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tashtash93's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Forced institutionalization and Toxic friendship
sleepyshelves's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I still have so many feelings, and the longer I sit with them the more intimidating writing a review becomes.
Addie is autistic; she loves sharks (did you know they can sense electricity????) and she loves words (she carries a pocket thesaurus her sister gave her with her everywhere). She really just loves to learn. When her class starts learning about witches, she can’t help that she needs to know everything she can – these women who were killed for being different resonate with her in a way that no one in her class seems to understand, including her teacher. She immediately begins to lobby for a memorial for the women she’s come to relate with. But her town won’t take her seriously, in fact, they seem to blame her “poor behavior” on her sister.
An earnest examination of the treatment of autistic children, A Kind of Spark doesn’t shy away from the way adults and kids alike bully their autistic peers. What starts as a simple, honest plea for recognition turns into a fight against the greater population of her small town, and McNicoll’s dedicated, compassionate voice fills each page, uplifting Addie and Keedie with a transparency that comes from personal connections. I can’t find the correct words to articulate the impact of such a straightforward story.
Not generally a huge fan of contemporary work, I was floored by how compulsively I was reading McNicoll’s debut. I’m now confronted with the obstacle of the prequel (Keedie, Addie’s older sister, is also autistic and has her own story coming out) being released in the UK and not in the US. Reading this book has had profound reverberations through my personal life in the past few weeks since.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Ableism
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Violence, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Medical trauma
ns44's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I love this book , it's so beautiful and I still cry every time I read it . I don't think it's my favourite Elle Mcnicoll book but it was my first and it's very special to me .
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism and Bullying
Moderate: Forced institutionalization
Minor: Toxic friendship
queenoffirestone's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I've read this and also seen the show (which you can stream for free without an account on byu TV by the way) and as usual the book is better. Shows can't get nearly as in depth as books can. Especially with an autistic main character who is masking hard and whose words and appearance do not usually match her thoughts and feelings. Also the show didn't have Bonnie.
Bonnie's story was very painful to read for me. She wasn't involved in the present timeline, we never actually meet her, but she's Keedie's friend who was institutionalized. She's an inspiration for a lot of Addie's fear and indignance about the witches. I'm autistic too and I've spent about a year in residential treatment and the psych hospital- 7 months, 3 months at a time. I've had an ambulance called on me for having a meltdown in public. I can't speak. Addie's fears are real, Bonnie is proof, and Bonnie is me.
Addie is a cute but formidable young student and I'm wary of discussing good/bad autism representation because the lower support needs autistic community usually dismisses people on a different part of the spectrum when praising characters like them for being good representation but Addie is both like them and good representation.
This story has good messages about standing up for yourself, enforcing boundaries, and how to handle situations. It does get dark but in a way that I think only stands out to people who already understand that darkness so I think this is a great book for adults and any struggling preteen neurodivergent people you might know alike. I can almost guarantee you they already know about anxiety and trying to fit in.
Addie is a cute but formidable young student and I'm wary of discussing good/bad autism representation because the lower support needs autistic community usually dismisses people on a different part of the spectrum when praising characters like them for being good representation but Addie is both like them and good representation.
This story has good messages about standing up for yourself, enforcing boundaries, and how to handle situations. It does get dark but in a way that I think only stands out to people who already understand that darkness so I think this is a great book for adults and any struggling preteen neurodivergent people you might know alike. I can almost guarantee you they already know about anxiety and trying to fit in.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Ableism
Moderate: Forced institutionalization and Toxic friendship
Minor: Torture and Panic attacks/disorders
penofpossibilities's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Cried a couple of times. Its the first kids book ive read with such explicit autistic rep. I felt very jealous at the mc for having so many words to explain her autism to others. I could relate alot to her experiences but not the way she could express herself and stand up for herself. I did not have those words as a kid. Im glad some kids do and that this book could be meaningful for them. I did not like the whiteness of the autism rep though, it talked about how its more difficult for high support needs autistics but not about intersectionality of ableism and racism and that was a pity. There was not enough intersectionality in the advocacy of this book in general and I also did not like the language policing; two times the mc says that autism is not something you have but autistic is something you are and the mc says it like that is a fact. But not all autistics feel that way so it felt a bit exclusive :/ also at the end the mc says everyone in the town is good now bcs they recognised one wrong thing in history but that is very simplified and again I feel like thats such a white perspective that largely ignores how dangerous it still is to be poc and autistic or having intersecting disabilities etc. I still rate it 4 stars despite these issues bcs its a really special book and I wish I had it as a child. It made me feel closer to my self and it made me feel validated.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, and Ableism
Moderate: Confinement, Forced institutionalization, and Torture
Minor: Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, Genocide, Physical abuse, and Violence
Meltodowns, shutdown, harmful stimming, ableist slurs, unjust school system & teacher bullyjanneke2302's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
I love this book so much. I don't think I'll ever be able to put into words just how much I love it. This is the book I needed as a child. This is the book I want all little autistic girls to have. Reading about Addie was amazing and heartbreaking in a good way. I have never before felt so well seen and represented in anything before. I have known since my diagnosis that theoretically I am not alone with how I experience things and how I feel. I have never had this kind of prove that it is normal. That it is just the way mine and many other people's brains work.
