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bluejaybooks's review
5.0
The most important thing to know about this book going in is that it is, first and foremost, a fluffy romance novel. The synopsis plays it up as an activist book a little too much. That said, this book also means a lot to me.
I shied away from mentioning this in my first review because I wasn't sure I was ready to state this publicly, but as a child, I was diagnosed with Auditory Processing Disorder (APD). APD is also known as Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD), the same disorder the main character in this novel has. Because I'm so used to having to explain, APD is a disorder that affects someone's ability to understand what they hear, especially spoken language. Note that most people with APD have average hearing.
As the push for diverse fiction grew, one thing I wanted to see were characters with APD, but it never seemed to happen. So imagine my joy at discovering this book, especially given its #OwnVoices nature.
I've gone back and forth in my rating of this book because I acknowledge that it isn't perfect, but this novel has occupied so many of my thoughts that I couldn't bear to give it anything less than a high rating.
Now on to the content of the book itself. I loved that the book started off with Edie misunderstanding someone. The extent of her misunderstanding is perhaps a bit exaggerated, but in my attempt at writing a character with APD, one of the things I had the most trouble with was that typically when writing dialogue, the writer will eliminate the misunderstandings that would have occurred in actual speech (because even people without APD have trouble understanding speech sometimes, but no one wants to read about that because it's boring).
The author seems to have taken the approach of, for the most part, only including Edie's misunderstandings when they're relevant to the plot. While I might have appreciated seeing Edie struggle a bit more, I can see why the author made this stylistic choice given the nature of fictional dialogue. I also feel this choice is reflective of the fact that my APD isn't something I think about most of the time. Were I recalling the story of my day, I would only include misunderstandings that were particularly funny or relevant. Given that this book is written in past tense, Edie only mentioning particularly relivant miscommunications makes sense.
I did feel, however, that perhaps the author should have made it so that Edie experienced more difficulties in a noisy environment as it's typical for many people with APD to have trouble in noisier places, but for Edie, it seemed almost as if the reverse were true. However, the author may have intended this to reflect Edie's personal verity of APD as it's my understanding symptoms can vary a great deal.
We see Edie struggle more with her APD/CAPD in her French class as she struggles to understand her instructor. I'll admit that this isn't something I could personally relate to well as my APD hasn't given me a great deal of trouble in my foreign language classes, but I had trouble initially learning to read and write in English, so I can easily see how it could affect someone's ability to learn another language. I also liked how Edie acknowledged that if she wasn't trying so hard to speak and just focused on the multiple choice questions she might do well. I've done a lot of that in foreign language classes . . . which may be part of why English is the only language I speak fluently. :)
Something I found odd was how much people seemed to care that Edie was looking at their mouths. In my experience, people can't really tell if you're looking at their mouths as opposed to their eyes. I also don't agree with Edie's insistence upon people not Googling APD. I would rather people Google APD to limit the number of times I have to explain what it is and answer basic questions. But *shrugs* to each their own. (But do be aware that there is a lot of misinformation out there. Also "Auditory Processing Disorder" and "Sensory Processing Disorder" are different diagnoses--Google seems to have an issue differentiating between them, and I've seen so much confusion as a result.)
I must admit that my primary motivation for reading the book was that this was an #OwnVoices book with a character who has APD, and romance isn't a genre I'm drawn to. It is, therefore, difficult for me to judge the quality of the romance. But it definitely has some hate to love qualities that I understand many romance readers enjoy. However, I also feel many readers may leave this book with a lack of closure. That said, I think it might also be read as open to future possibilities. :)
For me though, I think I just may go read this novel again because I'm just so happy it exists! :)
Initial Thoughts Funny story, when I was about 15, I wrote the first 20,000 words of a story in which the main character had the same disorder as the protagonist in this book. (Auditory processing disorder/APD or central auditory processing disorder/CAPD as it's called in this book.) I stopped writing because I became frustrated with my main character's inability to understand dialogue and disparaged that because of this APD would never be represented in fiction.
