Neurodivergent femme lesbian and autistic trans demi lesbian best friend make a summer love pact to find romance and end up finding each other. It wasNeurodivergent femme lesbian and autistic trans demi lesbian best friend make a summer love pact to find romance and end up finding each other. It was just as amazing as that one sentence makes it sound.
I will say this book is the most allo book I've read in a very long time. As someone who is demiromantic and asexual I feel like I had some whiplash from our main character's constant crush having ability. Like she immediately imagines herself with these people and it blows my mind that people actually experience that.
I've seen some reviews talk about how some of these labels feel forced but I think a lot of that is stemming from our own inability to grasp what teenage hood looks like now. Most of these reviews have been from adults and I know that a decade or two ago a friend group of mostly queer people who are out and loud and proud was non-existent and so to read stories about it are both heartwarming and heartbreaking for me personally. I love it though. I love knowing that kids now are able to know themselves in ways we could only dream of when we were their age. I love seeing all of the neurodiversity and acceptance of ADHD and autism and gender and sexuality and it just makes me so happy.
This book is the definition of queer summer joy and I relished it....more
I get asked ALL the time by folks offline what kind of books I read and my response is always "as long as it's queAROMANTIC TRANS AUTISTIC MC!!!!!!!!!
I get asked ALL the time by folks offline what kind of books I read and my response is always "as long as it's queer, I'll read it" and I feel like this book really embodies that. I'm not a thriller or horror fan necessarily but this book, and the authors previous, are so unabashedly queer that I was obviously gonna read them and I'm so glad I did because wow, wow wow wow are they fantastic.
I loved Hell Followed With Us and The Spirit Bares Its Teeth but because I'm not a horror person, I often was a little grossed out by the gore and Compound Fracture has it's fair share of blood and gore but it is more of a thriller than a horror. I also really want to throw this book at people who claim that reading isn't political and that our very existence isn't political. Our entire lives are political and the choices we make and the media we consume is a political choice. Andrew Joseph White does a fabulous job explaining that and really pushing that fact home in this book.
I about lost my mind when I realized this book has an aromantic trans autistic main character because we genuinely do not have enough quality books with aromantic representation. This book is about Miles and his family and this generations long feud in his hometown. Started years and years ago, his family and another powerful one in town have this blood feud where members from each family are constantly harming the other. It began with Saint Abernathy and his role in the strikes and workers rights and his murder by law enforcement. Now Miles is the target of the current sheriff and his son.
This book is still very heavy and not for the faint of heart but it also has so much humor and love at the core behind the violence and the tragedy. There's a dog named Lady, who is safe and sound at the end of the book, and some wonderful friendships discovered and explored. There's a powerful display of family dynamics and what it can truly be like to come out in a small town.
I do recommend checking out the content warnings of which there are many before diving into this book, but I genuinely think this is a book that everyone should read and that everyone could find enjoyment in....more
Elf x Orc queer trans smut wasn't on my 2024 bingo card but I here I am.
But honestly this book is so much more than really exceptionally good smut. IElf x Orc queer trans smut wasn't on my 2024 bingo card but I here I am.
But honestly this book is so much more than really exceptionally good smut. It's about this elf prince who is kidnapped by this orc leader in hopes of ransoming off and bargaining with the king. Except the orc overestimated how much the king would want the elf back and how annoyingly bratty the elf would be. And the elf overestimated how much he would enjoy living with the orcs and having the freedom which sounds counterproductive since he's being held prisoner essentially.
The two of them very slowly begin to trust each other and to see the goodness in each other even though they've been told their entire lives how terrible the others are. The elf is able to embrace himself and his true calling and to find a place where he actually fits in in the orc is able to find someone to provide for and show his community that leading by example is the most important thing there is.
I don't know how to explain how great this book is. If you don't mind explicit scenes in books, I highly recommend this one. The descriptions of everything are really exceptional but I especially love the descriptions of the top surgery scars. Truly beautiful. 10/10 recommend...more
When I was about 30% of the way in I was convinced that this book was going to be a three to a four star for me. I was enjoying it but I wasn't lovingWhen I was about 30% of the way in I was convinced that this book was going to be a three to a four star for me. I was enjoying it but I wasn't loving it. And then Kade joins and oh my god. This book went to a five-star so fast. I love so much about this book. I love the poly representation and the routinely checking in about communication. I loved the drinking and the cocktail recipes were such a fun addition. I feel like this book has a lot of balance for a contemporary romance. I do think I would have liked a little bit more details about Bebe and Kade professionally. But I'm not nitpicking. I love this book.
