The Rosie Result

For those of you who have read the other ‘Rosie’ books, the character of Donald Tillman won’t be a surprise. He’s a quirky guy muddling his way through life in a world he doesn’t always understand. But he’s happily married to the girl of his dreams and their son, Hudson is the centre of their world.

This novel follows Hudson through some difficult times as he comes to term with his own differences - which are mirrored with Donald’s own experiences. Whether it’s a misinterpretation of a lecture or questions regarding the demise of an unlucky crow and a scalpel brought to school - the two characters are more similar than they realise.

The novel is a light and funny read, but it does leave us with questions. How much do labels help us through our lives - how do we judge people who are labelled - is it right to label others at all - does it matter if the labels are applied by ourselves?

Therefore this is a light read which is surprisingly thought provoking, and ultimately uplifting. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it to everyone.

The Rosie Result was the perfect conclusion to Don Tillman’s hilarious journey. Now happily married and with a pre-adolescent kid, every common situation becomes a potential catastrophe for Don. I think this book was more focused on self-acceptance and what it means to be and to live with a person on the autism spectrum than the previous books, which was a nice surprise. On the down side, a lot of the situations quickly went from awkward-funny to way over the top, making everything too unrealistic (particularly the last bit at Hudson’s graduation), and a particularly poignant arc (don't want to give away any spoilers) was disappointingly under-explored. All in all, this was quick and funny read, and the whole trilogy is very recommendable in my opinion. 3.5 stars.

I loved, loved, loved this book! I really enjoyed the first two books in the trilogy but liked this one even more. Don, as always, is endearing but seeing the relationship between him and his son, Hudson, develop was simply wonderful. This book had all the familiar characters that we love; it had laugh out loud humour but also dealt with self-discovery, acceptance, belonging and forgiveness. It explores man kind in all its guises but does so with complete and utter charm; I defy anyone not to love this!

The third one of the Rosie series sees Don focussing on helping his son Hudson to fit in at school. He is determined to not have Hudson labelled as autistic . Rosie takes a backseat in this story ,the project is Dons mainly with the help of a cast of characters some of whom will be familiar to readers of the other books Slow to start , possibly because of introducing all the characters and getting back into the mindset of Don .However, once the project was underway it really gripped me. Some laugh out loud moments but also ones that will make you think how we view those who are different to us. The descriptions of the various family dynamics and friendship groups was lovely . I enjoyed this book despite thinking at first that maybe the series had run its course, I was wrong. The story gives more insight into the autistic spectrum of the brain whilst being an entertaining read.

The last of the trilogy but may well be the best. Don Tillman is an extraordinary creation of Graeme Simson and
Don;s relationship with his friends, his wonderful wife Rosie, and best of all, his 11 year old son, Hudson, makes for compelling reading. He may not fit in always to so-called normal society, but he is a great human being and is put here to do good things.

Thank you, Net Galley, for giving me the opportunity to re-acquaint myself with Don and his family - I almost feel he is a friend for life.

Maureen Haltrecht

I had not read the previous novels in this series, which would have helped me to understand the background, I think.
I almost gave up but became anxious to find out how Hudson 'survived', so continued reading. I'm glad I did, as it was a fascinating insight into the minds of two people with Aspergers/Autism. Every part of their lives is affected, particularly the school system for Hudson. I think he dealt with things more competently than most.
Thanks to NetGalley for a rewiew copy of this book.

When I downloaded this book from NetGalley, I vaguely wondered if I had read The Rosie Project, for I’d certainly heard of it. When I started reading, I realized I hadn’t, for I’d have remembered the protagonist. He’s Don, married, to Rosie, father to Hudson, age 11. And although he doesn’t want to claim a label of being on the autism spectrum, from the reader’s point of view he seems to fall outside of what’s considered neurotypical.

I warmed to Don, Rosie and Hudson, and enjoyed the different outlook Don affords - such as when he meets someone new, noting their approximate BMI. Or his approach to problem solving, whether applied to finding himself in a tricky situation at work or in how to avoid his son experiencing some of the challenges he endured when growing up.

A story of family life that differs from my own but one I could relate to, for parents want their children to thrive and find their way in life. Ultimately heartwarming, although I wouldn’t have minded if the novel was slightly shorter, for at times it felt tedious.

