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emtees's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I’ve been reading a lot of books with autistic protagonists lately, a disproportionate number of them middle grade because that’s where the representation tends to be. A lot of them are very good, blending solid stories and good characterization with teaching their young target audiences about autism. So I expected A Kind of Spark to be along those lines. But while it followed the basic plot I’ve come to expect - autistic kid struggles with people around her not understanding her before finding a place within her community - there were a few things that made this book stand out.
First, Addie is a great protagonist. Something about the way her POV was written touched me more than most protagonists in MG books do. She had a combination of a lot of self-awareness, especially when it came to the way her autism led her to be perceived by both adults and other children, with a lot of raw emotion. The book talks about Addie’s difficulty with regulating her emotions and handling meltdowns, but more than most books it conveyed the emotional experience Addie was going through when she was overwhelmed. It wasn’t just talking about triggers or symptoms of autism; the author conveyed how deeply Addie feels things, how strong her empathy is for those she relates to, and how hard it is for her to pretend that she is as detached as the people around her appear to be. Addie is a strong argument against the perception of autistic people as emotionless or lacking in empathy. The amount of bullying and aggression she experienced from both kids and adults who refused to believe that her emotions were real was infuriating.
Secondly there is the witch storyline. The main plot involves Addie discovering that the village she lives in was once the site of witch burnings and becoming determined to see the local community put up a memorial to the women who died. Addie’s passion for the witches was a great way in to exploring her character. Addie wasn’t just obsessed with the witches because they were a research topic that had caught her attention, though the book did show how hyperfocused she became on subjects that interested her. But to Addie, the witches were women like her - misunderstood, judged, and punished for not fitting in - and she couldn’t accept that they would be forgotten or dismissed.
Finally, I really loved that Addie wasn’t the only autistic character in the book. Her older sister, Keedie, is also autistic. Though autism frequently runs in families, I can only think of one other book that I’ve read featuring autistic siblings. The relationship between Addie and Keedie was really beautiful, the kind of relationship you get when you have two people who understand each other deeply but aren’t understood by anyone else around them. I loved the bond between the sisters, the little things they shared that showed how they viewed the world the same way. But at the same time, they were still a typical sibling relationship. Keedie is older, and that meant that there were things about her own struggles and experiences that she tried to hide from Addie to protect her, things Addie didn’t remember or understand. I also liked the relationship both sisters had with Keedie’s neurotypical twin, Nina. Nina doesn’t share Keedie and Addie’s experiences and can’t always understand their struggles, but there are also ways in which she does understand and support them. My favorite scene was one where Nina and Keedie team up against a teacher who was bullying Addie.
First, Addie is a great protagonist. Something about the way her POV was written touched me more than most protagonists in MG books do. She had a combination of a lot of self-awareness, especially when it came to the way her autism led her to be perceived by both adults and other children, with a lot of raw emotion. The book talks about Addie’s difficulty with regulating her emotions and handling meltdowns, but more than most books it conveyed the emotional experience Addie was going through when she was overwhelmed. It wasn’t just talking about triggers or symptoms of autism; the author conveyed how deeply Addie feels things, how strong her empathy is for those she relates to, and how hard it is for her to pretend that she is as detached as the people around her appear to be. Addie is a strong argument against the perception of autistic people as emotionless or lacking in empathy. The amount of bullying and aggression she experienced from both kids and adults who refused to believe that her emotions were real was infuriating.
Secondly there is the witch storyline. The main plot involves Addie discovering that the village she lives in was once the site of witch burnings and becoming determined to see the local community put up a memorial to the women who died. Addie’s passion for the witches was a great way in to exploring her character. Addie wasn’t just obsessed with the witches because they were a research topic that had caught her attention, though the book did show how hyperfocused she became on subjects that interested her. But to Addie, the witches were women like her - misunderstood, judged, and punished for not fitting in - and she couldn’t accept that they would be forgotten or dismissed.
