Reviews tagging 'Death'

Please Don't Hug Me by Kay Kerr

5 reviews

wren_08's review against another edition

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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


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lawbooks600's review against another edition

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emotional 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

4.0

Representation: First Australian character and another character with autism
Score: Seven points out of ten.

One year ago, I read a book where the protagonist has autism, Peta Lyre's Rating Normal. Unfortunately, that underwhelmed me, so one year later, I tried another novel with a neurodivergent character, Please Don't Hug Me. When I picked that up, it looked promising, and when I was done, it was an enjoyable read, but not the most pleasant.

It starts with the first character I see, Erin, whose last name remains undisclosed, recording her uneventful life thus far in letters. Did I mention Please Don't Hug Me is an epistolary novel? It also has engaging pacing, even with a slow beginning. I wonder what the recipient would say after receiving Erin's letters. Life has been on a downward spiral for Erin after she was fired and then failed her driving test. I understand that life can be so much harder for people who have autism like Erin than neurotypical people, but at least she can move forward from that and not live in the past, which I liked. Even Schoolies, an end of year event, is a struggle for Erin. I'm surprised there's no conversations about masking, or someone acting neurotypical when they're not, only to fit in with society, which worsens their mental health. At least Erin has a support system consisting of one person: her mother.

Toward the latter half of Please Don't Hug Me, Erin questions where her boyfriend is, but unfortunately, she discovers that he died, much to her dismay. The conclusion is bittersweet, as it has some touching and heartwarming moments, but not free from melancholy undertones. To summarise, Please Don't Hug Me is an epistolary novel about a person with autism, but the heavy themes are not for everyone, and it's a more saddening read than I expected. 

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khakipantsofsex's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? Yes

3.75


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sophiesmallhands's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective fast-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

4.0


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annalisaely's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative reflective sad slow-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

4.0

This was emotional and lovely, and as an autistic person I really appreciated that point of view, although I times I agreed with the main character's therapist that she needed to take a little more responsibility for her actions. I especially enjoyed her stories from work and the friend she met there.

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