This is one instance where I'm beyond thrilled to be proven wrong. :)
I shied away from mentioning this in my first review because I wasn't sure I was ready to state this publicly, but as a child, I was diagnosed with Auditory Processing Disorder (APD). APD is also known as Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD), the same disorder the main character in this novel has. Because I'm so used to having to explain, APD is a disorder that affects someone's ability to understand what they hear, especially spoken language. Note that most people with APD have average hearing.
As the push for diverse fiction grew, one thing I wanted to see were characters with APD, but it never seemed to happen. So imagine my joy at discovering this book, especially given its #OwnVoices nature.
I've gone back and forth in my rating of this book because I acknowledge that it isn't perfect, but this novel has occupied so many of my thoughts that I couldn't bear to give it anything less than a high rating.
Now on to the content of the book itself. I loved that the book started off with Edie misunderstanding someone. The extent of her misunderstanding is perhaps a bit exaggerated, but in my attempt at writing a character with APD, one of the things I had the most trouble with was that typically when writing dialogue, the writer will eliminate the misunderstandings that would have occurred in actual speech (because even people without APD have trouble understanding speech sometimes, but no one wants to read about that because it's boring).
The author seems to have taken the approach of, for the most part, only including Edie's misunderstandings when they're relevant to the plot. While I might have appreciated seeing Edie struggle a bit more, I can see why the author made this stylistic choice given the nature of fictional dialogue. I also feel this choice is reflective of the fact that my APD isn't something I think about most of the time. Were I recalling the story of my day, I would only include misunderstandings that were particularly funny or relevant. Given that this book is written in past tense, Edie only mentioning particularly relivant miscommunications makes sense.
I did feel, however, that perhaps the author should have made it so that Edie experienced more difficulties in a noisy environment as it's typical for many people with APD to have trouble in noisier places, but for Edie, it seemed almost as if the reverse were true. However, the author may have intended this to reflect Edie's personal verity of APD as it's my understanding symptoms can vary a great deal.
We see Edie struggle more with her APD/CAPD in her French class as she struggles to understand her instructor. I'll admit that this isn't something I could personally relate to well as my APD hasn't given me a great deal of trouble in my foreign language classes, but I had trouble initially learning to read and write in English, so I can easily see how it could affect someone's ability to learn another language. I also liked how Edie acknowledged that if she wasn't trying so hard to speak and just focused on the multiple choice questions she might do well. I've done a lot of that in foreign language classes . . . which may be part of why English is the only language I speak fluently. :)
Something I found odd was how much people seemed to care that Edie was looking at their mouths. In my experience, people can't really tell if you're looking at their mouths as opposed to their eyes. I also don't agree with Edie's insistence upon people not Googling APD. I would rather people Google APD to limit the number of times I have to explain what it is and answer basic questions. But *shrugs* to each their own. (But do be aware that there is a lot of misinformation out there. Also "Auditory Processing Disorder" and "Sensory Processing Disorder" are different diagnoses--Google seems to have an issue differentiating between them, and I've seen so much confusion as a result.)
I must admit that my primary motivation for reading the book was that this was an #OwnVoices book with a character who has APD, and romance isn't a genre I'm drawn to. It is, therefore, difficult for me to judge the quality of the romance. But it definitely has some hate to love qualities that I understand many romance readers enjoy. However, I also feel many readers may leave this book with a lack of closure. That said, I think it might also be read as open to future possibilities. :)
For me though, I think I just may go read this novel again because I'm just so happy it exists! :)
Initial Thoughts Funny story, when I was about 15, I wrote the first 20,000 words of a story in which the main character had the same disorder as the protagonist in this book. (Auditory processing disorder/APD or central auditory processing disorder/CAPD as it's called in this book.) I stopped writing because I became frustrated with my main character's inability to understand dialogue and disparaged that because of this APD would never be represented in fiction.
This is one instance where I'm beyond thrilled to be proven wrong. :)
laura_cs's review
4.0
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a short book with a lot of impact, especially as it adds to an area of published books: Disability Own Voices.
Edie has Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD), which makes French class difficult with the professor's accent and his firm refusal to allow Edie to use the tools she normally uses to succeed. Fashion student Edie needs to pass this class, because--in addition to her language requirement--she's going to France that summer, possibly longer. Enter Wes Hudson, ridiculously attractive TA and fashion disaster, who offers to tutor her...
