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A review by travelseatsreads
Strong Female Character by Fern Brady
dark
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Like most I saw Fern Brady on Taskmaster and immediately became besotted, I began following her on insta and soon learned of her upcoming memoir about her life growing up as a female with undiagnosed autism. I knew I needed to get my hands on her book but in all honesty I didn’t expect it to be one of my favourite reads of 2023! For those with a short attention span, TLDR - the book is epic, go buy it!
I’ve recommended this to one or two people who stated they’d probably not pick it up as they didn’t fancy reading a book that’s ‘just about autism’ and while yes autism is a HUGE proportion of this book, Fern tells her story in such a charming and brutally honest way that it’s almost impossible not to be engaged!
Fern experienced quite a tough time growing up and she holds nothing back about what it was like growing up in working class Scotland experiencing those struggles. She discusses many situations in which she felt she just didn’t fit in and that no one liked her and also details the thought processes she was experiencing in those scenarios.
In Fern’s later life some of her autistic traits seem in a way to give her a level of freedom to live her life in a way she feels is comfortable rather than follow society's (quite broken) stereotypical template however she’s first to admit how this too can be a daily struggle. She goes into depth about autistic meltdowns and honestly if you were to pick up this book even for just one chapter, read this (chapter 13).
The book is full of humour, and I will admit to laughing at some bits I probably shouldn’t have, but even in the darkest moments of Ferns retellings there's always a glimmer of her natural comedian (deliberate or not).
At times it is a tough read but I found it hugely insightful and so damn entertaining that I encourage everyone to pick it up.
Fern reads the audiobook herself which I think is by far the best way to experience this book as how she delivers each line is just sheer perfection.
“I was continually over-identifying with fiction to try and find a template for myself and my story”
Thank you to Brazen Books for an advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review!
If you enjoyed this review come follow me on instagram https://www.instagram.com/travelseatsreads
I’ve recommended this to one or two people who stated they’d probably not pick it up as they didn’t fancy reading a book that’s ‘just about autism’ and while yes autism is a HUGE proportion of this book, Fern tells her story in such a charming and brutally honest way that it’s almost impossible not to be engaged!
Fern experienced quite a tough time growing up and she holds nothing back about what it was like growing up in working class Scotland experiencing those struggles. She discusses many situations in which she felt she just didn’t fit in and that no one liked her and also details the thought processes she was experiencing in those scenarios.
In Fern’s later life some of her autistic traits seem in a way to give her a level of freedom to live her life in a way she feels is comfortable rather than follow society's (quite broken) stereotypical template however she’s first to admit how this too can be a daily struggle. She goes into depth about autistic meltdowns and honestly if you were to pick up this book even for just one chapter, read this (chapter 13).
The book is full of humour, and I will admit to laughing at some bits I probably shouldn’t have, but even in the darkest moments of Ferns retellings there's always a glimmer of her natural comedian (deliberate or not).
At times it is a tough read but I found it hugely insightful and so damn entertaining that I encourage everyone to pick it up.
Fern reads the audiobook herself which I think is by far the best way to experience this book as how she delivers each line is just sheer perfection.
“I was continually over-identifying with fiction to try and find a template for myself and my story”
Thank you to Brazen Books for an advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review!
If you enjoyed this review come follow me on instagram https://www.instagram.com/travelseatsreads