The Truth as Told By Mason Buttle by Leslie Connor

Mason Buttle's family, what's left of them, are still reeling from the "bing, bam, boom" the death of a father, a mother, and a friend all in the same year.  Mason also struggles with sever dyslexia and a disorder that makes him sweat profusely.  That and his living conditions in the "cumbledown" house make him the butt of relentless bullying from the kids on his bus.  Mason gets by with the help of a compassionate resource room teacher, and when he finds a friend in little Calvin Chumpsky, things seem to be looking up.  But Lieutenant Baird keeps hounding Mason for more details surrounding the death of his friend, and Mason just can't seem to move past the clouds of green sadness that swirl around him and the whole town.

That plot summary makes it sound like this book is a real downer.  It does deal with some heavy issues, but the overall feeling of the book is one of hope rather than despair.  Mason has such and open, resilient, and likable personality that the reader can't help but feel like things will come around right in the end.  I really liked this book.  It might be my favorite I have read this year.  Part of that is because the reader on the audiobook, Andrew Eiden, did an amazing job of recreating Mason, Calvin and the whole cast of characters.  (326 p. 2018)