Reviews with content warning for Violence - A Kind of Spark

Cried a couple of times. Its the first kids book ive read with such explicit autistic rep. I felt very jealous at the mc for having so many words to explain her autism to others. I could relate alot to her experiences but not the way she could express herself and stand up for herself. I did not have those words as a kid. Im glad some kids do and that this book could be meaningful for them. I did not like the whiteness of the autism rep though, it talked about how its more difficult for high support needs autistics but not about intersectionality of ableism and racism and that was a pity. There was not enough intersectionality in the advocacy of this book in general and I also did not like the language policing; two times the mc says that autism is not something you have but autistic is something you are and the mc says it like that is a fact. But not all autistics feel that way so it felt a bit exclusive :/ also at the end the mc says everyone in the town is good now bcs they recognised one wrong thing in history but that is very simplified and again I feel like thats such a white perspective that largely ignores how dangerous it still is to be poc and autistic or having intersecting disabilities etc. I still rate it 4 stars despite these issues bcs its a really special book and I wish I had it as a child. It made me feel closer to my self and it made me feel validated.

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rebeccafarren's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective 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? It's complicated

4.5

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hayley_mariep's review against another edition

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challenging hopeful inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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zoiejanelle's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

this book was a breath of fresh air. though tense at times, Addie’s story is truly inspiring and satisfying because it fully encompasses what it means and feels like to be neurodivergent. as i read, i felt myself relating to Addie and also learning more about the experience of being autistic and how i myself could better understand my autistic friends/family. this story was an emotional roller coaster—i wanted to strangle the teacher and scream at the city counsel, but comfort Addie and Keedie—and it ends so, so well. A Kind Of Spark is a beautiful, authentic book that i recommend for any reader looking to expand their understanding of autism and enjoy a unique and strong literary voice.

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