Search
Search results
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Red Clocks in Books
Jul 31, 2018
Red Clocks first caught my attention because it's set in a small fishing town in Oregon, my home state. After that, learning that it's a dystopia where abortion and in vitro fertilization have both been banned outright meant I HAD to read it. Of course, I got it from the library some weeks ago and had so many other books to read that I didn't get to it until the day it was due back to the library! Luckily, I read fast!
I think the cover description oversells the book a little. I wouldn't call Gin's trial "frenzied" nor the drama exactly "riveting" but it did keep my attention throughout the book. I really enjoyed the relationships between the characters, and the point that none of them really know what is going on in each other's personal lives. One moment I particularly liked is slightly spoilery, but I loved how Ro was able to put her personal feelings aside to help Mattie, her student. That was really, really hard for her, but she recognized how much damage it would do to Mattie to not help her.
I think I found Gin the most interesting - given all the reading I've been doing lately about autism, her entire personality screams autism to me, but she was never labeled as autistic. So I'm marking her as a possibly autistic character. (I'd love if any of my autistic readers could weigh in on that, if you've read the book!) Between preferring to live in the woods with animals and NOT around people, specifically, and the way she reacts to the textures and smells in the jail when she's arrested (shoving the bleach-scented blankets as far away in the cell as possible, and refusing to eat the food), and how she stumbles over her answers in the courtroom when she's interrogated - it seems likely.
My only actual complaint about this book had nothing to do with the writing or plot! But it refers to the ghost pepper as "the hottest pepper known to man" which the Carolina Reaper growing in my backyard would have an issue with!
Other than that very minor quibble, I thought this dystopia was pretty good. I'm always interested in Reproductive Rights-related dystopias. This isn't as good as The Handmaid's Tale, but it's MILES better than Future Home of the Living God. It's good at showing the lengths women will go to, to ensure their own reproductive freedom. Outlawing abortion doesn't eliminate abortion. It just makes it less safe.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
I think the cover description oversells the book a little. I wouldn't call Gin's trial "frenzied" nor the drama exactly "riveting" but it did keep my attention throughout the book. I really enjoyed the relationships between the characters, and the point that none of them really know what is going on in each other's personal lives. One moment I particularly liked is slightly spoilery, but I loved how Ro was able to put her personal feelings aside to help Mattie, her student. That was really, really hard for her, but she recognized how much damage it would do to Mattie to not help her.
I think I found Gin the most interesting - given all the reading I've been doing lately about autism, her entire personality screams autism to me, but she was never labeled as autistic. So I'm marking her as a possibly autistic character. (I'd love if any of my autistic readers could weigh in on that, if you've read the book!) Between preferring to live in the woods with animals and NOT around people, specifically, and the way she reacts to the textures and smells in the jail when she's arrested (shoving the bleach-scented blankets as far away in the cell as possible, and refusing to eat the food), and how she stumbles over her answers in the courtroom when she's interrogated - it seems likely.
My only actual complaint about this book had nothing to do with the writing or plot! But it refers to the ghost pepper as "the hottest pepper known to man" which the Carolina Reaper growing in my backyard would have an issue with!
Other than that very minor quibble, I thought this dystopia was pretty good. I'm always interested in Reproductive Rights-related dystopias. This isn't as good as The Handmaid's Tale, but it's MILES better than Future Home of the Living God. It's good at showing the lengths women will go to, to ensure their own reproductive freedom. Outlawing abortion doesn't eliminate abortion. It just makes it less safe.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Pronunciation: Minute of Speech – Tarle Speech
Podcast
Tarle Speech and Language was founded in 2005 by Jennifer Tarle in order to empower individuals at...
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated No Hope for Gomez! in Books
Apr 27, 2018
I love a book that makes me laugh. I love a book with funny quirky characters. I loved No Hope for Gomez. I don't think I can fully express how funny this book was.
Gomez was hilarious: his interior monologue was just as entertaining as his dialogue, his plans and his processes of carrying them out were funny to watch unfold, even his hopeless situations were funny, though in a slightly pathetic way. I kept thinking "This poor guy! hahaha…" He's so romantically awkward and totally inexperienced. I am pretty sure he was on the autism spectrum, which, in case you don't know, always makes a book more interesting. I was a little sorry for the poor doctor whom he was convinced he was in love with…
As far as the plot, it was intriguing. I couldn't stop reading it: one, because it was so peculiar, and two, because it was interesting. Near the end it became extremely exciting. The writing fit the character: quirky and full of personality. Because it was so perfect for the character, I can't really say it was good or bad, just right.
Content: some language, mention of sex but no scenes.
Recommendation: Ages 13+
Gomez was hilarious: his interior monologue was just as entertaining as his dialogue, his plans and his processes of carrying them out were funny to watch unfold, even his hopeless situations were funny, though in a slightly pathetic way. I kept thinking "This poor guy! hahaha…" He's so romantically awkward and totally inexperienced. I am pretty sure he was on the autism spectrum, which, in case you don't know, always makes a book more interesting. I was a little sorry for the poor doctor whom he was convinced he was in love with…
As far as the plot, it was intriguing. I couldn't stop reading it: one, because it was so peculiar, and two, because it was interesting. Near the end it became extremely exciting. The writing fit the character: quirky and full of personality. Because it was so perfect for the character, I can't really say it was good or bad, just right.
Content: some language, mention of sex but no scenes.
Recommendation: Ages 13+
ClareR (5721 KP) rated Keep Clear: My Adventures With Aspergers in Books
Oct 29, 2019
An honest account of Aspergers.