My favorite moments are the snow storm and the cocktail competition and afterwards. Iykyk ...more
As much as I liked the first book in this series, this one just blew that one away. I loved these two so much and I especially loved the autism rap anAs much as I liked the first book in this series, this one just blew that one away. I loved these two so much and I especially loved the autism rap and the aspec representation. Clementine is autistic and on both the asexual and aromantic spectrums which is just glorious triple representation for me.
The chronic pain rep was also fantastic and I just don't have anything negative to say. I can't wait for the audiobook of the third book to release!...more
I was NOT prepared for the emotional mess this book put me through. I really loved the other book I've read by this author but I think I liked this onI was NOT prepared for the emotional mess this book put me through. I really loved the other book I've read by this author but I think I liked this one just a bit more. It's very emotional and intense but done in a way that's gonna be exciting and educational for middle grade readers. It packs a lot of activism and autism awareness and disability awareness and it's just so well done.
I was a bit confused by what time/year this was supposed to be set in. The main premise is the company called Pomegranate that makes holograms of real people so that others can meet them in the case of a celebrity, or grieve a lost loved one. While that kinda sounds futury, it wasn't enough to convince me this is futuristic. But then there's these comments about flying not being allowed or a common form of transportation anymore and that confused me more than anything else. I don't think it helped this book at all and actually added the only negative I have about the book. I don't like being confused and that element did just that.
Overall though, a fantastic book that I will likely reread.
I've been reading a lot of middle grade books with autistic MCs lately and this one is such a great addition. It features an autistic girl who is misuI've been reading a lot of middle grade books with autistic MCs lately and this one is such a great addition. It features an autistic girl who is misunderstood and patronized when she expressed concern about the "witches" that were murdered hundreds of years ago in her town. When she sets out to get the city to create a memorial to those women, she is laughed at but she is persistent. Ableism is so constant in our everyday lives and autistic people are subjected to so much vitriol. The comparison made between modern day ableism and historic ableism regarding witch trials was enlightening and a take many people could stand to listen to.
This one is a difficult read but it's age appropriate and one I hope find the homes of many autistic kids and adults alike, as well as allistic folks....more
Tragically, this is my least favorite of this author's books. I think my biggest issues with this are similar to what other people have and that it isTragically, this is my least favorite of this author's books. I think my biggest issues with this are similar to what other people have and that it is just completely unrealistic representation for a reactive dog and the training. I feel like this book could have been redeemed had there been extensive explanations from the adults to be about what training a therapy dog actually entails as well as giving them the respect and dignity they deserve as a person to explain to them that their desire to train a therapy dog is not realistic for their current circumstances.
This entire book is about B who is a foster kid who is non-binary and very clearly autistic but undiagnosed. They really want to be a therapy dog trainer when they grow up and they get really attached to this dog named gooseberry who they meet at a county fair situation. B ends up with new foster parents who are queer and essentially acts out until they adopt this dog. The problem is that gooseberry has had a traumatic history and is very reactive. He could be potentially dangerous to those around him and should have never been adopted out without proper professional training and should have never been left alone with a child until training had been accomplished.
My biggest struggle with this was that had the adults and B's life just been honest and told them that this was an unrealistic expectation but maybe we could work towards fostering and training with professional help it would have been okay. At first I didn't have this strong of feelings about it until I read a few other reviews that mentioned that because this book doesn't give the proper explanations to why this situation is unrealistic it's going to give other kids this expectation that they too can interact with and engage with reactive animals. That is just an unsafe thing and as someone with an aggressive dog it is not something that can just be dealt with or handled in a few short weeks.
I really wanted to love this. I love Robin Gow's books and their work but this was a miss for me. I have really enjoyed the other three books I've read by them and so I am in no way writing them off as an author but this one was just a significant miss for me. I do look forward to what they write next and I will continue reading the books....more
My heart is so full seeing so many great middle grade books with autistic MCs. This one is difficult to read at times and a lot of it I spent so frustMy heart is so full seeing so many great middle grade books with autistic MCs. This one is difficult to read at times and a lot of it I spent so frustrated at the adults in Selah's life but it's an important and necessary book.
One thing I think people will need to understand is that you can't coddle autistic people all the time. Autism is a spectrum and we deserve to have things explained with respect and dignity and not be patronized or looked down on. All levels of support needs are valid and just because it doesn't look like what you think doesn't make it inaccurate representation.