This is a fantastic story, full of cute interactions and opportunities to learn about life with CAPD.
This is a short book with a lot of impact, especially as it adds to an area of published books: Disability Own Voices.
Edie has Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD), which makes French class difficult with the professor's accent and his firm refusal to allow Edie to use the tools she normally uses to succeed. Fashion student Edie needs to pass this class, because--in addition to her language requirement--she's going to France that summer, possibly longer. Enter Wes Hudson, ridiculously attractive TA and fashion disaster, who offers to tutor her...
This is a fantastic story, full of cute interactions and opportunities to learn about life with CAPD.
papertraildiary's review
4.0
I liked this a lot a lot. Super swoony, full of chemistry, though it could have gone farther ;) I read it very quickly. Reminded me of Emergency Contact and Alex, Approximately, two of my fave reads from last year. Will write more soon!
whatbluereads's review
3.0
It was a nice read. Not my favorite, but it kept my mind busy. Cute story. Frustrating leading lady (but I get her point.) I loved the final chapter though (I am a total space science nerd)
3.5/5 stars for Meet me in Outer Space
3.5/5 stars for Meet me in Outer Space
alannar2422's review
4.0
Great romance novel, and I loved learning about Edie's disorder and how life was like for her with a central auditory processing disorder.
sunshine169's review against another edition
1.0
Edie has a learning disability that is making her French 102 class impossible. While seeking out help she meets her French professors teaching assistant Hudson who becomes her tutor.
The relationship between Edie and Hudson is both semi romantic and toxic at the same time depending on how you view healthy relationships.
Edie has a dream that she has been working on for a very long time... go to Paris to immerse herself in the fashion world. In the book, when she is not spending time trying to get Hudson to tutor her in French, she is working on a project called "The Dress." She poured so much of her heart and soul into this dress and you can really feel this girl's fashion aspirations. She doesn't want to be in a relationship because after the semester is over she is going to Paris for the summer and planned on staying for the Fall semester. What she is terrible at is articulating this to men. She allows the subject to be brushed off a few times by Hudson. They never really say what needs to be said, which should have been Hudson saying... go to Paris, stay through the fall
Hudson for me was just borderline toxic.
- She initially didn't want to be tutored by him so he signs up to be a tutor so she'd have no other choice
- Several times she had to tell him no to kissing because she needed to study to pass her mid-term and final. She squeaks by with a D in the class but I bet she could have done better if he spent more time actually tutoring her.
- He doesn't really want to listen to her when she tells him that she cannot start a relationship because of Paris
- When she broke it he kept texting her ... she said that "He'd texted me twice, both times trying to justify why we should stay together. Telling me that he wasn't going anywhere. That he would be there for me when I came around. The problem was that I had no intention of coming around."
- Edie says this last declaration several times. Even when her supposed best friend Serena tries to change her mind she tells Serena no.
- When he goes to Serena's photo exhibit that featured photos of Edie he texts Serena for copies of the pics because he is a glutton for punishment
-When Edie was in classes after the break all he did was stare at her while she was trying to pay attention
Serena- Edie's best friend
- recognizes that Edie has been working so hard on this Dress, that it was her dream to go to Paris, yet works with Hudson to derail Edie's ambitions by insisting that she really wants this relationship.
- Makes Edie put on the dress and tricks her into meeting with Hudson at the planetarium. Which would have been cute but all the actions leading up to this moment tainted the romanticness of it for me.
Then the book just ends with Edie and Hudson in the planetarium. Well did she go to Paris? Did she stay the fall semester? Did they actually have the proper conversation regarding what happened between them? Personally I don't think she wanted the relationship. She used Hudson as a distraction to blame if she failed. Hudson forced himself on her causing him to be her distraction so he is to blame as well. Forcing a relationship at the end just left me feeling less positive about the story.
Thank you to Netgally and Swoon Reads for an opportunity to read this book. The opinions are my own.
The relationship between Edie and Hudson is both semi romantic and toxic at the same time depending on how you view healthy relationships.
