roselaina
4.5 stars!
Fun fact: I knew absolutely nothing about this book when I checked it out from the library. I was placing a hold on Loveless by Alice Oseman, and this one popped up in the search results. The cover was absolutely stunning and caught my attention immediately. I clicked over to Goodreads to read a summary but stopped myself when I remembered one of my challenges for 2022 is to read a book I know nothing about.
So I checked it out and proceeded to be positively floored. It was masterfully written, heartbreaking, beautiful, engaging, and honestly one of my favorite reads of the year so far. I could not have lucked out more with my random mystery book!
Over-generalizes, very concerning lack of sources, contradicts itself, and at one point, the author claims autistic people have a “sixth sense” of psychic abilities. I liked the easily readable, conversational style, but overall, I was not impressed. Definitely glad I vetted this before giving it to my partner.
3 stars for the first half, 1 star for the last half. What started as an interesting perspective on the different ways autism/AS can manifest turned into something that was part memoir, part really bad advice. Telling people you think autistic people have psychic abilities is a little wild, but it's your personal opinion, so go ahead. Telling people autism can be cured through diet is ridiculous. Telling people not to take antidepressants because they can just make “wise choices” to end their depression is not only untrue but downright dangerous.I am glad that this was a groundbreaking book in some ways when it was first published, but I would highly recommend reading [b:Women and Girls with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Understanding Life Experiences from Early Childhood to Old Age 25519486 Women and Girls with Autism Spectrum Disorder Understanding Life Experiences from Early Childhood to Old Age Sarah Hendrickx https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1432130425l/25519486.SY75.jpg 54051656] by Sarah Hendrickx instead (or at least first). It isn't without its own flaws, but if nothing else, it gives a much more research-based and well-rounded view of autism in women.
I was 100% ready to put this book down at the end of Part 1. But I kept going because of all the reviews that mentioned the ending.
And now that I have finished, I regret that decision, because things went down hill from there. Unless you enjoy reading sickeningly violent stories with so little social commentary that it renders the shocking horror of the story entirely pointless, skip this one.
This book made me want to bake ALL THE THINGS. Best read with a cinnamon roll close at hand.
Was the plot a bit of a mess? Sure. Should the author have double checked the Mamma Mia soundtrack before mentioning it includes a certain song? Probably. But it was just so fun and delightful (and diverse!), and I loved Aguirre's purposeful way of taking common tropes and turning them around. Four stars!
3.5 stars. This book covers a lot of important topics, but it was a struggle for me to get through. The characters and pacing were inconsistent, and some actions were downright bizarre.
Also, closeted gay people are still valid, thanks.
And for the love of god, someone teach the audiobook narrator how to pronounce Shanghai.
