Four red cars in a row means it’s a Good Day. Five red cars in a row means it’s a Super Good Day. So goes the thinking of Christopher Boone.

Whip smart, observant, and Sherlock-Holmes obsessed teen, Christopher Boone, must solve a classic crime of who-dunnit when his neighbor’s dog is killed in the night. Despite his father’s protests, he’s determined to get to the bottom of this mystery. Even if it means venturing out of his frightfully small comfort zone.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime promises more than it can deliver. The premise is interesting with a clear narrative and fresh, thought-out observations that stay true to the story’s voice. However, too many unnecessary descriptions and random trivia make the pacing seem drawn out and tedious rather than clever. Despite the writer’s attempt to explain Christopher’s unique behavior (due to his autism), he never breaks beneath the surface, and Christopher’s classmates are nothing but freakish fill-ins. Even the honest, flawed father-son dynamic is not enough to save this book.