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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
informative
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism
Minor: Bullying, Suicide, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis
I finally feel seen
This book opened a door I didn't even realize was closed. I attributed my hatred of public spaces, my dislike of large crowds, and my instinct to stay home as much as possible to my introverted nature. The chart provided of autistic symptoms literally choked me up. I've added books and websites to my repertoire and have every intention of getting diagnosed. I already have a bipolar diagnosis, but even that doesn't seem to fit all the way. Forever grateful that this book was recommended to me.
This book opened a door I didn't even realize was closed. I attributed my hatred of public spaces, my dislike of large crowds, and my instinct to stay home as much as possible to my introverted nature. The chart provided of autistic symptoms literally choked me up. I've added books and websites to my repertoire and have every intention of getting diagnosed. I already have a bipolar diagnosis, but even that doesn't seem to fit all the way. Forever grateful that this book was recommended to me.
informative
slow-paced
i only read the first half of this book idk if ill finish it cause the rest doesnt rlly interest me tbh. looking back i dont think the book dives into enough nuances n some of the info felt pretty surface level but it did help me start thinking abt my own experiences in relation to neurodivergency that i hadnt thought abt before. while there were some pts that i did relate to, some of the pts just felt like she was only thjnking abt cis women. she kind of just lumps in every person that doesnt identify as a cis man together n neglects differentiating their experiences. maybe i expected too much from this book but ig if u just want general knowledge and some neurodivergent womens personal experiences its not that bad of a read and was an eye opener as someone who hadnt rlly thought abt the possibility of neurodivergency being the cause of personal traits and experiences.
informative
medium-paced
informative
slow-paced
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
informative
reflective
Feeling seen. Well researched, well communicated, well executed to provide historical and systemic context to the everyday experiences of neurodivergent people.
informative
medium-paced
Did I like it? No
Do I recommend it? No
Do I recommend it? No
Positives
I think the author thoroughly understands the concept of neurodiversity and I did enjoy the exploration of psychiatry history and her critiques of the DSM. (However, I probably could have gotten those things more in depth in another book.)
Negatives
I picked up this nonfiction book expecting a well-organized description of the power structures and day-to-day obstacles that neurodivergent people face. I thought it would also describe methods of dismantling or circumnavigating these systematic and personal obstacles. Instead, I got a scramble of memoir, self-help, history, and brief interviews. It felt like the author was figuring out and exploring her own diagnosis, including conversations with field experts, and then turned it into a book.
In terms of nonfiction writing, the author rarely defines any terms that she uses. This includes medical terms and vernacular words (like “giftedness”) where I needed more context to understand the specifics of what she was saying.
Additionally, for writing this book so recently, the author majorly neglects to address how intersecting identities of class, race, and gender impact neurodiverse folks’ experiences of systematic and personal obstacles. She tosses in a mention in the introduction about how she uses “female” expansively to describe women, nonbinary people, and transwomen but never follows up on any gender stuff. It really felt like she just included that so people wouldn’t call her gender essentialist.
I became especially cynical when she basically wrote that if neurodiverse people were in charge of making sensory-safe cities, maybe everyone would chill out and it would be the end of war. This just felt like a wild assertion and it made me question the science underlying her journalism.
In terms of nonfiction writing, the author rarely defines any terms that she uses. This includes medical terms and vernacular words (like “giftedness”) where I needed more context to understand the specifics of what she was saying.
Additionally, for writing this book so recently, the author majorly neglects to address how intersecting identities of class, race, and gender impact neurodiverse folks’ experiences of systematic and personal obstacles. She tosses in a mention in the introduction about how she uses “female” expansively to describe women, nonbinary people, and transwomen but never follows up on any gender stuff. It really felt like she just included that so people wouldn’t call her gender essentialist.
I became especially cynical when she basically wrote that if neurodiverse people were in charge of making sensory-safe cities, maybe everyone would chill out and it would be the end of war. This just felt like a wild assertion and it made me question the science underlying her journalism.
informative
reflective
medium-paced