Edie has a dream that she has been working on for a very long time... go to Paris to immerse herself in the fashion world. In the book, when she is not spending time trying to get Hudson to tutor her in French, she is working on a project called "The Dress." She poured so much of her heart and soul into this dress and you can really feel this girl's fashion aspirations. She doesn't want to be in a relationship because after the semester is over she is going to Paris for the summer and planned on staying for the Fall semester. What she is terrible at is articulating this to men. She allows the subject to be brushed off a few times by Hudson. They never really say what needs to be said, which should have been Hudson saying... go to Paris, stay through the fall
Hudson for me was just borderline toxic.
- She initially didn't want to be tutored by him so he signs up to be a tutor so she'd have no other choice
- Several times she had to tell him no to kissing because she needed to study to pass her mid-term and final. She squeaks by with a D in the class but I bet she could have done better if he spent more time actually tutoring her.
- He doesn't really want to listen to her when she tells him that she cannot start a relationship because of Paris
- When she broke it he kept texting her ... she said that "He'd texted me twice, both times trying to justify why we should stay together. Telling me that he wasn't going anywhere. That he would be there for me when I came around. The problem was that I had no intention of coming around."
- Edie says this last declaration several times. Even when her supposed best friend Serena tries to change her mind she tells Serena no.
- When he goes to Serena's photo exhibit that featured photos of Edie he texts Serena for copies of the pics because he is a glutton for punishment
-When Edie was in classes after the break all he did was stare at her while she was trying to pay attention
Serena- Edie's best friend
- recognizes that Edie has been working so hard on this Dress, that it was her dream to go to Paris, yet works with Hudson to derail Edie's ambitions by insisting that she really wants this relationship.
- Makes Edie put on the dress and tricks her into meeting with Hudson at the planetarium. Which would have been cute but all the actions leading up to this moment tainted the romanticness of it for me.
Then the book just ends with Edie and Hudson in the planetarium. Well did she go to Paris? Did she stay the fall semester? Did they actually have the proper conversation regarding what happened between them? Personally I don't think she wanted the relationship. She used Hudson as a distraction to blame if she failed. Hudson forced himself on her causing him to be her distraction so he is to blame as well. Forcing a relationship at the end just left me feeling less positive about the story.
Thank you to Netgally and Swoon Reads for an opportunity to read this book. The opinions are my own.
pantsreads's review
2.0
2.5/5
Although this book was fun, I had a hard time connecting with the characters and the story, save for a super swoony date near the end.
Check out my full review at Forever Young Adult.
Although this book was fun, I had a hard time connecting with the characters and the story, save for a super swoony date near the end.
Check out my full review at Forever Young Adult.
100pagesaday's review
4.0
College student and fashion major Edie Kits is going to do a summer semester in Paris and maybe stay for the fall- if only she can pass French. Edie is having an especially hard time in French due to her Central Auditory Processing Disorder, an invisible disability that makes it difficult for Edie to understand things and sometimes mishear things. This makes French class twice as hard, especially when her professor won't let Edie record the class. The French TA, Hudson- a super cute,beanie wearing fashion failure comes to Edie's aid. Hudson over-zealously offers to tutor her and helps the teacher understand Edie's transmitter. Edie finds herself falling for Hudson, but Paris is only a few months away.
Meet Me in Outer Space is a sweet, heartfelt and realistic new adult romance that explores life with an invisible disability. Edie stole my heart with her determination, grit and willingness to fight for herself and her dreams. The writing portrayed Edie as a regular college aged woman who just happened to have a disability. Central Auditory Processing Disorder isn't a disability that is often explored and is definitely one that is very misunderstood. The opening chapter did a fabulous job exposing the difficulties of living with and finding resources for a disability that no one believes you have. The romance and Hudson's character were sugary sweet and charming. For as determined as Edie was to not have a boyfriend before she left for Paris, Hudson was equally determined to be with her. I enjoyed Hudson's willingness to really get to know Edie and taking things at her pace. Overall, a charming and entertaining new adult romance that showcases the struggle between chasing your dreams and romance.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
Meet Me in Outer Space is a sweet, heartfelt and realistic new adult romance that explores life with an invisible disability. Edie stole my heart with her determination, grit and willingness to fight for herself and her dreams. The writing portrayed Edie as a regular college aged woman who just happened to have a disability. Central Auditory Processing Disorder isn't a disability that is often explored and is definitely one that is very misunderstood. The opening chapter did a fabulous job exposing the difficulties of living with and finding resources for a disability that no one believes you have. The romance and Hudson's character were sugary sweet and charming. For as determined as Edie was to not have a boyfriend before she left for Paris, Hudson was equally determined to be with her. I enjoyed Hudson's willingness to really get to know Edie and taking things at her pace. Overall, a charming and entertaining new adult romance that showcases the struggle between chasing your dreams and romance.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
hellomadalyn's review
3.0
This review originally appeared on Novel Ink.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
If you’re a regular reader of the blog, you probably know by now that I can ALWAYS go for a cute YA contemporary. That being said, Meet Me In Outer Space delivered on that front!
