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A review by writtenontheflyleaves
How to Be Autistic by Charlotte Amelia Poe
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
How to Be Autistic, by Charlotte Amelia Poe 🪐
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✍🏻 The concept: In this short but impactful memoir, Poe recounts their life with autism. Undiagnosed until they were 21, Poe’s story explores the cruelties and callousness they experienced as a misunderstood child at the hands of educators and doctors, the love and protection they got from their family, and their journey of self-expression, through writing, body modification, and more.
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It’s always difficult trying to review a memoir, especially one that contains so much pain, and from which I learned so much. Poe is so generous in their writing, in the empathy that they extend even to the people who hurt them when they were younger. Their journey to an autism diagnosis comes with trials and tribulations, and so many moments when you despair for this poor child who is not being asked the right questions by people in positions of authority, and who is not getting the support they need. It’s hard to boil this kind of reading experience down into the usual assessments of readability or writing style.
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But, for what it’s worth, I really loved the way this was written. Poe’s voice is frank and friendly, and they explain complex topics really well. There’s an openness in Poe’s writing that is moving and memorable - openness to different ways of thinking, to different ways of being. It’s that openness that I think I’ll remember most from this book and that I want to take forward into my life and my support of the autistic community.
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☄️ I think everyone should read this! But especially if you are a teacher or medical professional, or if you’re anyone really who thinks they don’t know enough about what autism is or what support autistic people need from neurotypical people in the fight for equality.
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🚫 Avoid it if you find it very difficult to read about vomit, as that features heavily, or if you are autistic and are likely to find some of the childhood content triggering - I’d check TWs on the Storygraph before reading in this case!
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✍🏻 The concept: In this short but impactful memoir, Poe recounts their life with autism. Undiagnosed until they were 21, Poe’s story explores the cruelties and callousness they experienced as a misunderstood child at the hands of educators and doctors, the love and protection they got from their family, and their journey of self-expression, through writing, body modification, and more.
-
It’s always difficult trying to review a memoir, especially one that contains so much pain, and from which I learned so much. Poe is so generous in their writing, in the empathy that they extend even to the people who hurt them when they were younger. Their journey to an autism diagnosis comes with trials and tribulations, and so many moments when you despair for this poor child who is not being asked the right questions by people in positions of authority, and who is not getting the support they need. It’s hard to boil this kind of reading experience down into the usual assessments of readability or writing style.
-
But, for what it’s worth, I really loved the way this was written. Poe’s voice is frank and friendly, and they explain complex topics really well. There’s an openness in Poe’s writing that is moving and memorable - openness to different ways of thinking, to different ways of being. It’s that openness that I think I’ll remember most from this book and that I want to take forward into my life and my support of the autistic community.
-
☄️ I think everyone should read this! But especially if you are a teacher or medical professional, or if you’re anyone really who thinks they don’t know enough about what autism is or what support autistic people need from neurotypical people in the fight for equality.
-
🚫 Avoid it if you find it very difficult to read about vomit, as that features heavily, or if you are autistic and are likely to find some of the childhood content triggering - I’d check TWs on the Storygraph before reading in this case!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism
Moderate: Bullying and Vomit