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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
ג'יני מון היא נערה אוטיסטית בת 14, אשר רמתה הקוגניטיבית תואמת ילדה כבת 7. היא משקרת, גונבת, ומסתבכת בצרות על ימין ועל שמאל, ומעל לכל - היא אובססיבית לגבי הבובה התינוקת שלה, אותה נאלצה לעזוב לפני 5 שנים, כאשר המשטרה פשטה על בית אמה הנרקומנית וחילצה אותה משם, מוזנחת, מורעבת ומכוסה חבלות.
ג'יני עברה מאז ארבעה בתי אומנה שונים, וכעת היא בבית הכחול של בריאן ומוירה, שעושים כל שביכולתם כדי להיות לה הורים טובים, אך גם הם נשברים, כועסים ומתוסכלים, כי גם אחרי 5 שנים, ג'יני נחושה בדעתה לחזור לבית אמה המתעללת, תוך שהיא זורעת לא מעט הרס וחורבן בדרכה.
בנג'מין לודוויג, מורה ואב מאמץ לילדה אוטיסטית, כתב ספר יפהפה המשמיע קולות אנושיים, מלאי פגמים וחולשות, משני צידי המתרס: קולם של ההורים המאמצים המבקשים למצוא את הדרך אל לבה של ג'יני, וקולה של ג'יני, כמי שרק רוצה שיאהבו אותה ויזדקקו לה. התוצאה מרגשת, ולעיתים גם מכאיבה ומטלטלת, כעורה ולא קלה לעיכול. כי אלה החיים.
מומלץ בחום.
ג'יני עברה מאז ארבעה בתי אומנה שונים, וכעת היא בבית הכחול של בריאן ומוירה, שעושים כל שביכולתם כדי להיות לה הורים טובים, אך גם הם נשברים, כועסים ומתוסכלים, כי גם אחרי 5 שנים, ג'יני נחושה בדעתה לחזור לבית אמה המתעללת, תוך שהיא זורעת לא מעט הרס וחורבן בדרכה.
בנג'מין לודוויג, מורה ואב מאמץ לילדה אוטיסטית, כתב ספר יפהפה המשמיע קולות אנושיים, מלאי פגמים וחולשות, משני צידי המתרס: קולם של ההורים המאמצים המבקשים למצוא את הדרך אל לבה של ג'יני, וקולה של ג'יני, כמי שרק רוצה שיאהבו אותה ויזדקקו לה. התוצאה מרגשת, ולעיתים גם מכאיבה ומטלטלת, כעורה ולא קלה לעיכול. כי אלה החיים.
מומלץ בחום.
I waffled between rating this book 3 and 4 stars. Years ago, I read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and had a similar 3-star reading experience. Both books are critically acclaimed, loved by Goodreads readers, and told from the perspective of an autistic child. Bottom line: I did not love either of these books but I am happy I read them. I appreciate Ginny Moon as a work of art based on the experiences of the author, and trust its accuracy in capturing the thought and speech patterns of a 14-year old autistic girl. I understand that my frustrations with this narrator are mostly unfounded - but I was still a frustrated reader most of the time. Readers up for the challenge should proceed with caution - but this could be a very satisfying journey for some.
funny
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Book reviews on www.snazzybooks.com
Ginny Moon is a touching, sweet story of a 14 year old girl with Autism, who has had a hard and rather sad upbringing. She now lives with foster parents,but if you think that's her happy ending, you find that unfortunately things aren't perfect for her.
I have no experience of autism myself, basing everything on other books I've read which I'm aware aren't always accurate! However, Benjamin Ludwig seems to created a fairly accurate representation of someone living with autism, particularly a child - or if he hasn't, he's created something that seems convincing enough, and Ginny is certainly likable!
Ginny seems like such a sweet girl; her confusion and struggle with social situations and communication is really interesting to read about, and I really felt like I got to know her and life through her eyes. Knowing that Benjamin Ludwig is a foster parent himself to an autistic child means you can really see how his own experiences have helped define and shape this book. He's attempted - and I get the impression that he's also succeeded - in portraying the struggle of being a foster parent to a special needs child, but told through Ginny's eyes in what feels like a really honest way. I liked both foster parents (Brian and Maura) and really felt for them, despite the hard situation they were in. I particularly liked Ginny's 'forever dad', Brian, who seemed much more patient and really lovely.
I really disliked the majority of the other adults in the novel - of course, Ginny's mum and aunt are both completely unsuitable for Ginny, as we know, but even the teachers seemed quite misinformed about how to handle Ginny. Surely, as she seems to be at a school for students with special needs (or at least in a special class), the teachers and staff should have some idea of how to speak to, interact with and actually help a child like Ginny, instead of seeming surprised when, for example, she doesn't answer if asked two questions at once. That might just be me expecting too much from those characters, though!
