Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Different, Not Less: A Neurodivergent's Guide to Embracing Your True Self and Finding Your Happily Ever After by Chloé Hayden

18 reviews

clovetra's review against another edition

challenging dark informative sad slow-paced

2.0

i need to preface this entire review by saying i love chloe hayden!!! ive been following her online since 2020, and i adore what shes done for the autistic community & in general her attitude to life!!! i also need to note that i am also autistic, so my experience reading this book may be vastly different to someone neurotypical reading this book, but obv i don't speak for other autistics' opinion on this book.
now, i wish i could say i liked this more.
2 stars seems incredibly harsh but it feels a bit wrong for me to bump it up a star as i didn't enjoy reading this if im honest, it began to feel like a chore. and i think that might be due to the fact im autistic.
i found this book to be quite educational, and honestly, this is my bad but i thought this was moreso a memoir rather than a self-help book, so my expectations were shot going into this ill admit. but i don't know hearing about how shit my life and the lives of other autistics' are was upsetting! i don't say this as a bad thing, i say this purely to explain my rating.
i think this was a beautiful book and honestly i would recommend this to everyone i know ever. but, for me it was not a good fit, a) because i know a lot about autism simply because psychology is my special interest, and b) it made me feel bad for myself? i don't doubt this was NOT hayden's intention, but seeing her succeed in life kinda idk.... made me sad i didn't get any support for my autism as a kid! sure maybe i masked too much so i fell through the cracks, but i kind of felt like "oh, this is what my life could've been like if i got support! yeah sure i'd still be autistic but hey at least i would be able to cope better and idk experience more of life" whilst reading this. i wouldn't even call it jealousy or envy, i would say it was eye-opening in ways i wish it wasn't. 
this review is nothing negative on hayden's book. i love chloe and she could do (almost) no wrong in my eyes. she is my aspiration in life. but i don't know this book put a lot in perspective for me that kind of made me depressed.
also, this is solely because im a dumbass, but i went in expecting more memoir aspects, and i was disappointed it was more a self-help book. like when chloe was talking about her experience at the titanic museums i was enjoying it quite a lot! i think the self-help aspect caused a lot of introspection i wasn't ready and looking for, which i think is the whole reason my enjoyment level was so low.
yet again i do like this book i just didn't have a good time </3 
chloe hayden if you somehow see this i did love this book i am so sorry 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism and Bullying

Moderate: Child abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Medical content

Minor: Eating disorder

autisticwhimsydreamgirl's review against another edition

hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

5.0

I adore this book.  I want everyone in my life to read it.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Eating disorder, Pedophilia, and Sexual assault

picking_back_up's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Child abuse, Eating disorder, and Mental illness

manyofmae's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Pedophilia, and Sexual violence

amiiliy's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Bullying, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts

wheelyautistic's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

I have never read a book that has felt like me ever and I think this is a must read for anyone whether autistic or not. Chloe's raw emotions and stories really help me to empathise with them and with myself 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

swanny_'s review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

This is one of the first books I've read about neurodiversity from a neurodiverse person. 

I'm on my own journey, and I appreciated reading a story that echoed feelings I had growing up and experiences that I still have today. 

I found occasionally it repeated something that had been said, but that's not a bad thing just an observation. 

This is another tool that can help me on my own self discovery, and I hope will help me feel better that I'm 33 trying to figure this out. 

I've listed some triggers in the list, but those triggers are labelled in the book as well. 

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Ableism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Miscarriage, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Medical trauma

aseel_reads's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0

Hands down one of the best books ever, as well as one of the best ND resources I've consumed. I felt very seen and reminded that I'm worthy of good things. I definitely will be forcing all of my ND friends to read this. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism and Bullying

Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Vomit, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

tea_at_mole_end's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Child abuse, Eating disorder, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Animal cruelty and Sexual assault

Minor: Body shaming

madelinequinne's review against another edition

hopeful informative inspiring fast-paced

5.0

A beautifully written account of like as an autistic woman and all the wonderful and not so wonderful things that come with it. I adore Chloé’s writing voice, it’s so personal and you can really feel her passion and love for what she’s doing in this book. I highly recommend for all autistic people who need proof that it’s possible for us to have wonderful lives, and for all neurotypicals to learn what life as an autistic person is really like, and how to support us best

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts