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A review by dragoninwinterfell
Something More by Jackie Khalilieh
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
medium-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
4.0
I'm not a fan of love triangles. So, it's impressive how much I enjoyed Something More by Jackie Khalilieh. Jessie was an excellent protagonist who felt like a very realistic teen going through relatable struggles through the lens of a person with autism who is also Palestinian living in Canada.
The autism representation was so powerful. I'm also autistic, but unlike Jessie, I wasn't diagnosed until adulthood. I view the world, relationships, and human interactions in a very similar way as Jessie. So, even though she's a teen, I felt very connected to her experience even in the place I am now. I would have loved to find this book when I was 15.
As it is, I love following Jessie as she entered the new world of high school while struggling to understand the complicated rules of friendship and romance. I particularly liked her interesting quirks, like her fixation on 90s music, film, and television. That added such an interesting layer to her character, making her very unique. I never watched Friends or Buffy, but those little nods to her interests that weren't specific to the plot were fun.
Her grandmother, who were barely heard of, goes into a coma. While this should be a tragic and moving moment, the reader doesn't get to know her or appreciate the protagonists relationship with her before the event. So, everything surrounding the situation falls flat. Either this should have happened to a character who had more page space or the grandmother should have been developed more.
I also thought the end came off as too neat and too preachy. Up to that point, the characters felt like authentic teens. Then, suddenly they were wise and emotionally mature while resolving the issues of the story.
Overall, I'm giving this one 4 stars.
The autism representation was so powerful. I'm also autistic, but unlike Jessie, I wasn't diagnosed until adulthood. I view the world, relationships, and human interactions in a very similar way as Jessie. So, even though she's a teen, I felt very connected to her experience even in the place I am now. I would have loved to find this book when I was 15.
As it is, I love following Jessie as she entered the new world of high school while struggling to understand the complicated rules of friendship and romance. I particularly liked her interesting quirks, like her fixation on 90s music, film, and television. That added such an interesting layer to her character, making her very unique. I never watched Friends or Buffy, but those little nods to her interests that weren't specific to the plot were fun.
Her grandmother, who were barely heard of, goes into a coma. While this should be a tragic and moving moment, the reader doesn't get to know her or appreciate the protagonists relationship with her before the event. So, everything surrounding the situation falls flat. Either this should have happened to a character who had more page space or the grandmother should have been developed more.
I also thought the end came off as too neat and too preachy. Up to that point, the characters felt like authentic teens. Then, suddenly they were wise and emotionally mature while resolving the issues of the story.
Overall, I'm giving this one 4 stars.