I fell a little bit in love with Don when I read the Rosie project and my love has not diminished over time!
This, the third in the series, is as funny, witty, observational, close to the bone and honest as the previous two books.

The ongoing examples of Don getting it not quite right in many things he attempts or gets involved in are both funny and though provoking. It was extremely interesting to read the developing relationship between Don and Hudson and the explanations Don finds and uses to explain behavioural differences between Hudson and his peers.
The overriding message of the book (were there even to be one intended) seems to me to be that whether you are "neurotypical" or "neurodivergent" you have a place in society and that place should allow you to be you without needing to conform to anyone else's standards (within the law of course!).

A thoroughly enjoyable trilogy that I have recommended to many friends and family and will continue to do so.

I'd hoped there would be a sequel to 'The Rosie Effect' to see how Don copes with fatherhood, and lo and behold, here it is - "The Rosie Result". Don and Rosie are still going strong, and their son Hudson is growing fast. Having seemingly inherited some of his father's quirkier behaviours, school life isn't going too smoothly - where fitting in seems to be best path, both Hudson and Don have always walked the path less followed.
As Hudson starts getting bullied, he starts a plan to make himself more socially acceptable, just as his parents start thinking that he should get tested for autism. Oh and his parents are opening a cocktail bar because Don lost his job as a lecturer after an unfortunate incident in a lecture that turned him into an infamous online viral sensation.
What follows is everything you'd want from a Don Tillman tale - social awkwardness, analytical thinking par excellence and a great big warm heart. There are laughs, there are tears, there is weirdness and borderline normality. There are also possibly too many side stories - the domestic violence thread in particular ends up being somewhat unresolved once it reaches its Don-related denouement. But this is a small gripe, in another fun installment in the world of Don Tillman. More please!

This is the final book in the trilogy, if you haven't read the first two books guys please do so you have to get to know the characters back stories. So here we are, Don and Rosie are living in Australia with Hudson their ten year old son. Don is still doing things in his unique way and Hudson is quite like his father in some of his approaches, mannerisms and behaviours. The school is pushing to deal with it in their way and Don is in trouble for a very controversial approach to his teaching methods, he may well lose his job. Trying to keep on top of the chaos in his unique way we have come to love Don is not just fighting for himself but for some of the same issues he has battled his own life his son is now facing.

I do love Don's character and seeing his boy going through the same challenges Don did, whilst this book still has flashes of the humour from the previous two is also has a serious theme. Autism, Aspergers and the labels society puts on people and the implications having such labels can have and impact of different areas of a persons life. Societal expectations of behaviour, pressures on individuals who are "different" and ways of treating them. It is a book that certainly makes you think, it gives you the "unique adult" and "unique child" both with society slapping labels on and what those labels can mean.

When I first met Don in book one I just thought Sheldon Cooper (The Big Bang Theory) as an adult, some people have loved and hated both portrayals but it certainly gets some highlight on Aspergers/Autism/spectrum's and I think that can only be a good thing. Education, a glimpse into what life can be like and a chance for those who know/live it to correct, educate, question assumptions and or ideas, preconceived prejudices, stereotypes.

I don't know if it was the author's vision to take the book down that road or to create a quirky character that developed into tackling how society see's individuals who are "different". How important it is to label or how quick folk are to do so, I think the author brings the trilogy to a fab conclusion and one thing to take from these books is a person is a person, not a label, not a diagnosis, 4/5 for me this time. I will miss Don and his antics, his family but will keep the message the book, particularly the last one brought home!

For me an unquestionable 5 stars!
I loved The Rosie Project and The Rosie Effect, but if anything this was the best of all - probably because of the additional enchanting relationship between Don and his 11 year old son Hudson, who may or may not be autistic. It gives nothing away to say that, in Don’s attempts to help his son navigate the world and ‘fit in’, he builds on the growing foundations of his own self awareness. The ever-supportive Rosie continues to be the most understanding and loving wife and mother, and what a pleasure it is to read a novel so full of love and respect, especially between such apparently disparate protagonists.
I was so fortunate to be reading this book on holiday where I could give it all the attention and concentration it deserved. And I am so sad that this is the last of the trilogy - I am going to miss Don, Rosie and Hudson. Highly recommended.

