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melbsreads's review
challenging
fast-paced
2.5
Trigger warnings: Autism Speaks, bullying.
Oof. This is fiction but barely. Peete has twins - a neurotypical girl and an autistic boy. The protagonists are twins - a neurotypical girl and an autistic boy. Charlie's chapter were interesting but also unsettling?? And I think in a lot of ways his chapters (and the book in general) are indicative of how much society has changed in regards to understanding and acceptance of autism since the book was published.
So Charlie's entire existence seems to be about...how to "normalise" his autism. Don't wear the headphones that make you comfortable. Don't pull your hood up. Don't eat gluten. Don't tell people you're autistic, that turns your whole life into your diagnosis. Tell people you HAVE autism, that means it's just a diagnosis. Follow the rules. Be interested in sport like the other kids. Go on a vacation that will be seriously traumatic for you. Etc.
Callie's entire existence seems to be split between being Charlie's second parent - she's the one to inform his teacher that he's autistic and how to manage him behaviour - and loathing Charlie's existence because it makes her life difficult. Like, I get that they're teenagers, and that teenagers are often horrible people. But given how closely this appears to be based on the Peetes' actual lives, I..........have concerns.
There was, however, a great section in the author's note at the end where Peete discusses her concerns for her autistic son as a Black man who loves wearing hoodies. I just wish that had somehow been woven into the story or that this had been a nonfiction book written by the kids with input from their mother. Instead, I was left with a somewhat icky feeling and I wasn't surprised in the slightest to see Autism Speaks near the top of the list of resources at the end of the book.
Oof. This is fiction but barely. Peete has twins - a neurotypical girl and an autistic boy. The protagonists are twins - a neurotypical girl and an autistic boy. Charlie's chapter were interesting but also unsettling?? And I think in a lot of ways his chapters (and the book in general) are indicative of how much society has changed in regards to understanding and acceptance of autism since the book was published.
So Charlie's entire existence seems to be about...how to "normalise" his autism. Don't wear the headphones that make you comfortable. Don't pull your hood up. Don't eat gluten. Don't tell people you're autistic, that turns your whole life into your diagnosis. Tell people you HAVE autism, that means it's just a diagnosis. Follow the rules. Be interested in sport like the other kids. Go on a vacation that will be seriously traumatic for you. Etc.
Callie's entire existence seems to be split between being Charlie's second parent - she's the one to inform his teacher that he's autistic and how to manage him behaviour - and loathing Charlie's existence because it makes her life difficult. Like, I get that they're teenagers, and that teenagers are often horrible people. But given how closely this appears to be based on the Peetes' actual lives, I..........have concerns.
There was, however, a great section in the author's note at the end where Peete discusses her concerns for her autistic son as a Black man who loves wearing hoodies. I just wish that had somehow been woven into the story or that this had been a nonfiction book written by the kids with input from their mother. Instead, I was left with a somewhat icky feeling and I wasn't surprised in the slightest to see Autism Speaks near the top of the list of resources at the end of the book.
lailalostinpages's review against another edition
2.0
Disappointed. This wasn't educational at all tbh, it's just a couple of mean kids and a bitchy teenager sister.
melissarstone's review against another edition
5.0
It's one of my many job perks as a librarian that I get to order materials for the library's permanent collection. This book popped up in one of the more recent catalogs and I couldn't resist. It showed up two months ago and I immediately checked it out. It took me an hour to read, roughly. The book itself is narrated by a set of twins. The boy is Autistic while his sister isn't and the short stories inside go back and forth from their points of view. I laughed, I cried, I enjoyed it very much. The boy is more severe on the spectrum than my son, but so much of what he experiences is all too familiar. I recommend this book to anyone who knows someone on the spectrum or is just plain curious as to what life is like in my house.
pretty_little_bibliophile's review
4.0
the feelings portrayed just got to me. The teenage frustration and angst have been portrayed so well.
What I understand is this: if you have a family member who is autistic, he is still your family member. It is perhaps normal and comparatively easy to write about how much you love them.
But opening up about the bad days, the days when you are angry at yourself and at each other - that is something that not everybody can do. Undoubtedly it puts you in a very vulnerable position and not everyone is ready to do that.
But I appreciate the honesty that laced these fictional albeit inspired by real people. I rated it 3.75 stars.
What I understand is this: if you have a family member who is autistic, he is still your family member. It is perhaps normal and comparatively easy to write about how much you love them.
But opening up about the bad days, the days when you are angry at yourself and at each other - that is something that not everybody can do. Undoubtedly it puts you in a very vulnerable position and not everyone is ready to do that.
But I appreciate the honesty that laced these fictional albeit inspired by real people. I rated it 3.75 stars.
librarykate's review
4.0
I really appreciated this book's take on Autism. I've never read a discussion of autism from those who are experiencing it. It was raw and candid. I enjoyed it very much, and would recommend it to someone who wants to glimpse life through the eyes of another.
lonesomelovee's review
3.0
this book? mehhhh. i looooove the idea (as with most books) but most of the book was Callie complaining about her brother and it was so annoying. but I have to say that the letter in the beginning was touching and that’s really what kept me going through the book.