This is a cute story about a girl finding out her town used to have witch hunts and trying her best to get her town to acknowledge that and put up a memorial for them. It's a fun story that I would recommend to kids based purely on that. It is also so much more than that though. Reading Addie's story teaches you so many important things. Wether you're neurodivergent and it shows you that you're not alone and are okay the way you are, or you're neurotypical and it shows you how differently we experience the world from you and the difficulties that come with that. I hope and believe that this book will teach everyone to be more compassionate towards themselves and others.
This is a cute story about a girl finding out her town used to have witch hunts and trying her best to get her town to acknowledge that and put up a memorial for them. It's a fun story that I would recommend to kids based purely on that. It is also so much more than that though. Reading Addie's story teaches you so many important things. Wether you're neurodivergent and it shows you that you're not alone and are okay the way you are, or you're neurotypical and it shows you how differently we experience the world from you and the difficulties that come with that. I hope and believe that this book will teach everyone to be more compassionate towards themselves and others.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism and Bullying
Minor: Racism, Self harm, Forced institutionalization, Toxic friendship, and Xenophobia
musingsofazebra's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying and Ableism
Minor: Murder, Gaslighting, Sexism, Death, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Misogyny, and Mental illness
bookswithlauren's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Beautiful. I loved this book and really related to this book as well.
We follow Addie who is a kind hearted, passionate, eleven year old autistic girl who loves sharks and reading. In school, Addie starts learning about the witch trials that occurred in her town and she is eager to learn everything she can about them but to show her town how wrong the actions of their past were.
'A Kind of Spark' is quite hard hitting as it explores bullying but also how wrongly treated people are for simply being different. One thing that really hit me is when Addie realises she would have been accused of being a witch if she lived during that time period because of her Autism. It is heartbreaking but also unfortunately true. I do not have Autism but I have Epilepsy and would also have been in the same situation as Addie and the entire book really resonates with me.
Everyone in this world is different and it is a wonderful thing but Elle McNicoll really explores how those differences can be viewed, in the past and during the present day. There are many countries and beliefs that would deem my Epilepsy a curse or the work of the devil. There are many countries and beliefs who do not understand different conditions, genders, sexualities and much more and 'A Kind of Spark' really makes you think about that harsh and heartbreaking reality.
We follow Addie who is a kind hearted, passionate, eleven year old autistic girl who loves sharks and reading. In school, Addie starts learning about the witch trials that occurred in her town and she is eager to learn everything she can about them but to show her town how wrong the actions of their past were.
'A Kind of Spark' is quite hard hitting as it explores bullying but also how wrongly treated people are for simply being different. One thing that really hit me is when Addie realises she would have been accused of being a witch if she lived during that time period because of her Autism. It is heartbreaking but also unfortunately true. I do not have Autism but I have Epilepsy and would also have been in the same situation as Addie and the entire book really resonates with me.
Everyone in this world is different and it is a wonderful thing but Elle McNicoll really explores how those differences can be viewed, in the past and during the present day. There are many countries and beliefs that would deem my Epilepsy a curse or the work of the devil. There are many countries and beliefs who do not understand different conditions, genders, sexualities and much more and 'A Kind of Spark' really makes you think about that harsh and heartbreaking reality.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Child abuse, and Toxic friendship
hayley_mariep's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Ableism, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, Murder, Death, Violence, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
someonelikeblue's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Ableism, Bullying, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Murder, Gaslighting, Violence, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Physical abuse and Toxic friendship