AUTHOR: EMILY RAE-BRINSDEN
Author: Anna Whateley
The protagonist of this story is Peta Lyre, a sixteen-year-old girl with ASD, ADHD and SPD. Living with her auntie and baby niece and having a reliable friend, Jeb, she feels comfortable in the weekly schedule she has set up around her. When a new girl arrives at school, unique style and all laughs, Peta’s life gets considerably more… unorganised.
This book examines the dynamics of family, friends and romance and looks in depth at one example of how a neurodivergent individual navigates life—both the positive and the negatives. Peta, with her disabilities, meets both backlash and tolerance, understanding and misunderstanding. The book is both happy and sad, and while reading my chest was both warm and sore. Some warnings for this book include mentions of domestic abuse, child abandonment and brief sexual harassment—while these warnings are treated in a good way, if they make you uncomfortable this might not be the book for you!
Also, the latter half of the book is set in the snow, so how cool is that?!
I really enjoyed this book and all it brought to the table; I could barely put it down! It has respectful, insightful representation and I have no doubt that I’ll reread it again and again in the future.