justcrystalxo's review against another edition
5.0
this book gave me a real look into autism. carly is such a strong intelligent young woman and i am glad that she found her voice.
whosbradpitt's review against another edition
4.0
A father writes about his daughter's autism diagnosis, treatment, and communication breakthrough as she begins writing. Some discussion of other family members, but the focus is primarily on Carly. An intriguing perspective on autism; easy to read though sometimes repetitive. A hit with the class book club!
positivelyreading's review against another edition
3.0
This story was both educational and real and I found it very impactful. Personally, I learned so much about the Austin’s spectrum and identified some of my own misconceptions relating to it. Carly’s chapter at the end is 100% worth reading and will stay in my mind while being a nurse and a human interacting with people on the spectrum and will forever change my perspective.
That being said, as a book I don’t know how successful it was. The writing (by her father) was very plain and formulated. I.e. “she said” “replied Carly” “discussed”; it felt very dry and repetitive and included pages and pages of pure scripts and reports. I think this book would have done better if the father and Carly hired a third person (a professional author) to interview them and write their story through a third persons perspective?
Or maybe a shorter book with just Carly’s writing and perspective?
Idk something about the first 3/4ths of the book felt off to me and I think it was the basic writing style and repetition of the story.
The story though is worth researching and Carly’s voice was heard loud and clear which is the true meaning! Definitely read her first hand account at the end of the book and the interview portion!!!!
That being said, as a book I don’t know how successful it was. The writing (by her father) was very plain and formulated. I.e. “she said” “replied Carly” “discussed”; it felt very dry and repetitive and included pages and pages of pure scripts and reports. I think this book would have done better if the father and Carly hired a third person (a professional author) to interview them and write their story through a third persons perspective?
Or maybe a shorter book with just Carly’s writing and perspective?
Idk something about the first 3/4ths of the book felt off to me and I think it was the basic writing style and repetition of the story.
The story though is worth researching and Carly’s voice was heard loud and clear which is the true meaning! Definitely read her first hand account at the end of the book and the interview portion!!!!
morganbecks's review against another edition
5.0
Great great book! As a psychology student who plans on being a Child Psychologist this book was very educational yet also hilarious and entertaining! Carly is certainly one of a kind and I really hope she goes far. It is written so well and I applause Carly's dad for taking the time to share his and Carly's story because it certainly is a beautiful and special one!
desiloubookroom's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Very informative story. I really enjoyed hearing Carly's "Voice". Definitely a new way to look at people different then oneself. I hope she does right another book one day.
tina_feaster's review against another edition
5.0
A friend of mine recommended this book to me. Her son is autistic, and while she hasn't read it yet, she heard it was really good. It took me forever to find this book in a used book store! As much as I wanted it, I'm still really cheap when it comes to buying books, and I rarely buy them new. But I finally found it! I was pretty excited to start it, so right when I finished the one I was currently reading, I started this! I don't read a lot of non-fiction, so I wasn't sure how I'd like it, but it turns out I really loved it!
The book sucked me in from the first pages. Hearing Arthur talk about the struggles that his daughter is facing is very moving. But it doesn't only focus on her; he talks about the struggles the rest of his family faces, what its like for his other two kids to grow up with an autistic sibling, the daily struggles his wife handles while being home all day, and what its like being a dad to a girl that you don't understand.
For anyone facing these struggles, I'm humbled. I can't imagine not being able to communicate my needs and wants. It has got to be so incredibly frustrating, not only for the caregivers of an autistic person, but for that person him/herself. This book definitely makes me realize how much everyone takes for granted the little things we do on a daily basis, like dress ourselves, tie our shoes, comb our hair. These little things aren't easy for kids/people with autism and they have to work so hard to accomplish everything they do.
I think this book gives a very real life portrayal of what daily life is like for a family caring for someone with autism. These people are so very strong and though they could give up, send their child to a home, put the responsibility on someone else, they don't. They fight through their frustrations and fight for their child. I definitely think this is a great book for anyone wanting to learn more about autism. We are able to see inside the mind of a child with this disorder, and its truly eye-opening.
Pagesofcomfort.blogspot.com
The book sucked me in from the first pages. Hearing Arthur talk about the struggles that his daughter is facing is very moving. But it doesn't only focus on her; he talks about the struggles the rest of his family faces, what its like for his other two kids to grow up with an autistic sibling, the daily struggles his wife handles while being home all day, and what its like being a dad to a girl that you don't understand.
For anyone facing these struggles, I'm humbled. I can't imagine not being able to communicate my needs and wants. It has got to be so incredibly frustrating, not only for the caregivers of an autistic person, but for that person him/herself. This book definitely makes me realize how much everyone takes for granted the little things we do on a daily basis, like dress ourselves, tie our shoes, comb our hair. These little things aren't easy for kids/people with autism and they have to work so hard to accomplish everything they do.
I think this book gives a very real life portrayal of what daily life is like for a family caring for someone with autism. These people are so very strong and though they could give up, send their child to a home, put the responsibility on someone else, they don't. They fight through their frustrations and fight for their child. I definitely think this is a great book for anyone wanting to learn more about autism. We are able to see inside the mind of a child with this disorder, and its truly eye-opening.
Pagesofcomfort.blogspot.com
alyssamandy's review against another edition
3.0
I have mixed feelings about this book. I work with people with various intellectual and developmental disabilities and this helped me understand what they could be experiencing internally that I never would’ve thought of. On the other hand, I’m beyond frustrated at the way he talks about his daughter: that he only sees flaws, that she’s like a house you know you’ll pour money into but will never fix, and his insistence that Carly be like his other kids.
smcgurren's review
3.0
I had a few problems with Carly’s father’s writing. While I understand that parenting a child with autism is no cake walk, I thought his style focused on what he and his wife were doing and achieving to help Carly, not what she was achieving herself, with the help of professionals. At times, times when he experienced frustration, he expressed lofty and unrealistic expectations for his daughter. Other times, he had little hope in her progress. Most upsetting of all, Carly had one chapter, the epilogue. Maybe next time, it should be called Arthur’s Voice.
susyflory's review
5.0
Stunning portrait of a family that refused to give up on their autistic daughter. Riveting.