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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
E-copy received via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
I keep meaning to read more books centred on a young character with autism. I think subsconsiously I'm trying to find the next "curious dog in the night time" (so any suggestions would be greatly appreicated). The Orginal Ginny Moon is about a 13 year old girl, with autism, following her trying to settle into her forever home after coming from an abusive home. Yet, transfixed on getting back her baby doll from her birth mother, she schemes all the ways in which she can successfully get herself kidnapped by Gloria (her birth mother) to check to see if her baby doll is where she left her... 4 years ago.
I find it fascinating how Ginny kind of regresses back to an even younger mental state where she was a 9 year old in order to say certain things or getting caught up in those memories so much that she thinks it's present or believes she can some how go back to that state. She describes similar feelings as "going into her brain" or closing her mouth in order to "hide her brain" to hide her secrets. It was really sad when it became apparent why she would say "I'm so sorry" to her baby doll and when people realised why she was fixated on getting her back it was a very good twist that had an exciting change in dynamic. Not as much of a change as I would imagine but still had an impact. It must be an incredibly overwhelming existence for her and I find the author has tried his best to represent that on paper, although, not being on the spectrum myself, I cannot say how accurate the representation is. However, he has experience with his own adopted daughter who also has autism, so I'd imagine he has a good idea and tried to use those experiences to influence his writing.
Ginny is a very interesting child. The way she analyses situations in her mind is intriguing. She seems to understand how people would want her to reply but just doesn't. But it's more complex than that. She constantly puts herself into dangerous situations to try and get her baby doll back, fully understanding that she shouldn't be doing these things but lacking self advocacy to explain why she needs to go back.
There was a very disturbing scene with the graphic death of a cat. As an animal lover and just someone who is very empathic for creatures, it made me feel sick and I feel like it didn't need to be as graphic as it got. The first half of its death was manageable but then to clear the evidence it got really dark really quick and it made me want to cry. After this I felt a sense of dread which only heightened as we got to the end and what I thought Ginny was gonna do. So glad that didn't happen!
Although I was waiting for something terrible to happen at the end and was relieved when my worst thoughts didn't happened, I would say j was left underwhelmed by the ending. It was nice but the overall story was just okay. Nothing too exciting but not incredibly boring either. Just a nice story, having a look at a different life.
Pick it up, give it a go and enjoy! >(^_^)<
Gén
I keep meaning to read more books centred on a young character with autism. I think subsconsiously I'm trying to find the next "curious dog in the night time" (so any suggestions would be greatly appreicated). The Orginal Ginny Moon is about a 13 year old girl, with autism, following her trying to settle into her forever home after coming from an abusive home. Yet, transfixed on getting back her baby doll from her birth mother, she schemes all the ways in which she can successfully get herself kidnapped by Gloria (her birth mother) to check to see if her baby doll is where she left her... 4 years ago.
I find it fascinating how Ginny kind of regresses back to an even younger mental state where she was a 9 year old in order to say certain things or getting caught up in those memories so much that she thinks it's present or believes she can some how go back to that state. She describes similar feelings as "going into her brain" or closing her mouth in order to "hide her brain" to hide her secrets. It was really sad when it became apparent why she would say "I'm so sorry" to her baby doll and when people realised why she was fixated on getting her back it was a very good twist that had an exciting change in dynamic. Not as much of a change as I would imagine but still had an impact. It must be an incredibly overwhelming existence for her and I find the author has tried his best to represent that on paper, although, not being on the spectrum myself, I cannot say how accurate the representation is. However, he has experience with his own adopted daughter who also has autism, so I'd imagine he has a good idea and tried to use those experiences to influence his writing.
Ginny is a very interesting child. The way she analyses situations in her mind is intriguing. She seems to understand how people would want her to reply but just doesn't. But it's more complex than that. She constantly puts herself into dangerous situations to try and get her baby doll back, fully understanding that she shouldn't be doing these things but lacking self advocacy to explain why she needs to go back.
