Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Inside Out Girl

by Tish Cohen (Goodreads Author)

3.66 of 5 stars 3.66 · rating details · 447 ratings · 74 reviews

Rachel Berman wants everything to be perfect. An overprotective single mother of two, she is acutely aware of the statistical dangers lurking around every corner—which makes her snap decision to aid a stranded motorist wholly uncharacteristic. Len Bean is stuck on the shoulder with Olivia, his relentlessly curious, learning disabled ten-year-old daughter. To the chagrin of...more

Paperback, 352 pages

Published August 12th 2008 by Harper Perennial

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

I Never Promised You a Rose Garden by Joanne Greenberg

Characters with mental illnesses or learning disabilites

10th out of 34 books — 10 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 826)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Jan 22, 2012 Angela rated it 4 of 5 stars

I generally love Tish Cohen's writing style. She definitely tells both sides of the story. When reading you get a sense of the characters not just from the protagonists opinion but there is usually good story telling that allows the reader to establish an opinion of the character without forming too much of a bias.

This book is incredibly touching. It focuses on two adults, both of whom had been through a lot in their lives, and how upon first meeting each other really liked each other but both h...more

1 like · like · see review

May 07, 2010 Drebbles rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2008

As publisher of Perfect Parent magazine, single mother Rachel Berman tries to live up to the title of her magazine and consequently she is at times overprotective of her children -Janie, 14 and Dustin, 12. Still trying to cope with a heartbreaking decision she made years earlier, she is not one to take chances and is surprised to find herself helping stranded motorist Leonard Bean and his ten year old daughter Olivia. Leonard is a single parent himself, struggling to raise Olivia who has NLD (No...more

1 like · like · see review

Sep 01, 2009 marg rated it 2 of 5 stars

This not only had a lot of potential, but also a really good start, which made the rest of it super disappointing.
When the novel first opens, I, who didn't bother reading too much of the back of the book, thought to myself, sheesh this writer does not know ten year olds at all, the only way this scene makes sense is if the kid is special needs - and a quick check on the back and yes, she is - so I had a lot of respect for her ability to capture something so tricky.
The writing was strong and rema...more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 08, 2012 Stacy rated it 4 of 5 stars

There are a few surprises here and there, but I don’t want to give any away. This was a very enjoyable book about issues that most families are dealing with. I loved her writing style and the story moved at a fast pace. I think you will enjoy getting to know Olivia, as I did, and becoming a little more informed about a disorder that is closely linked to autism (but not the same). And Janie’s story will bring back the early teen years when whatever someone said about you at school one day had the...more

like · see review

Jun 06, 2013 Levian rated it 5 of 5 stars

Rachel was an overprotective single mother of Janie and Dustin. Len was lawyer struggling with his disabled daughter Olivia. Olivia had Nonverbal Learning Disorder (NLD), which caused her to have high verbal skill, but low social or visual skill. when the 2 adults got to know each other, Janie was horrified to find out that the most bullied girl in school was going to be her sister. while everyone was having trouble adjusting, Len found out that he had a tumor in his head, having only a few year...more

like · see review

May 20, 2008 Christine added it

This book isn't out yet, but it is a wonderful novel about family and a little girl with Nonverbal Learning Disorder. Extremely well written and touching. I highly recommend it.

1 like · like · see review

Apr 04, 2010 LizG rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"A life-affirming novel...You'll find yourself cheering for Olivia Bean from the first page to the last." Michelle Richmond, New York Times

So says the cover, so say I. The book is real, funny, a little bit sad, and in the end uplifting. I couldn't help but be captivated by Olivia. Not sympathetic, not sorry for her, delighted by her.

Interesting insight into NLD (nonverbal learning disorder), which I'd never heard of before. Thankfully, not a "poor kid" perspective at all. Rather, a view of the...more

like · see review

Feb 14, 2009 Barb rated it 4 of 5 stars

A little girl, age 10, has what's called a Nonverbal Learning Disability which is similar to Asperger's. She is not good at reading nonverbal cues (facial expressions, tone of voice) and she is bullied at school. Her widowed dad meets a single mom of 2 slightly older kids and they hit it off. The older kids are mortified that they have to associate with this child who does not fit in. At the same time, the older daughter is going through some "love life" issues. And their mom is reminded of a ha...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 05, 2009 Zinta rated it 5 of 5 stars

Olivia refuses to allow Georgia Boy to be buried. The gerbil is stiff, dead that long, but little Olivia Bean can't quite register the idea of death. She has a learning disorder known as NLD (nonverbal learning disability, causing her to operate on a very literal level), but come to think of it ... most of us have trouble understanding death.

