Kay Kerr
Autor de Please Don't Hug Me
Sobre El Autor
Créditos de la imagen: kaykerr.com
Obras de Kay Kerr
Etiquetado
Conocimiento común
Miembros
Debates
Found: Book about woman with autism trying to find love en Name that Book (Febrero 2023)
Reseñas
Premios
Estadísticas
- Obras
- 4
- Miembros
- 71
- Popularidad
- #245,552
- Valoración
- 4.1
- Reseñas
- 5
- ISBNs
- 9
Trigger warnings: Blood, grief and loss depiction, ableism, bullying, racism, sexist slur, death of a boyfriend and other relatives in the past, drug abuse
Score: Seven points out of ten.
Find this review on The StoryGraph.
One year ago, I read a book where the protagonist has autism, Peta Lyre's Rating Normal. Unfortunately, that underwhelmed me, so one year later, I tried another novel with a neurodivergent character, Please Don't Hug Me. When I picked that up, it looked promising, and when I was done, it was a pleasant and enjoyable read.
It starts with the first character I see, Erin, whose last name remains undisclosed, recording her uneventful life thus far in letters. Did I mention Please Don't Hug Me is an epistolary novel? It also has engaging pacing, even with a slow beginning. I wonder what the recipient would say after receiving Erin's letters. Life has been on a downward spiral for Erin after she was fired and then failed her driving test. I understand that life can be so much harder for people who have autism like Erin than neurotypical people, but at least she can move forward from that and not live in the past, which I liked. Even Schoolies, an end of year event, is a struggle for Erin. I'm surprised there's no conversations about masking, or someone acting neurotypical when they're not, only to fit in with society, which worsens their mental health. At least Erin has a support system consisting of one person: her mother.
Toward the latter half of Please Don't Hug Me, Erin questions where her boyfriend is, but unfortunately, she discovers that he died, much to her dismay. The conclusion is bittersweet, as it has some touching and heartwarming moments, but not free from melancholy undertones. To summarise, Please Don't Hug Me is an epistolary novel about a person with autism, but the heavy themes are not for everyone, and it's a more saddening read than I expected.… (más)