A review by jennybeastie
Can You See Me? by Libby Scott, Rebecca Westcott

4.0

This is a really powerful read, the more so because one of the authors is an autistic teen. I found parts of it quite upsetting -- the angry explosions, and how Tally's family and school deal with them; the very concept of oppositional defiance disorder; and the general pain of being a middle school kid and experiencing the trials and tribulations of the age. I find those things upsetting, because I see myself in them, especially as a child. It wasn't fun the first time around, and it isn't fun this time either. It never occurred to me that I might be on the spectrum, but as a colleague has pointed out in the past -- the point of a spectrum is that we are all on it. Anyway, I identify with that feeling of being out of control of my actions because of hypersensitivity or tone of voice. I think it's really interesting that our society is evolving to look at that differently than when I was a child. I respect the book for representing this so clearly, and also for not offering easy solutions. This family is struggling, and they are also getting by, but it's not fun for any of them. I hope it gets better.

Advanced Readers Copy provided by Edelweiss.