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Queens of Geek
Queens of Geek
Jen Wilde | 2017 | Young Adult (YA)
9
8.6 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
THIS BOOK WAS GREAT. It was a fun, quick read, but it involved three BFFs, one of which is autistic with social anxiety, and her friends know this and are incredibly supportive. The second girl is openly bisexual. The third friend, the boy, is Hispanic. The three of them take an epic trip to a big Comicon in LA; the bisexual girl (Charlie) co-starred in a zombie movie, and is a popular Youtuber, so when she's invited to the Con she drags her two BFFs with her. Once there, she meets an idol of hers, another Youtuber, and discovers that her idol has a crush on her! So while dealing with her douchebag ex (her co-star from the movie), the other Youtuber asks Charlie out, and the two girls start a romance.

Meanwhile, the autistic girl (Taylor) and the Hispanic boy (Jamie) have loved each other for ages but been too afraid to admit how they feel. Largely left on their own, because Charlie's manager couldn't get them VIP passes, they explore the Con, geeking out over things and meeting another autistic woman, a comic book artist who gives Taylor some amazing advice about being afraid but doing things anyway.

I really really loved this book. I loved seeing autistic characters treated by their peers as just regular people with quirks, like everyone has. Taylor's friends support her when her brain freaks out, and make allowances for her needs, but don't treat her like she's disabled or fragile. I loved seeing how tight the bonds of friendship were between the three teens, and how excited for each other they were, even when good things happening meant less time to spend with each other.

This was just a really lovely, feel-good book with lots of minority representation, by an autistic author who knows what she's talking about. This is one more book off my Autism Reading List, and my pick for a book about friendship from the Litsy Booked 2018 Challenge.

You can find all my reviews, and the full Autism Reading List, at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
  
The Girl He Used to Know
The Girl He Used to Know
Tracey Garvis Graves | 2019 | Fiction & Poetry, Romance
4
8.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
This review and more can be found at my blog
https://aromancereadersreviews.blogspot.com
A Romance Reader's Reviews

I'll admit I bought this as a spur of the moment thing from one of my favourite bargain book shops The Works. I've never read anything by this author though I do have her book, "On the Island", to read on my Kindle - and have done for several years now.

This book switches between 1991 and 2001 with almost every chapter after Annika meets her college love for the first time in years, bringing back memories of their time together and making her want to reconnect with him. They meet for coffee and decide to reconnect as friends, going out to dinner later on in the week. Things slowly progress between them and they try again.

The last few chapters of the book take place around September 2001. I honestly had no idea where the author was going with this until the news channel Annika was watching started talking about "a plane crashing into the North Tower" and I'll admit a little shiver went through me.

I'm assuming Annika has some sort of Autism because she has a lot of the same traits as Rikki - from - that I read a little while ago. Doesn't like certain clothing because of how it feels, hates loud sounds, doesn't know how to interact with people very well...etc. In fact this was discussed further on in the book and she is on the Autism spectrum.

I guess people are a bit cruel to those they don't get or understand but I really like how Jonathan always seemed to know what to say and do to ease Annika's anxieties when they were out together. He didn't mind putting his own wants aside to help Annika cope better in situations. They were perfect for each other in that.

I just found the story a little slow and not much seemed to happen in it really. The jumping between months seemed to miss out a lot of their growing relationship and I always feel a little cheated when that happens. I like to read it all.
  
Please Stand By (2017)
Please Stand By (2017)
2017 | Comedy, Drama
Cute and touching
Maybe a cross between Rain Man and Lady Bird or Nebraska, this cute amusing film is about a girl with autism who is devoted to Star Trek (who isn't?) and has the opportunity to write a script for a contest where she could win $100,000.

The script turns out great, but now she has a problem: how to get it to Los Angeles within 3 days to beat the deadline.

I have always been a great fan of Dakota Fanning going back to I Am Sam, War of the Worlds and Man on Fire, and she is excellent and the star of the show here as well. Her portrayal of a young woman on the spectrum is truly believable, touching and sweet.

Some of the situations and people she encounters are a little too strange, unusual and/or only would happen in a movie, but overall her journey to LA is fun and you are really rooting for her to succeed.