I was so proud of Selah for standing up for herself and doing the research to figure out what tools would help her best.
This is a very important book for both kids and adults alike....more
I'll be honest and say that I requested this one on netgalley simply because I fell in love with the cover. It turned out to be a really cute middle gI'll be honest and say that I requested this one on netgalley simply because I fell in love with the cover. It turned out to be a really cute middle grade book about grief and coping and family. Olivetti is a typewriter who is sentient but according to the code of typewriters they're not allowed to talk humans but they remember everything that has ever been typed on them. Olivetti has been in this family for his whole existence and when his owner Beatrice, sells him at a pawn shop and then goes missing, all of Eddie decides to break the biggest rule and help Beatrice's son find her.
It's very heartwarming and cute. The kid MC really read to me as autistic or at the very least neurodivergent of some kind. He's super obsessed with dictionaries and stops talking for a large part. We get his POV but he doesn't talk to other people much which read as selective mutism or just going nonverbal for bouts at a time. He is very singularly focused and gets frustrated when other people try to dissuade him from his pursuits. Idk if it was intended but personally, that's how I read him.
I'll list the CWs below but they are kinda spoilery so heads up
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS
CW: grief, cancer, illness, implied suicidal intentions but this is middle grade so it's not right out there on the page...more
The amount of tears I cried during this should be illegal.
CW: rape and sexual assault
So this book sounds heavy at first and it does deal with heavy tThe amount of tears I cried during this should be illegal.
CW: rape and sexual assault
So this book sounds heavy at first and it does deal with heavy topics, but please know that the entire mood is very much a "fuck around and find out" and also "queers for the goddamn win".
Ariana is autistic and deals with selective mutism. She doesn't talk outside of her home or with folks she's VERY comfortable with. When she is raped by her supposed friend Luis, she doesn't realize at first that it was rape. She tries to justify that he just didn't know she didn't want it because she didn't say anything but as the story progresses, she realizes just how much of a fuckwad Luis Ortega is and ends up joined with others who have also been harmed by him.
The Luis Ortega Survival Club is headed up by Shani, Luis' ex girlfriend and has members who have been assaulted or bullied by Luis Ortega. They want revenge and telling their story is the best way they can think of. Except telling your story is harder than it sounds.
So I have a collection of books that I have labeled the "get to know me " books and they all have representation of some piece or part of me. I wasn't really expecting this book to go into that pile but it most certainly is. I am someone who hates touch. I don't like to be touched and I don't want to touch anyone. I get startled by unexpected touch. My whole family knows better than to just hug me or touch me in any way without asking first. I was always the problem child because I didn't want to give hugs at family parties or events as a kid. I have never ever read a book where a character is as touch averse as I am. I cried so many times during this book throughout a lot of it, but a lot of my tears were for finding a character who feels the same way I do. So often it's this really negative thing that people portray it as and it's easy to always feel cold or frigid because you don't want human contact but seeing someone go through the same thing I do everyday is invaluable. It's not as though we dislike ALL contact but I have to be ready for it. Much like Ariana, I LOVE a good hug but I'm extremely selective with when and who is getting that hug. I also go through bouts of not talking when I'm in heavy overstimulation or autistic burnout and it isn't the same severity as Ariana's, but seeing a character deal with that as well was really important for me. I just loved it a lot....more
I'm honestly not surprised by how much I loved this because I adored this author's debut and know that they aWow. This was stunning. I have no notes.
I'm honestly not surprised by how much I loved this because I adored this author's debut and know that they are definitely an autobuy author for me now. Everything about this book works. It's powerful and emotional and so full of hope that I teared out multiple times listening to it. The audiobook is fantastic. Cannot recommend it enough.
When I tell you I was dying laughing listening to the acknowledgments at the end of this book. I will forever be referring to EVERY GARDEN NEEDS A HOE
When I tell you I was dying laughing listening to the acknowledgments at the end of this book. I will forever be referring to this book as every garden needs a hoe.
This was a real surprise delight for me. I have liked Maisy eddings previous books but I always had small issues with them. This is her first sapphic book and all my expectations were met and then some.
This is a sapphic neurodivergent semi enemies to lovers. We have opal who is a chronic people pleaser. She is neurodivergent and bi/pan and when she wins the lottery she impulsively buys a flower farm and ditches her crappy abusive friends. Except when she gets to the flower farm does she bought from the nice old lady, she discovers that someone is already living there and doesn't know that it's been sold.
