'Free Marcus Katz' by Howard Marc Chesley is not my normal type of read but the intriguing format caught my eye - oh I am so glad I took a chance! This book is equal parts adorable, hilarious and poignant, cleverly written exclusively as Yelp reviews by the eponymous Marcus Katz (but unfortunately fictional!).

We meet Marcus as he begins his journey as a Yelper, seeking elite Yelp status as he writes long (and oversharing) reviews. Through the reviews, we get to know about the inner-workings of Marcus' life and learn about him being on the autistic spectrum. Due to this, after his mother dies, Marcus is put under the care of an exploitative conservatorship. Not only are the reviews and Marcus' experiences complete heartwarming, but Chesley shines a light on this legal practice which is horrific to read about.

Overall, this is a cleverly structured book. You would have to be cold of heart to not fall for Marcus and care deeply about his health and happiness - I certainly did! 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this. It made me barrel over with laughter. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and John Hunt Publishing for an e-ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. I SAW that this said fiction, but somehow in my mind, it consisted of genuine Yelp reviews by an individual. So much so, I spent an hour looking for his father's obituary online. So kudos to the author for creating a concept and character that felt so genuine. As Marcus Katz, a man on the spectrum, goes through the trials of being accepted for who he is, recognizing that there are aspects of his condition that could make that difficult, reading his funny and touching reviews. This book also had a subplot regarding conservatorship, which is so true and pissed me off that this kind of stuff happens. Loved this book.

I absolutely loved Free Marcus Katz. The structure--a story told through Yelp reviews--was unique without being gimmicky, and Marcus felt like an authentic autistic character, without falling into stereotypes. I also appreciated that this novel had multiple autistic characters who had their own distinct personalities and challenges. The story was obviously very topical, and demonstrated the seriousness of Marcus's conservatorship issues while still maintaining an exciting, adventure novel feel. A great read!