The Way Things Look to Me

Farooki's moving third novel (after Corner Shop) is told from the perspective of London-born siblings still coping with the death of their unmarried mother after five years. At 23, Asif Murphy has become the reluctant head of the family that includes brooding Lila, a year younger, and 19-year-old Yasmin, whose Asperger's requires Asif to enforce a strict schedule. Asif, however, shares Lila's complicated feelings for this girl who so monopolized their mother's affection and time, resulting in "a childhood of uneven treatment without the satisfaction of actual neglect." The two turn apoplectic after learning that Yasmin will be featured in a TV show about living with autism, but are both too busy to notice when their sister's perspective begins to change. Told in first-person sections, these chapters form the basis for Yasmin's show, point to Farooki's title, and reveal the book's somewhat faulty heart. Basing a novel around an autistic child is less than inspired, but Farooki rises above the cliché to deftly depict how family can encapsulate strife while also being a form of salvation. (Apr.)