And so we are introduced, beginning with Olivia, to the cast of characters in Tish Cohen's "Inside Out Girl." They are not so very unlike the characters in...more Olivia refuses to allow Georgia Boy to be buried. The gerbil is stiff, dead that long, but little Olivia Bean can't quite register the idea of death. She has a learning disorder known as NLD (nonverbal learning disability, causing her to operate on a very literal level), but come to think of it ... most of us have trouble understanding death.

And so we are introduced, beginning with Olivia, to the cast of characters in Tish Cohen's "Inside Out Girl." They are not so very unlike the characters in our own lives, our own families or the families of our friends. The circumstances that tangle and untangle around them are a variation on many of today's typical families. Yes, there is the divorce. And the second chance. Two families patched together with two single parents at the helm, Rachel and Len, each with their own children, trying to make things work again.

Olivia, with a disability that translates into wearing her emotional "insides" on her outside - thus the title - is really the part of the iceberg that presses its tip above water level into bright exposure. She is the inside of all of us. Only Olivia isn't any good at wearing masks ... like most of us do. She is who she is, and so she is all of us in our most tender, tucked-away insides: vulnerable, open-hearted, eager to love and be loved, eager to belong. There is a wonderful innocence and naivete about this child that makes us ache to be more real. More like her. Hearts open to life again. Even as we can also identify (and wish we didn't) with the other children in this blended family who resist being associated with "the least popular girl in school," who hasn't a clue about how to be "cool."

"Inside Out Girl" is a story about two broken families taking a chance at being one family. Who says it has to be less than the original? The relationship that we see develop between the parents, Rachel and Len, is built on a learning from the past. Len, Rachel observes, is all that ex David was not. David was a bit obsessive-compulsive, too neat for comfort, a bit of a dandy. He "diddled" female colleagues while keeping the creases in his trousers straight. Len, perhaps by some influence from his daughter, Olivia, is more "inside out." He has compassion, he has heart, he is and understands imperfection. And Rachel, to him, is a new hope at making the broken places in him whole again.

The rest of the cast, a crew of lively teens and their school pals, with explorations of contemporary parenting issues (Rachel is an editor for Perfect Parenting magazine, which adds a note of irony and humor to her less than perfect parenting skills), brings the story neatly into our familiar living rooms. Those of us who are parents will have dealt with at least a handful of the issues Cohen explores in this family. Quite like home.

Which isn't to say this is an easy ride. Here we see the pain of social isolation (and not just among the children), of bullying (and not just between children), of giving in to peer pressure (and not just between children). Cohen deftly balances the common with the uncommon, plays on heartstrings without sounding a violin of melodrama. If the disability discussed here is less known, although not so very different from, autism, it serves to make the reader aware of how buried we can become in social norms, the pressures to not stand out from the crowd, or to stop taking the risks required to find a more lasting happiness. While this may not be a literary classic to withstand time, it does capture this moment in time, our contemporary everyday, and perhaps in that accomplishes a moment of warming sunlight. Yes, Olivia, we do all have hearts. Even if we tuck them safely away so much of the time. This little girl helps us see that we all struggle with some bit of disability in our life-worn hearts.

Tish Cohen was interviewed in the literary ezine, The Smoking Poet, fall issue 2008, in which she talks about this novel as well as her other work, wearing a little of her own inside out. The interview gives further insight into both author and novel.

~Zinta Aistars for The Smoking Poet (less)

like · see review

Apr 03, 2010 Ben Babcock rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: from-library, 2010-read, canadian-author

I'm not a parent. And in the last couple of years, I haven't had much interaction with children (although that will change as my nephew grows up). As I began reading Inside Out Girl, my first challenge was to try and see everything through a parent's eyes. I had to work hard not to dismiss Rachel as an over-the-top mother figure and not to roll my eyes at the behaviour of Olivia, Janie, and Dustin. This is a world I have never really inhabited—even my childhood was atypical, as I tended to get a...more I'm not a parent. And in the last couple of years, I haven't had much interaction with children (although that will change as my nephew grows up). As I began reading Inside Out Girl, my first challenge was to try and see everything through a parent's eyes. I had to work hard not to dismiss Rachel as an over-the-top mother figure and not to roll my eyes at the behaviour of Olivia, Janie, and Dustin. This is a world I have never really inhabited—even my childhood was atypical, as I tended to get along with my parents more so than makes for an interesting work of literary fiction.

Thus, I first laud Tish Cohen for opening my eyes and making me empathize with parents, both those of "ordinary" teenagers and of children with special needs. It's a tough job. I knew that, but I haven't always comprehended it. Cohen manages to portray Rachel as obviously overprotective yet make it seem like this is the most natural reaction to the world. I can glimpse now the worry some parents experience when letting their children confront the world.