In Meet Me In Outer Space, we follow our protagonist, Edie, who is struggling in her French class due to a learning disability that her professor will not make adequate accommodations for. Her TA, Hudson, offers to tutor her to help her bring her grade up, and cute romance ensues.
One thing I loved about this book was that it’s exactly the college-aged YA that so many readers have been begging publishers for. I always love reading books set in college, and Meet Me in Outer Space was no exception. One of my favorite things about this was just reading about Edie’s day-to-day life as a college student. Plus, we get some awesome fashion elements, since she is studying to work in the fashion industry. Edie, as a character, is so driven and goal-oriented. She has such a clear idea about her future, which I enjoyed since it felt a lot like how I was in college. Additionally, Edie’s Central Auditory Processing Disorder was #ownvoices representation, which was wonderful to see! We get insight into how Edie’s CAPD affects everyday processes in her life, but it’s not the central focus of the narrative. We see how frustrating it can be when people don’t validate her disability as a “real” thing.
The friend group in this book was SO fun to read about, too. They gave me all the college vibes, for sure. I especially loved Edie’s friendship with her roommate, Serena.
Really, this book is very straightforward: you go in expecting a cute romance, and that’s exactly what you get. It may be a little surface-level, but that doesn’t diminish the quality of the romance. Hudson, Edie’s love interest, is exactly the kind of nerdy book boyfriend that is my kryptonite. He was so endearing (and so full of puns!). The last scene, in particular, felt so cinematic and vivid, and it definitely had me swooning a little bit.
Overall, if you’re looking for a cute romance set in college, with plenty of heart (and lots of French!), I highly recommend checking out Meet Me In Outer Space.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
If you’re a regular reader of the blog, you probably know by now that I can ALWAYS go for a cute YA contemporary. That being said, Meet Me In Outer Space delivered on that front!
In Meet Me In Outer Space, we follow our protagonist, Edie, who is struggling in her French class due to a learning disability that her professor will not make adequate accommodations for. Her TA, Hudson, offers to tutor her to help her bring her grade up, and cute romance ensues.
One thing I loved about this book was that it’s exactly the college-aged YA that so many readers have been begging publishers for. I always love reading books set in college, and Meet Me in Outer Space was no exception. One of my favorite things about this was just reading about Edie’s day-to-day life as a college student. Plus, we get some awesome fashion elements, since she is studying to work in the fashion industry. Edie, as a character, is so driven and goal-oriented. She has such a clear idea about her future, which I enjoyed since it felt a lot like how I was in college. Additionally, Edie’s Central Auditory Processing Disorder was #ownvoices representation, which was wonderful to see! We get insight into how Edie’s CAPD affects everyday processes in her life, but it’s not the central focus of the narrative. We see how frustrating it can be when people don’t validate her disability as a “real” thing.
The friend group in this book was SO fun to read about, too. They gave me all the college vibes, for sure. I especially loved Edie’s friendship with her roommate, Serena.
Really, this book is very straightforward: you go in expecting a cute romance, and that’s exactly what you get. It may be a little surface-level, but that doesn’t diminish the quality of the romance. Hudson, Edie’s love interest, is exactly the kind of nerdy book boyfriend that is my kryptonite. He was so endearing (and so full of puns!). The last scene, in particular, felt so cinematic and vivid, and it definitely had me swooning a little bit.
Overall, if you’re looking for a cute romance set in college, with plenty of heart (and lots of French!), I highly recommend checking out Meet Me In Outer Space.