‘Being a human is a complicated game – it’s like seeing a ghost in a mirror and trying to echo everything they do.’
Sometimes I feel like everyone else was handed a copy of the rules for life and mine got lost.
Grace has Asperger’s and her own way of looking at the world. She’s got a horse and a best friend who understand her, and that’s pretty much all she needs. But when Grace kisses Gabe and things start to change at home, the world doesn’t make much sense to her any more. Suddenly everything threatens to fall apart, and it’s up to Grace to fix it on her own.
What I thought:
I know I start most of these by saying I enjoyed it, but I promise I’m not lying. I really do enjoy most books. This one has all the criteria of a ‘normal’ YA except the main character is autistic. In an ideal world that wouldn’t be important, it would just be another part of her character. Except this isn’t an ideal world and the way that she’s written is really well done.
I’m not autistic but one of my best friends is and a lot of the stuff that was happening, or when Grace described what it felt like felt similar. Not that everyone with autism is the same but this definitely rung a few bells. I sent my friend a couple of quotes and she said that it sounded right for her and it’s now on her TBR too.
Grace sees the world differently, she likes things done in a certain way at the right time, routine exists for a reason and she feels comfortable in it. Which means when things don’t follow that routine (as often happens in life and especially when you’re a teenager) she feels out of her depth even though she wants to be able to move on with her life.
I’m really struggling to work out what to say for this book because at times it is formulaic. it’s about a couple getting together in secondary school.
And yet it is more than that, it’s about what’s happening beneath the surface. Grace’s father is always away for work and her mum is feeling the pressure, so when an old uni friend turns up and reminded her of how much fun they used to have when they were young she stops being there as much for the kids. Not to any extreme length but enough that it massively disturbs Graces routine and throws a wrench in her day. Whilst her younger sister is also struggling to work out where she fits in secondary school and is on the fringes of the cool kids. These people all have their own lives and are 3D characters, yes there are times they have to adapt for Grace and her autism but it’s just a part of their life.
Why I read this:
Because Grace is autistic, I wanted to read a YA with a different type of MC.
Final Thoughts:
This is a fun book, it’s not a difficult read but gives a great insight as to what it’s like to be a girl with autism, which is something that is not often talked about as it often shows in a very different way to how boys present. Would I read it again, probably not. Am I glad I read it? Yes.
Would I recommend: If you read YA then yes definitely or if you know someone whose autistic. This is only one persons autism but it still captures a lot of the general feelings.
Challenges:
Popsugar: About mental health, a book you borrowed/given as a gift (this was a library book).
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