Cat Patrick

My 10 year old daughter brought this book to my attention, telling me "it felt like real life" to her oppose to being a story of fiction. Since her apple didn't fall far from my neurodivergent tree, I wanted to give it a read for myself.

I am so thankful that my daughter has access to characters like Frankie. Being able to see yourself in the stories you read is life changing. I can't began to fathom how it would have changed my life as a child to read Tornado Brain then. So many times throughout my life people have written me off as cold, or not caring, or mean, etc. all because I had the inability to get my thoughts out articulately, or because I thought they "just knew" how I felt about them. When Frankie realized her mom's boyfriend might not know how much she cares about him it broke me into pieces.

From the emotional overloads, to the thought processing / honest word vomits / spacing out and everything in between. It was all depicted as I lived it decades ago—and still struggle with today. I adored the frank way the author approached being neurodivergent, plus the raw truth about loss and friendship.

This is a must read for both parents and kids alike. So many times I've wanted to put into words how my brain works, like why I interrupt others and mysteriously switch topics or why I don't like to be touched. Cat Patrick did it perfectly.

I would highly recommend this read to anyone wanting to take a peek inside the brain of someone who isn't neurotypical. Whether it's you, your child or someone you know, this book is a wonderful example.

While I didn't predict the ending, it was a well laid out plot that went at the pace of Frankie's mind. It also handled heavy (taboo to some) topics like periods, and death with the honesty, and grace they deserved. Frankie's reactions to everything made complete sense to me.

As a side note. I would love a full series of Frankie as an amateur sleuth, solving crimes around time.

TW: Missing Child, Death of a Child … (más)