The motif of confrontation runs through all the various plots in Inside Out Girl. There's so much more to this book than the vicissitudes of life of Olivia Bean, a ten-year-old with non-verbal learning disorder. In addition to being a mother, Rachel is the owner of a parenting magazine that, owing to its refusal to change with the times, is about to go bankrupt. Olivia's father, Len, must deal with the fact that he has cancer. And Janey, Rachel's daughter, explores her sexuality and her crush on the girl next door. With these plots in place, Cohen creates dynamics that make Inside out Girl more than just a feel-good book about having a child with special needs. It's a story about a family, or two families that become one family, and how parenting—and life—can't be perfect.

Janie's subplot was one of my favourite parts. I loved the various episodes Janie experienced as the book progressed, from crossing out "guy" and replacing it with "goddess" in her Seventeen article to planning the perfect sleepover with Tabitha Carlisle (and we all knew how that was going to turn out). Sure, it was a little predictable. But Cohen gets us inside Janie's mind, lets us understand what she's going through—not just in regards to her sexuality, but her feelings about her mother, and about Len and Olivia. And as Janie grows, becomes more confident and a better person by discovering a desire to stand up for Olivia, we are more affected by this process than we would be had Cohen kept Janie closed off to us.

Were that the case for her brother, Dustin! If there is a neglected character in Inside Out Girl, he is it. Unlike his sister, we get very little access to Dustin's thoughts. He mostly serves as a stereotypical 12-year-old boy, into skating and irking his sister. His purpose is more to make Rachel worry about his obsession with attending a skate camp than any character development on his part. I view that as a missed opportunity; boys have problems too! It's not that Dustin remains disconnected from the dynamic. We understand how he feels about Len, at least initially; however, we're always more detached from Dustin than we are from Janie, Rachel, or Len.

I did get attached, too. Inside Out Girl played me like a well-tuned fiddle, and I found myself caring and my heart breaking even when some aspects of the plot were very contrived. The ending, overall, could have been better. It was both rushed in terms of pacing and unfulfilling. The attempt to abduct Tabitha, and Olivia's subsequent prevention of the act, was blatantly foreshadowed and not all that inspirational. Moreover, what happened to the Peytons? After emphasizing how much they wanted to adopt a child, Cohen just drops them as soon as Rachel offers to take Olivia. In her rush to arrive at what was obviously the ending of the book from the first page, Cohen skips over details that could have made the difference.

So it's not perfect, but it does come close. The characters grow and change. Rachel loosens up in her parenting and (of course) manages to save her magazine. Len and Rachel find happiness, and Olivia's future is assured, at least for now. Janie doesn't win Tabitha Carlisle, but that's probably for the best. And Olivia finally gets the birthday party she's been wanting all summer (it's not her birthday). Inside Out Girl is exactly what it needs to be: warm, quirky, and wonderful.(less)

like · see review

Nov 07, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: trt-gold-star-award-winner, trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by Marta Morrison for TeensReadToo.com

Olivia Bean is an odd duck. She is ten years old, wears mismatched clothes sometimes inside out, never brushes her hair, and always talks about rats. She has NLV, which is Nonverbal Learning Disorder. It is a neurological condition that can prevent a person from understanding anything that is not verbal. They will comprehend your words but will not get subtext and can never understand sarcasm.

Len, her father, has been raising Olivia on his own ever...more

like · see review

Sep 26, 2008 Jeanette rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-harper-books

When Rachel, an overprotective divorced mother of two and editor in chief of Parenting magazine decides to help out a fellow driver with a flat tire in the middle of morning rush hour, she has no idea this man, Len, and his peculiar little girl, ~~Scarlett~~Olivia, are going to change her life dramatically. She quickly finds herself falling in love with Len and can’t help but feel a strong connection to Olivia, who has NLD – a non-verbal learning disorder. Similar to autism, children with this disor...more

like · see review

Jul 27, 2011 Louise added it · review of another edition

Another cast of oddball characters from Tish Cohen, this one is a keeper. Like Turtle in 'The Bean Trees', Olivia Bean is great kid character. Goofy, tragic and funny at the same time, it makes for an easy read.

Olivia suffers from a Non Verbal Learning Disability, she doesn't recognize tone, facial expression or humour cues, strictly verbal ones. Makes her completely charming and unintentionally funny. I learned a lot about rats too, as she's obsessed with rodents. Rattus rattus.

like · see review

Nov 08, 2012 Christy Evans rated it 3 of 5 stars

Overall, this is a quick and easy read that tackles some tough topics including death, illness, special needs children, homosexuality and bullying. This is another book that I wanted to like more than I did.