There are sad and poignant moments in this story, as well as some lighter parts which can be quite humorous, but throughout it all Ginny remains a sweet and naive character who you can't help but love. I really enjoyed reading about her.
I listened to the audiobook version and often I'd prefer to just read it myself and completely imagine the accents of characters in my head. However I really wanted to read this so was excited to borrow it from my local library when it became available in audiobook format - the narrator had a bit of an annoying voice (sorry!) to be honest, but never mind.
This is a lovely story with plenty of emotional parts, and told from a child narrator which is always something a little different for adult fiction, too. I'd recommend it.
Ginny Moon is a touching, sweet story of a 14 year old girl with Autism, who has had a hard and rather sad upbringing. She now lives with foster parents,but if you think that's her happy ending, you find that unfortunately things aren't perfect for her.
I have no experience of autism myself, basing everything on other books I've read which I'm aware aren't always accurate! However, Benjamin Ludwig seems to created a fairly accurate representation of someone living with autism, particularly a child - or if he hasn't, he's created something that seems convincing enough, and Ginny is certainly likable!
Ginny seems like such a sweet girl; her confusion and struggle with social situations and communication is really interesting to read about, and I really felt like I got to know her and life through her eyes. Knowing that Benjamin Ludwig is a foster parent himself to an autistic child means you can really see how his own experiences have helped define and shape this book. He's attempted - and I get the impression that he's also succeeded - in portraying the struggle of being a foster parent to a special needs child, but told through Ginny's eyes in what feels like a really honest way. I liked both foster parents (Brian and Maura) and really felt for them, despite the hard situation they were in. I particularly liked Ginny's 'forever dad', Brian, who seemed much more patient and really lovely.
I really disliked the majority of the other adults in the novel - of course, Ginny's mum and aunt are both completely unsuitable for Ginny, as we know, but even the teachers seemed quite misinformed about how to handle Ginny. Surely, as she seems to be at a school for students with special needs (or at least in a special class), the teachers and staff should have some idea of how to speak to, interact with and actually help a child like Ginny, instead of seeming surprised when, for example, she doesn't answer if asked two questions at once. That might just be me expecting too much from those characters, though!
There are sad and poignant moments in this story, as well as some lighter parts which can be quite humorous, but throughout it all Ginny remains a sweet and naive character who you can't help but love. I really enjoyed reading about her.
I listened to the audiobook version and often I'd prefer to just read it myself and completely imagine the accents of characters in my head. However I really wanted to read this so was excited to borrow it from my local library when it became available in audiobook format - the narrator had a bit of an annoying voice (sorry!) to be honest, but never mind.
This is a lovely story with plenty of emotional parts, and told from a child narrator which is always something a little different for adult fiction, too. I'd recommend it.
sad
emotional
funny
sad
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:
Yes
It took me a while to warm up to Ginny Moon, but once I did it had my heart. This is the story of Ginny, a thirteen-year-old girl with autism, and her newest Forever Family. She’s been adopted by the Moons, who didn’t think they would ever be able to have children of their own. But when Maura, Ginny’s Forever Mom, becomes pregnant, and Ginny exhibits some concerning behavior with the electronic plastic baby they give her to practice with, life gets a lot more complicated.
Ginny’s fixation on her Baby Doll that was left behind when she was taken from Gloria, her Birth Mom, is the source of nearly all of her behavioral issues with her new family. Nothing they offer her can break this fixation. When the reason behind her fixation finally comes to light, things spiral, bringing the past into Ginny’s present in detrimental ways. Her future is up in the air, and I just desperately wanted her to be okay.
This novel made me so sad. Things wrapped up alright, but I spent most of the book just heartbroken for everyone involved in the story. And, honestly, mad at most of them, at least some of the time. Ginny’s is a tough situation, made tougher by her inability to always communicate what she needs to, or always understand what she’s told. I know this would have to be a high-stress situation, especially with a newborn thrown into the mix. But there were times when I just desperately wanted people, especially Maura, to give Ginny a bit more grace and show her more love.
Ludwig wrote this book from a place of understanding. He is himself an adoptive parent, and he and his wife adopted a teenager with autism. I thought Ginny’s voice was lovingly, carefully captured. While I can’t know what it’s like to be autistic, and neither can Ludwig from a personal perspective, I felt that he told this story in a way that was respectful, believable, and relatable. I grew to love Ginny, and wanted nothing more than for the people in her life to truly see her. And they did. She was surrounded by a very supportive cast. Mistakes were made, especially in the cases of both Ginny’s Birth Mom and her Forever Mom, but both still felt realistic and sympathetic even when I wanted to shake them for their actions.
