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jaclyncrupi's review against another edition
4.0
I love good representations of neurodiversity and reading about people who experience and process the world in different ways. I also love book merch and will always be sad I didn’t get a Normal People T-shirt. I did feel the form limited this book a little and I would have loved for a section to break out of the epistolary form. But it provided unique and immediate insights into what it feels like to be an autistic teenager in a neurotypical world and that is incredibly important and much needed.
cowboycock's review against another edition
4.0
‘i’ve got rocks in my stomach and i’m only half-tuned in all the time. things seem to be happening behind a pane of glass, so i can see them but i can’t reach out and touch them.’
‘i think my brain can be such a mess sometimes that it takes up all of my focus. i don’t mean to be selfish, but there isn’t always room to think about what other people might be going through.’
i fear erin and i would be unstoppable besties
‘i think my brain can be such a mess sometimes that it takes up all of my focus. i don’t mean to be selfish, but there isn’t always room to think about what other people might be going through.’
i fear erin and i would be unstoppable besties
audhder's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
moh's review against another edition
4.0
The autistic rep was amazing and struck home in a way I haven't experienced with a novel before. It saturated my dreams, scrambling together people I haven't thought of since I was a young adult with feelings I still have. So grateful this book exists! I think it's going to make a lot of autistic teens feel seen.
wren_08's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Alcohol
chantelspeaks's review against another edition
4.0
For more reviews, head to my blog Chantel Speaks
"A friend isn’t just who they are to you, but who you are and who you feel you can be when you’re with them"
Please Don’t Hug Me is the story of Erin and her final year of high school. Like many teens, she is figuring out who she is and what kind of person she wants to be. With that struggle in mind, Erin is writing to her brother, Rudy, who went away almost a year ago, who she misses a lot.
Erin’s story is told from her letters to Rudy. This is the book’s main structure. Her letters are quirky, funny and sometimes sad as Erin navigates her senior year and the trials that come with it. Through Erin, we explore friendships, dating, living with Autism as well as difficult topics, like death. As time is going forward through her letters, we see Erin growing and evolving as a young person, and the beginning of glimpses into the adult she’s becoming.
"If something makes you feel good you should wear it, really. People want to make us think liking clothes is frivolous and unimportant, but it’s an art form as much as painting or writing or singing. Clothes are our armour"
One part I loved reading was Erin’s changing relationships with friends. As her final year progresses, Erin starts to question how she and her friends fit together in the world. This is part of growing up. Many young adults are facing similar as they leave their teens, and I know I did too. I love that Kerr explored this, and how she positioned Erin's friendship circle. In particular, I loved Aggie and the friendship she and Erin develop over the course of the story. For me, this was one of my favourite parts of the book.
This is an Own Voices YA novel. Erin is a teenager with Autism and the author, Kay Kerr is a person with Autism. Telling this story from that close insider’s perspective was moving and powerful. Honestly, it taught me something about what they mean when they tell writers to “write what they know”. Kerr understands life with Autism deeply and intimately. This shines through Erin’s letters, making her character more real. I believe many teenagers and adults on the spectrum would identify and relate to Erin as we get to know her in the book.
"Maybe it’s okay to have brain wires that make you fidgety and bad at eye contact, as long as you tell the truth and don’t hurt the people you love and say sorry if you do and do something nice for your friends when they’re sad. It might not sound like a lot, but it is"
This is a well-written YA novel with just enough to keep people of a variety of ages engaged. It definitely had highs and lows and stirred up some forgotten feelings about growing up for me. I love recommending books or buying books for friends with a thought to something they’re currently facing, and I’ll keep this one in mind for any teenagers I come across.
"A friend isn’t just who they are to you, but who you are and who you feel you can be when you’re with them"
Please Don’t Hug Me is the story of Erin and her final year of high school. Like many teens, she is figuring out who she is and what kind of person she wants to be. With that struggle in mind, Erin is writing to her brother, Rudy, who went away almost a year ago, who she misses a lot.
Erin’s story is told from her letters to Rudy. This is the book’s main structure. Her letters are quirky, funny and sometimes sad as Erin navigates her senior year and the trials that come with it. Through Erin, we explore friendships, dating, living with Autism as well as difficult topics, like death. As time is going forward through her letters, we see Erin growing and evolving as a young person, and the beginning of glimpses into the adult she’s becoming.
"If something makes you feel good you should wear it, really. People want to make us think liking clothes is frivolous and unimportant, but it’s an art form as much as painting or writing or singing. Clothes are our armour"
One part I loved reading was Erin’s changing relationships with friends. As her final year progresses, Erin starts to question how she and her friends fit together in the world. This is part of growing up. Many young adults are facing similar as they leave their teens, and I know I did too. I love that Kerr explored this, and how she positioned Erin's friendship circle. In particular, I loved Aggie and the friendship she and Erin develop over the course of the story. For me, this was one of my favourite parts of the book.
This is an Own Voices YA novel. Erin is a teenager with Autism and the author, Kay Kerr is a person with Autism. Telling this story from that close insider’s perspective was moving and powerful. Honestly, it taught me something about what they mean when they tell writers to “write what they know”. Kerr understands life with Autism deeply and intimately. This shines through Erin’s letters, making her character more real. I believe many teenagers and adults on the spectrum would identify and relate to Erin as we get to know her in the book.
"Maybe it’s okay to have brain wires that make you fidgety and bad at eye contact, as long as you tell the truth and don’t hurt the people you love and say sorry if you do and do something nice for your friends when they’re sad. It might not sound like a lot, but it is"
This is a well-written YA novel with just enough to keep people of a variety of ages engaged. It definitely had highs and lows and stirred up some forgotten feelings about growing up for me. I love recommending books or buying books for friends with a thought to something they’re currently facing, and I’ll keep this one in mind for any teenagers I come across.
jessicakisiel's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I adored this book so much. It was funny, meaningful, and I can’t even count how many times I said ‘yep me’ or ‘ohh yes, can relate’ throughout the whole thing. The story was so well thought out and it took me back to so many high school experiences and made me wonder how I’d tackle them if I knew I was autistic back then.
All the questions I had were answered and it was such an enjoyable read.
All the questions I had were answered and it was such an enjoyable read.