Insert Pepper. Pepper is autistic and sapphic, I can't actually remember if she is lesbian or bi but she's super duper queer. Pepper was dropped off by her abusive narcissistic mother at the flower farm when she was 16 or 17 or younger I don't remember anyway to live with her great aunt / grandma. I'm so sorry it's been a week since I've read this and apparently the small details have floated away from my mind. Anyway so she sent to live at this farm with a relative and her mom essentially abandons her. When the relative dies, pepper is under the assumption that she has to turn the flower from around and make a profit but that she is still living there. Unbeknownst to her, her mom has gone out from under her and sold the flower farm for an exorbitant money to Opal.
The two of them clash at the beginning but I wouldn't really qualify this as enemies to lovers more like enemies of circumstance. They don't actually dislike each other but it's hard to like the person that just bought your home out from under you or like the person who is living in your brand new startup life respectively. I really liked the slow growth of Pepper and Opals friendship that turned into more. I liked that both of them had their own baggage to deal with and that it wasn't skewed and one character's growth development. Both of them had things to deal with and they do.
As someone with a toxic mom, I really felt for Pepper and how hard it is to be the child of someone who is toxic as hell and manipulative.
I saw a couple people talk about how the title is a little misleading because both of the characters know they're queer but personally I still really loved it. You know one of the characters has more experience than the other and they're both really blooming into their own identities as queer neurodivergent individuals with power. I mean learning and taking hold of your own strength is something that a lot of people have to work towards and both of these women have to do that in this book and I really liked that. I'm here for that....more
This was cute! And a bit heavy at times dealing with coming out and disownment from parents but it's mostly adorable.
It's got an out autistic cis lesThis was cute! And a bit heavy at times dealing with coming out and disownment from parents but it's mostly adorable.
It's got an out autistic cis lesbian who has just been broken up with and she's a teacher. Then we have a supposedly straight best friend with ADHD who is a photographer and works at an art gallery.
Clara starts at this art gallery and it's super queer right so the owner assumes that she is queer so instead of correcting her, she comes up with a plan to bring her best friend (who is of course in love with her) as a fake girlfriend. Except it's not so fake. There's basically no faking going on which I liked because it got right to the point.
I do feel like their friendship and relationship was a bit glossed over and I would've liked to see it drawn out a bit more but this is a novella and I get that some things get sacrificed for page limits and such.
I think the autistic and ADHD rep was very well done and I love seeing a sapphic neurodivergent couple.
This was so so good. I cannot express to you how difficult it is to find books with fat queer neurodivergent main characters that are done well and I This was so so good. I cannot express to you how difficult it is to find books with fat queer neurodivergent main characters that are done well and I am thrilled to be able to add this to those that are well done.
The story follows these two best friends who skip a field trip and end up in the shifting corn maze in Indiana where they keep finding dead versions of themselves. We have Sadie who is fat bisexual with ADHD and potentially also autistic and then we have Logan who is queer BIPOC with ADHD. They're best friends and there's no romance and that is such a breath of fresh air.
Anyway so they're stuck in this corn maze and they're trying to figure out how it all works what's going on how to get out how long they've been there etc. They find things from other people and other dead bodies and then there is this underlying theme of exploring how toxic and abusive relationships can impact our lives and futures.
The whole thing is both intensely creepy and super heartwarming and I can't explain it. You just have to trust me and go for it.
The first half of this book is much creepier than the second half. The first half really spends time setting the scene and explaining the elements of the corn maze and the second half focuses a lot on The characters and their own development within this maze and their relationships.
Note to my fellow scaredy cats out there don't listen to this audiobook at 3:00 in the morning in the dark when you're driving to work in Indiana. It is a bad choice okay. I regretted my decision.
I also want to make a note about the fat representation. It is phenomenal. It is both a huge part of this book and just another character trait of Sadie. Sadie is confident in her body but also deals with what all fat people deal with which is this constant need to be smaller and the internalized fat phobia we all have to work through. She also has some other baggage to get through but she has a supportive best friend who acknowledges her fatness without shaming her for it or denying it. She and Logan are both unapologetically queer and unapologetically neurodiverse. This is all told through Sadie's perspective and we get a lot of her thoughts and the way her brain works which is so relatable. She isn't technically written as autistic but I read her as autistic. Something about all of her sensory and thought processes really hit home for me.