Keep Clear was such an interesting, informative and frank book. It gives a look into the life of Tom Cutler as he receives his Aspergers diagnosis. Immediately, he realises why he has always struggled in social situations and why people consider him to be rude and inappropriate. He then goes on to tell the story of his life and how Aspergers influenced it.
I really enjoyed this book as it gave me a lot to think about. It wasn’t all scientific based information - although that was there too. The anecdotes were sad at times, particularly his loneliness and depression when he started at university, but there was also great humour and the ability to laugh at himself.
Actually, I think there are a lot of people out there who could do with reading this. It explains so well that ‘high functioning’ doesn’t mean ‘easily able to cope’, that those with Aspergers need as much consideration as anyone else on the autism spectrum.
I will definitely be using what I’ve learnt in this book at work, as well as in everyday life. Thanks to the Pigeonhole for introducing me to such a great book, and to Tom for reading along with us and answering questions.
I really enjoyed this book as it gave me a lot to think about. It wasn’t all scientific based information - although that was there too. The anecdotes were sad at times, particularly his loneliness and depression when he started at university, but there was also great humour and the ability to laugh at himself.
Actually, I think there are a lot of people out there who could do with reading this. It explains so well that ‘high functioning’ doesn’t mean ‘easily able to cope’, that those with Aspergers need as much consideration as anyone else on the autism spectrum.
I will definitely be using what I’ve learnt in this book at work, as well as in everyday life. Thanks to the Pigeonhole for introducing me to such a great book, and to Tom for reading along with us and answering questions.
A big thumbs up for neurodiversity!
I liked this - it’s such a positive, uplifting book, set in a world where cloned soldiers have taken over the country. The seemingly only free humans (the rest of the population are crammed into overcrowded citadels) are all young people with autism, anxiety, PDA, developmental delays and ADHD (I may have missed some conditions!), and they are fighting to stay alive.
This story shows how these young people’s conditions affect them, and how they cope with them - how they use their conditions, which are seen as a weakness by many, to their advantage. Neurodiversity is so well described by the author, and it was really interesting to be in the heads of the main characters. I honestly think that this book should be read in schools (year 6 and above, it’s a bit too graphic in places for younger readers, I think). With more inclusive education in schools, I think that this book could help students to understand their fellow classmates. And really, as an adult I learnt something about them too.
I’ll be interested to read any other books that follow this, and I’ll be keeping an eye out!
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole and the author for serialising this book.
This story shows how these young people’s conditions affect them, and how they cope with them - how they use their conditions, which are seen as a weakness by many, to their advantage. Neurodiversity is so well described by the author, and it was really interesting to be in the heads of the main characters. I honestly think that this book should be read in schools (year 6 and above, it’s a bit too graphic in places for younger readers, I think). With more inclusive education in schools, I think that this book could help students to understand their fellow classmates. And really, as an adult I learnt something about them too.
I’ll be interested to read any other books that follow this, and I’ll be keeping an eye out!
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole and the author for serialising this book.
Lake Success
Book
When his dream of the perfect marriage, the perfect son, and the perfect life implodes, a Wall...
Essentials of Dance Movement Psychotherapy: International Perspectives on Theory, Research, and Practice
Book
Essentials of Dance Movement Psychotherapy contributes to the global interest in embodiment...
The Good Doctor
8.9
Rate It
TV Show Watch
Shaun Murphy (Freddie Highmore, “Bates Motel”), a young surgeon with autism and savant syndrome,...
drama
Keep Clear: My Adventures With Aspergers
9.0
Rate It
Book
A wonderfully bittersweet, funnystrange account of living unwittingly with Asperger's syndrome. ...
Aspergers Autobiography Non-Fiction
ClareR (5721 KP) rated Black Thorn in Books
May 22, 2024
I found Black Thorn on my kindle, downloaded last year from NetGalley and forgotten (I’m sorry). So in recompense and quite a lot of guilt, I bought the audiobook. I’m very glad I did. Imogen Church does a great job of reading this rather disturbing story from Agnes Gale’s point of view. She’s the adult daughter of one of the men responsible for the building and sale of the houses in an exclusive development on the Cornish cliffs.
Just weeks after moving in, six people, including children, are dead. All the remaining inhabitants are told to leave their homes as they’re deemed unsafe, and the whole development is cordoned off. Agnes is sure there’s more to it, so she decides to investigate.
There’s a really unnerving atmosphere to this story, probably made more so coming from Agnes’ point of view. She’s autistic, and even though she’s adamant that something isn’t right, she’s largely ignored because of her autism. The insights into Agnes’ personality and her inner thoughts were sensitively handled and realistic, I thought.
All of the characters were really well developed: Errol, Agnes’ friend; Christie her brother; and Trevor her fathers business partner, especially.
This was a thoroughly good listen, and I’m so glad that I (eventually) found it!
Just weeks after moving in, six people, including children, are dead. All the remaining inhabitants are told to leave their homes as they’re deemed unsafe, and the whole development is cordoned off. Agnes is sure there’s more to it, so she decides to investigate.
There’s a really unnerving atmosphere to this story, probably made more so coming from Agnes’ point of view. She’s autistic, and even though she’s adamant that something isn’t right, she’s largely ignored because of her autism. The insights into Agnes’ personality and her inner thoughts were sensitively handled and realistic, I thought.
All of the characters were really well developed: Errol, Agnes’ friend; Christie her brother; and Trevor her fathers business partner, especially.
This was a thoroughly good listen, and I’m so glad that I (eventually) found it!