My Thanks to NetGalley and publishers Michael Joseph for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review. I requested this, having thoroughly enjoyed Graeme Simpson’s two previous books about the autistic academic Don Tillman, The Rosie Project and The Rosie Effect. This time we are shown Don Tillman coping with the upbringing of his eleven-year-old son, Hudson, in his own inevitable way. But Hudson is also displaying not only high intelligence but equally autistic traits. The manoeuvres and deals entered into by his parents are well thought out, often with a humorous side.

In the previous two books, the autism exhibited by Don was thought-provoking, interesting and sometimes funny. Now we have the adult version of the condition again, but also that of an eleven-year-old. The humour is still there but the rest is a bit heavy going. There’s just too much of it. The parents are naturally worried about their son and how to act in his best interests. The father understandably is keen to avoid the mistakes in his own upbringing. But I was beginning to find it a bit tedious. Whilst the initial concept of seeing how a high functioning aspersers personality would cope with bringing up his young son, also exhibiting similar traits, may seem intriguing, in reality, in terms of producing an entertaining, highly readable book, for me, it hasn’t worked. Although this is cleverly thought out, perhaps it’s time to let Don Tillman get on with his life without the need to report back to us.

Full review will be posted on my blog on 28th March but can be moved upon request.

This would be a great finale to the series. At first I wondered whether giving Hudson similar traits to Don was the best way to show him challenged as a father compared to if he had a neurotypical child but I liked seeing the development of his character as he contemplated the best way to teach Hudson how to fit in, relying on his own childhood experience.

I enjoyed watching them grow closer as father & son and challenge each other, allowing Rosie to focus more on her career. I also enjoyed seeing the difference between how Hudson reacted with different teachers and how the headteacher had to challenge her own assumptions. This was particularly interesting for me to read as a Primary Teacher myself.

Overall, this was my favourite of the 3 Rosie Project books.

A really good end to the series. I have really enjoyed this trilogy. Don, Rosie and Hudson are interesting and intriguing characters and it has been a pleasure to read about them.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I was an early adopter with The Rosie Project, Simsion’s first book, back in 2013: loved it, wrote about it, recommended it, gave it as a gift. (Full disclosure: after reading this, the 3rd entry in the series, I had to go back and read it again). It told the story of the wholly endearing Don, an academic with very little understanding of the world around him, and his search for a wife who will improve his life. Thank GOODNESS, and to the surprise of no-one, he found (SPOILER ALERT) Rosie, his ‘unsuitable’ friend who had shared his adventures. In the next book, The Rosie Effect, they move to New York and consider having a child.

Book 3 is a SPOILER, because their son Hudson is now 13, and having a few problems in life. The Rosie Result is the story of how his parents try to cope with that – it is, of course, hilariously funny, but it is also very serious on the subject of how we raise children and how we decide who is different, and from what. Simsion is a man, I would suspect, with strong views on that – but the book is remarkably un-judgemental and even-handed.

It has resemblances with one of my other favourite books of recent times, the magnificent Standard Deviation by Katherine Heiny.

It made me laugh out many times. This is Don on literature:
One of my teachers had presented Rudyard Kipling’s poem ‘If’ as a specification for manhood, with its claim that a fully configured male should be willing not only to gamble but to wager his entire pile of winnings on a single event with a 50% probability of success. Then and now, Kipling seemed to be describing a personality fault that would warrant professional intervention.
Don on the difficulties of life:
Most people found dissection unpleasant, yet it was important to be able to perform unpleasant tasks. Changing nappies, cleaning up vomit and hugging relatives were LIFE SKILLS.
If you found those funny, you will find a lot more in this book to make you laugh. But start with The Rosie Project to get the full force. As must be obvious, I loved this book, and found it immensely entertaining as well as thought-provoking on the subject of children.