I genuinely cannot recommend this book enough It is the perfect spooky season book and I realize that we're past spooky season now but you should still read it....more
This was really cute and full of wonderful neurodivergent representation. You've got these two sisters who are both autistic but autistic and differenThis was really cute and full of wonderful neurodivergent representation. You've got these two sisters who are both autistic but autistic and different ways and I really appreciated that the most in this whole story. I loved that they were able to just exist and it also helps showcase how much of a spectrum autism is.
The dad is also nerdivergent and has ADHD which is always fun representation for me.
It's been a few weeks since I read this and so I'm a little bit foggy on the details but I do remember enjoying it and it's one that I would recommend especially to autistic people and as a general book for middle school and young adult readers....more
This was cute and spooky. It's a middle grade mystery book about these two kids who investigate why the adults in their town are going into this trancThis was cute and spooky. It's a middle grade mystery book about these two kids who investigate why the adults in their town are going into this trance like state. There's a black main character and a questioning autistic main character. It was cute and I definitely think that middle schoolers would love this one....more
THIS BOOK. HOLY FREAKING WOW. IT LIVES IN MY BRAIN RENT FREE NOW.
Murderous sirens and a super diverse cast of characters was exactly the type of enerTHIS BOOK. HOLY FREAKING WOW. IT LIVES IN MY BRAIN RENT FREE NOW.
Murderous sirens and a super diverse cast of characters was exactly the type of energy I needed today.
So, here's the rundown. You've got this story of this big ship that went out to the Mariana Trench to do research and everyone died. The footage that was discovered (because it was funded by an entertainment media company that makes horror movies) showed horrendous creatures brutally murdering the people and everyone wrote it off as a hoax or special effects. Mermaids couldn't be real, right?
Fast forward a few years and Imagine Media wants to send another crew out. They reach out to the best and brightest in marine biology and oceanography and set forth to find the mermaids.
This book is wild. From start to finish, it's nonstop tension. While some say the plot is slow I strongly disagree because you are just waiting for something tragic to happen, and happen it does.
So if you're looking for a keep-you-on-the-edge-of-your-seat book with killer sirens and a diverse and incredibly developed cast of characters, this is the one for you. Please tell me if you've read this or if you do because I want to talk about it.
Olivia: autistic lesbian geek beauty, the face of Imagine entertainment
Tori: bisexual badass scientist who wants to avenge the death of her sister (who died on the first voyage) and learn to understand the mermaids
Hallie and Holly and Heather: the sisters. Deaf identical twins and their older sister. All different types of scientists.
Jacque and Michi: killers. Literally. Like big game killers hired to kill the mermaids if necessary. Honestly bad people but absolute romance goals. Iconic.
Jillian Toth: the original sirentologist, super badass icon, and problem child.
Theo Blackwell: Imagine PR and head of voyage, physically disabled and the estranged husband of Dr. Toth.
Did I copy and paste my caption from my Instagram post about this book that I wrote immediately after finishing it? Yeah pretty much.
I do want to expand upon some of my thoughts because Instagram captions are only so long but holy freaking nuts this book is wild. It was so good and so unique and interesting that I felt like a rubber band ready to snap the whole time because of how much tension I had. I was worried for them! Those fuckers were going to die. And some of them do. This is definitely one of those books where you're going through it and you're like are any of the characters going to survive this? Spoiler yes some of them do but definitely not all of them.
I still can't quite explain why the big game hunter couple were some of my favorite characters. There was something about them being so unlikable yet so in love with each other that just did it for me I guess. There really is someone for everyone if they want them I suppose.
Reread thoughts: I can't figure out if this was more stressful the second time around because you knew what was coming. The scene with Ray and Olivia caused heart palpitations in the bad way and the pool scene. If you know you know. This book is still absolutely amazing and definitely one of my favorites of the year....more
T4t in a queer historical horror book? Sign me the fuck up. This was so good, maybe even better than Hell Followed With Us. I loved Silas and Daphne aT4t in a queer historical horror book? Sign me the fuck up. This was so good, maybe even better than Hell Followed With Us. I loved Silas and Daphne and the entire premise had me sucked in from the beginning.
That being said, this is HORROR and it's got a lot of body gore in it so if that's not your thing, maybe skip this one. There's a lot of medical discussions and even a detailed C-section with no anesthesia performed on page. It's pretty brutal.
It's also worth noting that the audiobook narrator is fantastic. Like genuinely so so so good. The MC is autistic and has a rabbit in their head that spews anxious thoughts and the narrator did a wonderful job portraying all of that. I also love seeing a trans autistic character and seeing brains that work a bit like mine in historical books. We've always been here we just have the words for it now....more
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