Finally, I really loved that Addie wasn’t the only autistic character in the book. Her older sister, Keedie, is also autistic. Though autism frequently runs in families, I can only think of one other book that I’ve read featuring autistic siblings. The relationship between Addie and Keedie was really beautiful, the kind of relationship you get when you have two people who understand each other deeply but aren’t understood by anyone else around them. I loved the bond between the sisters, the little things they shared that showed how they viewed the world the same way. But at the same time, they were still a typical sibling relationship. Keedie is older, and that meant that there were things about her own struggles and experiences that she tried to hide from Addie to protect her, things Addie didn’t remember or understand. I also liked the relationship both sisters had with Keedie’s neurotypical twin, Nina. Nina doesn’t share Keedie and Addie’s experiences and can’t always understand their struggles, but there are also ways in which she does understand and support them. My favorite scene was one where Nina and Keedie team up against a teacher who was bullying Addie.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Ableism
turrean's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
A fabulous read. The audiobook narrator was wonderful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism and Bullying
Minor: Forced institutionalization
sophiesmallhands's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism and Bullying
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, Confinement, Torture, Murder, Gaslighting, Violence, and Mental illness
gracecooper's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism and Bullying
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
kshertz's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A great book to explain the beauty of autistic people. I definitely felt the author wrote this authentically and there was so much I learned and felt from this story. It’s a great explanation for those who are neurotypical to understand others.
Content Warnings
Minor: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, and Injury/Injury detail
juliette_95's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Ableism
bethancy's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
fast-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Hate crime, Forced institutionalization, and Ableism
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
skylarkblue1's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Representations: https://trello.com/c/VAfrX6An/77-a-kind-of-spark-by-elle-mcnicoll
Love that kids have books like these nowadays, and despite the fact I've not watched it yet it's so delightful to know the BBC have seemingly also given it so much support!
The story is quite simple and to-the-point. Addie - who's autistic - learns about witch trials that happened in her town and it effects her a lot more than anyone realised. She sees herself in the so-called "witches" and the bigotry she faces in the modern day just for being autistic. So, she fights for a memorial plaque to apologise to the women who lost their lives and to never let them be forgotten.
Naturally, absolutely wonderful representation. The contrast between adult autism and child autism and showing absolutely for sure that it is not something you grow out of and the harm behind that misconception is critically important.
This book tackles masking, burnouts and meltdowns, ableism of multiple forms and even forced institutionalisation of autistic people. It does get heavy, but it gets very real and all the problems are very real problems us autistic people face.
It's also about joy and family, finding good friends and standing up for yourself and what you really believe in. It's a happy story overall I would say, the negativity doesn't define Addie or her sister Keedie.
Just a note about something mentioned in the ending though, not all neurodiverse people are autistic!!! The opposite of autistic is allistic! Neurodiversity isn't a direct substitute for autistic, autism is just under the neurodiverse umbrella!!!
Also as a note for " Are the flaws of the main character(s) a main focus of the book? " and people saying yes to it, autism is not a flaw. The flaws are from the other characters around her and their bigoted beliefs. Autism is a part of Addie and always will be - it is not a choice, nor something that can be changed - it is not a flaw.
Love that kids have books like these nowadays, and despite the fact I've not watched it yet it's so delightful to know the BBC have seemingly also given it so much support!
The story is quite simple and to-the-point. Addie - who's autistic - learns about witch trials that happened in her town and it effects her a lot more than anyone realised. She sees herself in the so-called "witches" and the bigotry she faces in the modern day just for being autistic. So, she fights for a memorial plaque to apologise to the women who lost their lives and to never let them be forgotten.
Naturally, absolutely wonderful representation. The contrast between adult autism and child autism and showing absolutely for sure that it is not something you grow out of and the harm behind that misconception is critically important.
This book tackles masking, burnouts and meltdowns, ableism of multiple forms and even forced institutionalisation of autistic people. It does get heavy, but it gets very real and all the problems are very real problems us autistic people face.
It's also about joy and family, finding good friends and standing up for yourself and what you really believe in. It's a happy story overall I would say, the negativity doesn't define Addie or her sister Keedie.
Just a note about something mentioned in the ending though, not all neurodiverse people are autistic!!! The opposite of autistic is allistic! Neurodiversity isn't a direct substitute for autistic, autism is just under the neurodiverse umbrella!!!
Also as a note for " Are the flaws of the main character(s) a main focus of the book? " and people saying yes to it, autism is not a flaw. The flaws are from the other characters around her and their bigoted beliefs. Autism is a part of Addie and always will be - it is not a choice, nor something that can be changed - it is not a flaw.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism and Bullying
Moderate: Forced institutionalization
Ableist Slurs, Autistic Meltdowns & Burnout.