Ginny Moon is a story, and a character, with a ton of heart. While I struggled with it in the beginning, it ultimately won me over. It was hard to read at times, but the payoff was worth it. If you’re looking for a moving story with a charming but misunderstood protagonist that will also educate you on autism and the foster system, I have yet to come across another book that fits all of that criteria this well.
Ginny’s fixation on her Baby Doll that was left behind when she was taken from Gloria, her Birth Mom, is the source of nearly all of her behavioral issues with her new family. Nothing they offer her can break this fixation. When the reason behind her fixation finally comes to light, things spiral, bringing the past into Ginny’s present in detrimental ways. Her future is up in the air, and I just desperately wanted her to be okay.
This novel made me so sad. Things wrapped up alright, but I spent most of the book just heartbroken for everyone involved in the story. And, honestly, mad at most of them, at least some of the time. Ginny’s is a tough situation, made tougher by her inability to always communicate what she needs to, or always understand what she’s told. I know this would have to be a high-stress situation, especially with a newborn thrown into the mix. But there were times when I just desperately wanted people, especially Maura, to give Ginny a bit more grace and show her more love.
Ludwig wrote this book from a place of understanding. He is himself an adoptive parent, and he and his wife adopted a teenager with autism. I thought Ginny’s voice was lovingly, carefully captured. While I can’t know what it’s like to be autistic, and neither can Ludwig from a personal perspective, I felt that he told this story in a way that was respectful, believable, and relatable. I grew to love Ginny, and wanted nothing more than for the people in her life to truly see her. And they did. She was surrounded by a very supportive cast. Mistakes were made, especially in the cases of both Ginny’s Birth Mom and her Forever Mom, but both still felt realistic and sympathetic even when I wanted to shake them for their actions.
Ginny Moon is a story, and a character, with a ton of heart. While I struggled with it in the beginning, it ultimately won me over. It was hard to read at times, but the payoff was worth it. If you’re looking for a moving story with a charming but misunderstood protagonist that will also educate you on autism and the foster system, I have yet to come across another book that fits all of that criteria this well.
this portrays autism very well. it shows that people with autism have feelings and reasons for things they do, touching story overall.
the only thing that pissed me off was the fact that the adults around ginny didn't provide her with enough attention and understanding. they didn't even bother to understand WHY she actually wanted to go back to gloria and basically mostly ignored anything she said.
the only thing that pissed me off was the fact that the adults around ginny didn't provide her with enough attention and understanding. they didn't even bother to understand WHY she actually wanted to go back to gloria and basically mostly ignored anything she said.
This was an interesting story but I thought the narrative was extremely annoying. Ginny was a (understandably) rigid character but it got on my nerves quickly when paired with her forever-rigid parents. Painfully inflexible characters made for some tedious reading. I didn't think that Ginny's adoptive parents had an excuse for being so difficult and stubborn, especially after . Another point I enjoyed was the "minor heart attack" that resulted in cardiac arrest and CPR but oh well.
Read for entertainment if you can tolerate a very repetitive style.
Spoiler
we found out that Ginny did in fact have a sisterRead for entertainment if you can tolerate a very repetitive style.
I love that this is a book is told from a special point of view, that of an autistic teen, but as the main character, Ginny, would say, I found it a bit “tedious”.
I met Ginny Moon and I will never forget her. I read to broaden my mind and to help me think about something in a completely different way, and Ginny Moon did that for me.
.
This book is written in the first person perspective of Ginny Moon, who is a thirteen year old with “special needs.” Her voice is captivating and it immediately pulls you into her perspective on the world. It’s as if we slowly learn to speak Ginny’s language as we experience how she processes things and communicates.
.
For me the book lagged a bit 3/4ths of the way in, and the story stretched out, but then after the last chapter I wanted a few more.
.
I think everyone needs to read this book, young adults and adults. It reminded me a little of the kids’ book Out of My Mind, but I enjoyed it much more. I know I am forever changed for reading it, which is what makes a great book.I give it a 5/5 (a 10) on my rating scale. The first 5 for how it made me think, and the second 5 for how entertaining it was. I didn’t want to put it down.
.
This book is written in the first person perspective of Ginny Moon, who is a thirteen year old with “special needs.” Her voice is captivating and it immediately pulls you into her perspective on the world. It’s as if we slowly learn to speak Ginny’s language as we experience how she processes things and communicates.
.
For me the book lagged a bit 3/4ths of the way in, and the story stretched out, but then after the last chapter I wanted a few more.
.
I think everyone needs to read this book, young adults and adults. It reminded me a little of the kids’ book Out of My Mind, but I enjoyed it much more. I know I am forever changed for reading it, which is what makes a great book.I give it a 5/5 (a 10) on my rating scale. The first 5 for how it made me think, and the second 5 for how entertaining it was. I didn’t want to put it down.