There was a very disturbing scene with the graphic death of a cat. As an animal lover and just someone who is very empathic for creatures, it made me feel sick and I feel like it didn't need to be as graphic as it got. The first half of its death was manageable but then to clear the evidence it got really dark really quick and it made me want to cry. After this I felt a sense of dread which only heightened as we got to the end and what I thought Ginny was gonna do. So glad that didn't happen!
Although I was waiting for something terrible to happen at the end and was relieved when my worst thoughts didn't happened, I would say j was left underwhelmed by the ending. It was nice but the overall story was just okay. Nothing too exciting but not incredibly boring either. Just a nice story, having a look at a different life.
Pick it up, give it a go and enjoy! >(^_^)<
Gén
Honestly this book made me angry almost the entire way though. I think the author portrayed the main character very well. She has autism and is struggling to try to understand the world she is living in after she has been adopted. I’m not going to go into anything for spoiler reasons. What made me angry was not her thinking but was the people around her thinking. They would ASSUME what she was saying and didn’t have patience with or or try to show her how things are done or explain things to her for fear she might “go ape-shit”. It definitely makes me think about people in society today and think about how this happens every single day to real people who are on the spectrum. It was a good book but it was just not my kind of a pleasant read I guess. Still have 3 stars because it was written well.
Ginny reminds me so much of my own students with autism. Right down to the Michael Jackson, in fact! One of my students loves Michael Jackson too; he knows everything about Michael Jackson, can sing all of his songs, and even does some of the dances! Even if you know nothing about autism -- especially if you know nothing about autism -- read this book!
emotional
reflective
sad
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:
Yes
Marvelously compelling, Ginny Moon captures the world of special needs children who have entered the foster care system. How Ludwig, in spite of his experience and research, can so excellently portray a 14 year old girl with autism speaks to his talent. It's difficult to believe that this is his debut novel. It spoke to my heart, someone who became aware of the plight of these children when I was a teacher, and someone who became a foster mom, taking just one child at a time. I see no flaws in this story, which cleverly displays the plight of everyone on the team to a child's wellness. I hope to see more of this author's work on the shelves of Barnes and Noble. Authentic and poignant. What a winner of a read.
Glimpse into the mind of an autistic child. Loved that Grace drank beverages (milk or water) and seeing the rules and rationale she has.
This is one of the most excellent, most emotionally wrenching, books I've read all year. I can relate to the main character, Ginny Moon, on many levels. Ginny is a 14 year old autistic girl who was raised in abusive chaos and neglect, and who above all had to keep her Baby Doll safe from her Birth Mom Gloria and her angry boyfriend.
Several years, and several families after 9 year old Ginny was rescued from her birth mother, she has finally found her Forever Family. But she is frantic. No one understands how important her Baby Doll is to her, or how urgently she needs to get It back! The author, who adopted an autistic teenage girl, delves into Ginny's complex mind and lets the reader experience what it's like to think like an autistic person. He lets us see how she might view a big, confusing world full of people who just don't understand what she's trying to say, or how she feels. (My oldest son has autism, and while he is very high functioning, he too struggled with figuring out how the world works as he grew up.)
This was a brave, honest, painful, joyful story. Like most of us, Ginny is just trying to figure out the best way to fit into the world around her. Everyone can relate to that!
Several years, and several families after 9 year old Ginny was rescued from her birth mother, she has finally found her Forever Family. But she is frantic. No one understands how important her Baby Doll is to her, or how urgently she needs to get It back! The author, who adopted an autistic teenage girl, delves into Ginny's complex mind and lets the reader experience what it's like to think like an autistic person. He lets us see how she might view a big, confusing world full of people who just don't understand what she's trying to say, or how she feels. (My oldest son has autism, and while he is very high functioning, he too struggled with figuring out how the world works as he grew up.)
This was a brave, honest, painful, joyful story. Like most of us, Ginny is just trying to figure out the best way to fit into the world around her. Everyone can relate to that!