Prompt 29 – A book with a neurodivergent character

I picked this up last year meaning to read it as a possible book club choice for my KS3 book club. Didn’t get round to it for some reason. And I am so glad that I finally did.

What it’s about?

Tally is eleven years old and she’s just like her friends. Well, sometimes she is. If she tries really hard to be. Because there’s something that makes Tally not the same as her friends. Something she can’t cover up, no matter how hard she tries: Tally is autistic.

Tally’s autism means there are things that bother her even though she wishes they didn’t. It means that some people misunderstand, her and feel frustrated by her.

People think that because Tally’s autistic, she doesn’t realise what they’re thinking, but Tally sees and hears – and notices – all of it.

And, honestly? That’s not the easiest thing to live with.

What I think:

This book was a revelation to me.

This is written from the perspective of Tally, an eleven year old with ASD who is starting high school. Tally is struggling to adjust to the huge changes that high school brings.

This book is beautifully written and evokes so much empathy for all the characters.

The reader feels both for Tally and her frustrations and her sister and parents. Tally tries so hard to fit in and keep her emotions in check. She can see when she is annoying others but cannot stop or hide her feelings. Even in the middle of her angriest meltdown she is sad that she is making things harder for her family.

Tally has a great group of friends who have helped her since primary school. They accept her for who she is. But the differences between them increase and meeting new students is not an easy process. She struggles with complexity of more relationships and the sensory overload of high school. The glimpse into the thought process of someone with autism is really fascinating.

I really enjoyed watching how Tally’s autism and the honest conversations that are had about it with her teachers make school a better experience for everyone. Lots of teachers could learn from the empathy, patience and adaptions that are demonstrated.

This is such a great book that everyone should read! It’s definitely going in my classroom bookshelf and my recommendations.