashleigh’s and Marissa’s points of view are intriguing but divert readers from Anna’s and Jack’s compelling sections.

Too many voices fragment the main story arc of this complex and insightful rendering of contemporary love and family.