hellobookbird 's review for:

Tilly in Technicolor by Mazey Eddings

4.0

---

 

GUARD THY LOINS flashes on the screen. Oh good, a call from my mom.

Tilly Twomley is desperate for change. White-knuckling her way through high school with flawed executive functioning has left her burnt out and ready to start fresh. Working as an intern for her perfect older sister’s start up isn’t exactly how Tilly wants to spend her summer, but the required travel around Europe promises a much-needed change of scenery as she plans for her future. The problem is, Tilly has no idea what she wants.

Oliver Clark knows exactly what he wants. His autism has often made it hard for him to form relationships with others, but his love of color theory and design allows him to feel deeply connected to the world around him. Plus, he has everything: he has a best friend that gets him, placement into a prestigious design program, and a summer internship to build his resume. Everything is going as planned. That is, of course, until he suffers through the most disastrous international flight of his life, all turmoil stemming from lively and exasperating Tilly. Oliver is forced to spend the summer with a girl that couldn’t be more his opposite—feeling things for her he can’t quite name—and starts to wonder if maybe he doesn’t have everything figured out after all.

Dogs get so excited they shake their butts into little torpedoes, start whining and hopping, then go grab their favorite toys to show you like they’re telling you all about them. And we love that about puppies. Their excitement. Their outpouring of uncontrollable joy, something they wouldn’t dare try and control. Why can’t we love that about humans who stim, too?

4.5 stars rounded down because of that ending. It isn't a bad ending - it just felt like a little bit of a cop out. Everything was super realistic up until that and I think it could have been a hopeful note rather than a complete pivot.

Regardless! As a person that has both ADHD and autism, the representation in this book was AMAZING. I loved the conversations...I loved peering into both of their heads...the way they navigated comparisons when trying to explain their quirks...and especially the supporting friendship that develops with both circles. I absolutely will consider this one of my comfort reads going forward.

I look at Tilly, my eyes scouring her raven hair. Those thundercloud eyes. The bright yellow of her dress and the touch of pink in her cheeks. But she’s more than those. She’s the sweetness of cotton candy blue, the effervescence of gold, and the complexity of copper. She’s deep like emerald and light like lilac.

Reading the quote above hit me particularly hard. The way he views and loves color is the way I hear and love music. It took me a long time to realize why I reacted differently than others...but I think that's beautiful, too. Because just as Oliver is entranced by Tilly and sees the beauty in things he never considered before because of her wonder, so do I and others with our mutual passions.

Overall, I loved the underlying positivity in being who you are and finding the right space for yourself. As the author so eloquently put it: To my fellow neurodivine individuals navigating a world not built for them. Your brain is beautiful, and I’m so glad you’re here.