crystal_reading's review against another edition
5.0
This is an excellent book about a young girl learning about herself. Her brother has autism and she explains the rules she uses to help him get along with other people. In addition, we see how her relationships develop. The characters in the book pulled me right in.
junghoseok's review against another edition
5.0
This is a really sweet book about a girl's relationship with her autistic little brother and a boy with a medical condition whom she meets at her brother's doctor's appointment. The characters are especially well-written, and there are touching and really difficult situations throughout. I definitely recommend it.
winjins's review against another edition
2.0
read this cause I want to read every book i own and i needed something i could quickly finish
i hated every character except jason and david, and david is hardly in this.
Catherine is pretty damn intolerable, but i understand her frustration at times because her parents are the worst. kristi was by far my least favorite character, she never once talked to catherine about anything that wasn’t about herself, felt no need to understand david or even ask questions, and was just genuinely awful.
i hated every character except jason and david, and david is hardly in this.
Catherine is pretty damn intolerable, but i understand her frustration at times because her parents are the worst. kristi was by far my least favorite character, she never once talked to catherine about anything that wasn’t about herself, felt no need to understand david or even ask questions, and was just genuinely awful.
gessellemaria's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
grclnntt's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
kleedc73's review against another edition
4.0
This was a great young adult book with surprisingly difficult themes. It centers on a young teen, Catherine, whose brother David is autistic. Catherine is uncomfortable with her brother because being with him in public is difficult and sometimes embarrassing and infringes on Catherine's ability to live a "normal" life. Things become even more complicated when Catherine meets a wheel-chair-bound boy, Jason, while attending occupational therapy with her brother. Catherine is a great character and her struggles to deal with her brother's autism, the impact of his illness on her family, and her interactions with other challenged kids (like Jason) were incredibly realistic and interesting and, in some ways, heartbreaking. The way that Catherine's relationship with Jason develops was one of my favorite parts of the book, particularly how they are able to bond and begin understanding each other better through Catherine's art. Because of her interactions with Jason, who is physically challenged but mentally fully cognizant, Catherine gets some insight into how it feels to be on the other side of a difficult situation, which helps give her some perspective on her own brother. I also thought it was terrific that she finally was able to express some of her frustrations over her family situation to her father. Overall, some very adult themes presented in an appropriate way for young adults. Reading this book led to a great discussion with my 10-year-old niece, always a bonus.
lindseygrant's review against another edition
4.0
very good, a girl has an autistic brother and must face the challenges. Meanwhile she is meeting a lot of new people.
kricketa's review against another edition
3.0
this is another highly acclaimed book that deals with autism realistically, though the voice of catherine, whose younger brother is autistic. unfortunately, i read it right after 'al capone does my shirts' which was an unwise choice as it wasn't nearly as entertaining to me. also, there was something about the narrator's relationship with jason, a paraplegic, that came off as preachy and contrived. especially at the end.
poachedeggs's review against another edition
3.0
A 12-year-old with an autistic brother finds friendship in an unexpected source.
I think this book is sweet and squishable!
I think this book is sweet and squishable!