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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I listened to this on audio even though I own it and I absolutely LOVED it. I loved the perspective being being an adolescent with Autism. This book will stay with me for awhile.
Finished reading: April 22nd 2017
“No one can hear what I say inside my head because that's where my brain is. It helps me do things when no one is looking.”
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Park Row Books in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
Spoiler
I've seen so many raving reviews about this book around the blogosphere that I just HAD to request a copy so I wouldn't have to wait until the publish date to read it. It's easy to say I was really looking forward to (The Original) Ginny Moon... And I kind of feel bad that I ended up having mixed feelings about the story instead. I can't deny it's a well written, unique story with one of the most intriguing main characters I've encountered this year. The author did a more than excellent job of describing and portraying the autistic Ginny and it has been truly fascinating to be able to have a glimpse inside her head. It really shows that Benjamin Ludwig has personal experience with autism and both the character development and behavior feel authentic. That said, it took me longer than expected to get used to the voice of the autistic Ginny and I found myself a bit confused in the beginning. Like I said before, the author did an excellent job of describing autism and what it is like to live and interact with someone autistic, but I did understand why her ‘Forever’ parent got so frustrated with her at times. I felt the same frustation as well and it made me enjoy the story slightly less than I thought I would, although this has nothing to do with the story itself and I want to stress that the author did a brilliant job of putting autism in the spotlight it deserves. And there is no doubt Ginny Moon will leave her mark and will stay with you for a long time...
Ginny Moon has been in foster care for years, and she is currently living with her fourth forever family. Everybody keeps saying she sound feel happy that she has finally found parents who will love her... But Ginny has never forgotten what happened all that time ago, something she feels she will have to put right no matter what. But it is kind of hard to explain things to the rest of the world when you can't find the right words to express yourself... Or people don't seem to understand what she has been trying to tell them all this time.
First of all, I want to stress that my slightly lower rating has nothing to do with the excellence of this book, but more with my feelings of frustration as I was reading it. Ginny's character will provoke strong emotions, and while mine weren't completely positive, there is no doubt she will still stay with me for a long time. I don't think I've ever read a story with an autistic main character before (even though it's such an important topic), and the author did a brilliant job of accurately describing what it's like living with autism. Ginny Moon: A very important and truly unique story and character!
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
I loved the experience of being in the mind of a 14-year-old autistic girl but this book was also very stressful at times. It deals with the messy side of adoption and ugly human emotions. Overall, though, it’s worth reading. I actually listened to the audiobook and thought it was extremely well done.
Ginny Moon was actually a really well depicted character, the author drew from his own personal experience and was able to create a character that was authentic and believable and really hard to like sometimes, but who found a place in your heart. Although she wasn't always the easiest to follow - - her obsessive behaviour towards things sometimes got to be too much ... but I also realized that was keeping her authentic.
And so because of Ginny's character, I started off by giving this book 3 stars ... but upon reflection I decided to change it to a 1 star read.
The thing is. This book made me angry. As a mother, it pissed me off that someone would adopt a child (or adolescent in this case) and then when things get tough she considers to send her "forever child" away. I was seriously pissed - even having read all the events that led up to her feeling that way, I was angry and uncomfortable.
I am also a daughter of parents who adopted 4 other children - I was born after the first three were adopted; two were newborns, one was a 5 year old, and when my little brother was adopted, we were the second family to adopt him - because the first family were too challenged by his needs. So perhaps this book hit too close to home for me.
I read the blurb about the author and know that he wrote this from personal experience, which explains why Ginny was great, but it was the underlying story of her forever parents that really pushed me over the edge and made me dislike this book.
I know most people love it. It just wasn't for me.
And so because of Ginny's character, I started off by giving this book 3 stars ... but upon reflection I decided to change it to a 1 star read.
The thing is. This book made me angry. As a mother, it pissed me off that someone would adopt a child (or adolescent in this case) and then when things get tough she considers to send her "forever child" away. I was seriously pissed - even having read all the events that led up to her feeling that way, I was angry and uncomfortable.
I am also a daughter of parents who adopted 4 other children - I was born after the first three were adopted; two were newborns, one was a 5 year old, and when my little brother was adopted, we were the second family to adopt him - because the first family were too challenged by his needs. So perhaps this book hit too close to home for me.
I read the blurb about the author and know that he wrote this from personal experience, which explains why Ginny was great, but it was the underlying story of her forever parents that really pushed me over the edge and made me dislike this book.
I know most people love it. It just wasn't for me.
Recomiendo este libro a quienes quieran entender un poco más sobre el autismo, pero también a quienes busquen una historia con drama, que los sorprenda y que toque temas como el amor y la familia y sobretodo ver la evolución de una niña adorable a la cual en la mayor parte del libro van a querer abrazar muy fuerte y decirle que la entendemos y queremos ayudarla, que no está sola… y que al terminar la historia van a quedarse literalmente con el corazón en la mano…
Pueden encontrar mi reseña completa aquí:
https://locuraxloslibross.blogspot.com/2019/05/resena-ginny-moon-de-benjamin-ludwig.html
Pueden encontrar mi reseña completa aquí:
https://locuraxloslibross.blogspot.com/2019/05/resena-ginny-moon-de-benjamin-ludwig.html
I really enjoyed this book. I was equally frustrated and in absolute love with the main character, Ginny. She was so incredibly smart and resourceful, yet so very stubborn and very much in her own world. This is the first book I've read that is based around a character with Autism and I feel like it really opened my eyes to a world that I never really understood. A great story that was a bit of a tear jerker at times.
What an interesting book to rate- here’s why. I understand and can relate to Ginny’s struggles with autism based on students that I have taught. I also understand the frustrations of adopting a child with special needs and dealing with the foster system. What is strange for me is to be so disgusted with the “forever family” that are emotionally abusive in many ways to Ginny, yet at the same time feel empathy for them because of their lack of understanding. Reads like a true story but it isn’t. A book that you wish to forget but know you can’t because it just hovers too close to reality. Ultimately I read the book in one day and it has been a while since I have done that. It pulled me back every time I had a free minute.
This is one of the best audiobooks I've listened to in awhile. Ginny is an amazing character who will always stick with you. I found myself starting to think like Ginny even. When someone asked her three questions, I experienced her confusion and thought; she can't answer it's more than one question. A must read for fans of [b:The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time|1618|The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time|Mark Haddon|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1479863624s/1618.jpg|4259809]
Great audio performance by Em Eldridge!
Great audio performance by Em Eldridge!
This is a very interesting read - told from the perspective of a teenage girl in foster care with autism. She struggles with communicating with those around her and the crux of the book is a misunderstanding that comes to light - with serious implications for Ginny’s future.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
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:
Yes