The story moves along quickly but the characters seem oddly predictable and one-dimensional. Without giving anything away, I felt that the ending was too "pat" and lacked a sense of realism of what would likely come next, especially in regards to the life of ten year old Oliva.

like · see review

Jul 22, 2010 Tina rated it 4 of 5 stars

It is clear to see why this book was a best seller in the "Globe and Mail" newspaper. Inside Out Girl is an easy page turner. Readers can sympathise with Rachel's attempts to be the perfect parent. Olivia is a real, realistic heroine with a disability, and Tish Cohen did a wonderful job of developing her character. While the subplot involving Rachel's daughter was weak, the conclusion is optimistic and well planned.

like · see review

Jan 25, 2009 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: more-lit-less-chick

It was busy and not able to evote my full attention to this book when I first started but as I got into it I liked it more and more. By the time I finished I wished it was longer. It's quirky, doesn't take the "safe" route on someweighty topics and though not a tear-jerking ending, it didn't wrap ti up with the perfect "happily ever afet" bow either.

like · see review

May 10, 2010 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Although I found much of this story predictable, I enjoyed the main character Olivia very much. I'd never heard of NLD, so it was good to learn a bit about a new learning disability. I also liked the teen girl character because so many writers really can't write teen dialogue...as for the grown up romance - please...there are no perfect men out there...

like · see review

Dec 29, 2008 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book and plan to explore more of Tish Cohen's books. I learned what non-verbal learning disability really means to families. It explored how adults and children can know themselves and make choices unlike the usual limiting ones. It made me laugh and cry. I liked seeing adults as imperfect but trying to be their best selves.

like · see review

Aug 07, 2012 Shannon rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was compelled to read this book in one sitting, but I can't decide if I thought it was great or not. The Olivia character was fun, but everything in the story line was wrapped a bit too quickly...too big of a jump between the last drama and the end... Although always nice to have a happy ending.

like · see review

Mar 20, 2012 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-club

A novel about an overprotective single mother of two teenagers who is also the editor of "Perfect Parent" magainze, and a man who is a single father to a 10 year old girl with "nonverbal learning disorder." They meet cute and everyone's lives are changed, blah blah blah. This one was just okay for me - a little simplistic.

like · see review

Dec 30, 2009 Frank Spinney rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: everyone.

This is an incredible touching story about a ten year old girl named Olivia, who lives with a learning disability. Tish Cohen creates a lovable, endearing character who you instantly fall in love with.

like · see review

Aug 28, 2010 Withani rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary

A story that could have been sad and depressing, this is a feel-good book that has you rooting for every character. Maybe a bit 'too good to be true', but a really nice change of pace.

like · see review

Mar 02, 2009 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars

Kind of a fun little read about a girl with NLD, whose father is dying. Rather unrealistic and full of coincidence, but worth reading for anyone raising a "different" child.

like · see review

Sep 03, 2012 Brandy rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book was pretty good but not as good as Wendy said. The characters were ok but I thought not developed enough. I was confused about Olivia/Hannah for most of the book.

like · see review

Jun 02, 2009 Tracy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I thought this book was intereting. It was nice to see a not so mainstream family presented in the book. It was not a traditional love story, but a love story none the less.

like · see review

Jan 12, 2012 Theresa rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2012

It was a pleasant way to spend an afternoon, definitely an easy read as far as reading level. I thought the book did a good job capturing family dynamics within two different families and then bwtween the two families. There were some humor and some light moments, but also thought-provoking details about what we do in stressful situations.

like · see review

Oct 16, 2012 Kitty rated it 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the mix of characters...from the quirky special needs student to the seemingly perfect kids with the perfect mom, who aren't all that perfect either.
A breezy read with a satisfying conclusion.

like · see review

Aug 31, 2009 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

So the topic was a little sad and the subplots quite depressing but an excellent book - well written and I laughed out loud at least a half dozen times.

like · see review

Feb 11, 2010 Lynn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: canadian, read-in-2008, books-owned

A heartwarming story that made me laugh often. Read the full review.

like · see review

Feb 09, 2011 Nancy rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really liked this book! It has a great message! There is a little bit of language, so if that bothers you this isn't the book for you.

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 27 28 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (9)

More editions...

Genres

Cultural > Canada

4 users

Book Club

4 users

Contemporary

3 users

Novels

3 users

Womens Fiction > Chick Lit

2 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Tish Cohen

"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."
Anais Nin quote from Oprah's website inspired Tish Cohen to write her first adult novel.

Tish Cohen is the author of TOWN HOUSE, a 2008 finalist for the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize – Best First Book Award (Canada and Caribbean region), and in development as a feature film with Fox 2000. Ridl...more

More about Tish Cohen...

Books by Tish Cohen

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Inside Out Girl

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: Inside Out Girl
avg rating	preview: Inside Out Girl Goodreads rating: 3.66 (447 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2374370.Inside_Out_Girl?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347812194l/2374370.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2374370.Inside_Out_Girl?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Inside Out Girl by Tish Cohen[/url]

Inside Out Girl

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website