Re: wedding anniversary themes. According to the lists, the sixth anniversary is sugar. A friend gave us a card, and said he had chosen it to fit. We searched and searched for the evidence – it was a beautiful art card, but with no sign of sugar or anything sweet in it. Eventually we gave up and asked him the secret. The card was from the Tate Museum in London, which was founded with money from the wealthy Mr Tate. And he had made his money from sugar, via the very famous English brand of Tate and Lyle (a name that really does mean sugar to Brits). I think Don would have been proud of him.

Very colourful pair of running shoes are by Balenciaga, and cost £600+. I don’t think for a moment that Don would have bought these shoes for Rosie, because why would that fashion name know anything about running? But I liked the look of them.

More likely is perhaps Pair 2, which are by Nike, are for running marathons, and cost around £200.

When the first Rosie book came out, back in 2013, I had trouble finding a picture of a jacket quite expensive enough for Don…

This is the fifth of Simsion’s books to feature on the blog: you can find the others by clicking here or on the label below.

It’s been 13 years, four months and three days since fact-focused routine-loving Professor Don Tillman embarked on The Rosie Project and fell in love. Now he's older, wiser and hoping to impart that wisdom to his young son Hudson - who at eleven is showing traits similar to his father, causing Don to face up to the big underlying question of the trilogy. Does Don have autism, and if so - does it really matter?

Graeme Simsion tackles some huge issues in this story - anti-vaxxers, feminism, woke politics and of course autism - but so deftly and lightly that you never feel lectured. I would have liked to see more of Rosie in this one, but Don is so adorable and his friends and family so appealing that the book was a joy to read.

It's been a few years since I read The Rosie Project and The Rosie Effect but as soon as I picked The Rosie Result, I felt right at home, surrounded by old friends. I really enjoyed the previous two books and this one is the perfect ending to a highly entertaining, fun and touching series.

The Rosie Result takes place several years after the last book, and Don and Rosie's son, Hudson, is eleven. At the beginning of the book, they decide to move back to Australia from New York. The main reason is Rosie's new and important new job. But after a few months in Melbourne, nothing is working out as they had planned, so Don needs to take action, can he actually find one solution for all their problems?

I always enjoy reading about Don and how he analyzes his problems to the last detail and tries to find the most logical solution. He shows once again, what a big heart he has and I loved discovering his dad side in this story. He has evolved incredibly as a character since we first met him and I am pretty fond of him and everything he has achieved. Actually, the same goes for Rosie, as she has been a key character in this series. I love how they interact with each other, how they stand together when facing problems, and what a strong and clever woman she is.

Their son Hudson plays a big role in the book too and I had a great time getting to know him. He really taught Don, Rosie and all of us a few lessons. The story handles complex issues about autism, like what it means to be "labelled" as autistic, how others react to this, and it includes several characters with different views and opinions about this, which I found very interesting. It also touches on other serious issues like the challenges of working mothers and the anti-doctors and anti-vaccination views. A lot of food for thought and a lot to learn.

The Rosie Result is a joy to read, funny, life-affirming and inspiring. I am going to miss Don Tillman, his family and his friends.

Brilliant. Don and Rosie are trying to cope with problems in their work, at the same time trying to help their son find his way in life to become more socially acceptable. Don is determined to help Hudson overcome the problems he,himself, encountered as a child and adolescent, so sets about trying to teach him life skills with hilarious and unexpected results. A really good insight into autism and how families have to cope with its consequences in school and home life.

The last book in the Rosie series and I feel like this book has wrapped it up perfectly.

The Rosie Result is ten years on from book two, Rosie and Don are now back in Australia with their ten year old son Hudson and theres a lot going on. Don has five initial problems to solve which he goes about in his usual logical way.

I felt like this book tackled quite a big issue on labeling autism / asperger's and it certainly made me think, in fact it rewired my neuro typical mindset on the subject completely.

So that's that then, the journey with Don and Rosie is officially over, two people who taught me a lot and who wont be forgotten.

2019 for me is to attempt to finish some series I have already started, with 22 on the go I am pleased to say I can now strike a series off my list!

If you enjoyed The Rosie Project and The Rosie Effect, you will love this book. It continues the story of Don, Rosie and Hudson. I really enjoyed reading the ongoing highs and lows of Don's life. Plenty of humour alongside a few sadder episodes. Lots of characters from the earlier books return in this story.
Enjoy 🍸