Reviews
The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism, by Naoki Higashida
shewantsthediction's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.0
I know I've read this before years ago but don't remember it making much of an impression the first time, or coming away with a good understanding of what exactly autism was. As it's a spectrum, this boy's nonspeaking experience cannot be generalized and may be hard to understand, but it's insight nonetheless.
sarahfish_30's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting peek into the mind of a young Japanese boy with autism. There's some controversy surrounding this book regarding to what extent the words are the author's own (some believe the alphabet grid he uses to construct sentences, along with translators, take too much away from any original thought). But if the critics are to be disbelieved, then it is indeed wondrous to hear a take on the world from a consciousness very different from my own.
amytyra's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
malaynachang's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed reading this book. It had a good idea, and the book contained a wonderful insight to autism, which is a world unknown to many people. I think that this book really helped to open eyes for the people who misnamed or are rude to people who have autism. I liked the idea of the story and it really amazed me that Naoki was able to write this whole thing. I think that that is an incredible feat by itself. I will be writing a longer review on iRead later on, so please be sure to visit and know that I give this book a big thumbs up! Also, this book kind of reminded me of Out of my Mind or Wonder or other books that really help to open people's eyes, even if this particular book wasn't fiction. It is a really enjoyable read, despite being nonfiction, I guess you could say, or maybe a little autobiography.
www.iread2016.blogspot.com
www.iread2016.blogspot.com
ollielou's review against another edition
2.0
a bit of a controversial opinion, but this book can be quite harmful to both neuro-typical and non-neuro-typical people. the author is clearly very self-aware and perceptive, which is not a trait that everyone has. this generalisation of his experiences as being something that all autistic people feel and think is harmful - parents and friends may assume the feelings of their autistic children or friends, and autistic people may feel even more isolated from groups as they read a very self-aware autistic person explain how THEY feel, but use language like WE feel. i think the cherry on top was the editor changing the language of the author to make it flow better and to make it sound more sophisticated!
ronielle's review against another edition
2.0
I really wanted to like this book…..but I just didn't. I can see why many reviewers question the authenticity of the book. I heard about this book/author from a documentary and I do believe that a 13 year old wrote it. However, I find the book incredibly problematic. I was not thrown off (as many readers are) by the fact that the author speaks for all autistic people. I think that is a sign of his age and limited experience more than autism perhaps. Most teenagers will make assumptions that groups of people are all the same, so I would not be surprised if that is what is happening here being the author is so young.
What does trouble me is that I don't know what are the author's words and what is coming from the translator/editor. The translator and editor has said that he just put stylistic changes to the text - but that can greatly influence how a text reads and I feel like that may contribute to the feel of the inauthentic nature of the text. I wonder if there was a different translation of the text if I would like it better. I wonder if someone translated the original that was not invested in the issue of autism (the translator and narrator had a child with autism) would have provided a more authentic voice for Naoki Higashida that might feel more true to the book he wrote.
What does trouble me is that I don't know what are the author's words and what is coming from the translator/editor. The translator and editor has said that he just put stylistic changes to the text - but that can greatly influence how a text reads and I feel like that may contribute to the feel of the inauthentic nature of the text. I wonder if there was a different translation of the text if I would like it better. I wonder if someone translated the original that was not invested in the issue of autism (the translator and narrator had a child with autism) would have provided a more authentic voice for Naoki Higashida that might feel more true to the book he wrote.
sssnoo's review against another edition
3.0
I appreciated the first half of this book and suggest any family touched by autism, educators dealing with autistic children and anyone curious about autism read this book. The story neart the end did not make much sense to me thus the 3 star rating.
My first book completed in 2019.
My first book completed in 2019.
sarah_glaser's review against another edition
5.0
As a Speech Pathology student, I took an immediate interest in this book. The author really provides new insight not just into autism, but into the importance of communication as a whole. The entire book was written off of a low-tech AAC, a basic handmade keyboard. This detail makes it all the more fascinating. I would highly recommend to anyone in the SPED field or anyone who just wants a little more insight into autism and communication.