What do you think?
Rate this book
Kids Like Us
Martin is an American teen on the autism spectrum living in France with his mom and sister for the summer. He falls for a French girl who he thinks is a real-life incarnation of a character in his favorite book. Over time Martin comes to realize she is a real person and not a character in a novel while at the same time learning that love is not out of his reach just because he is autistic.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published November 14, 2017
41 people are currently reading
2086 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 159 reviews
January 13, 2018
2.25 Stars
I received a copy of this book from my friend, Ashley, who loved this. Naturally, I was quite exited to read it after listening to her talk about it, so I dove in that same day! I was ready to experience just how "wonderful" this novel was. Truthfully, I was quite exited.
That feeling didn't last long.
Unfortunately, it quickly became apparent to me that this sort of writing style wasn't really my "taste." Everything moved slowly and tiresomely, and I never felt a connection to any of the characters. It was just a dry and mediocre story.
I'm also going to be blunt and say: I didn't like any of the characters - but it's purely because none of them were memorable. They all morphed into one individual - and it seemed like everyone's voice was the same. However, what I did enjoy was the way Martin viewed everything going on in his life. It was an new/original perspective, and I always give stars for originality. Which is pretty much the only reason this novel didn't get 1 star from me.
Something that really took away from this story was how everyone/everything seemed so unimportant. I'm not sure how else I'm supposed to phrase that. I just felt disconnected from the entire book. None of the characters left lasting impressions on me, and neither did any of the events. I felt like I was reading one giant eventless book, and this book isn't even that long! It's just that nothing was grabbing my attention. I was reading words and failing to get into the story.
Honestly, it's interesting to me how two people can read the same book - but one can give it 2 stars, and the other 5 stars. It's all about perspective and how you connect with the story/characters. Sadly, with this novel, I didn't experience anything that Ashely did. But that doesn't mean you won't like it! It's a great idea and includes a new perspective on life. I think everyone should at least give it a try.
Overall, I'm disappointed I couldn't at least give this 3 stars. But I would've been lying if I'd given it anything but 2 stars. 'Cause usually 3-star books are stories that I can connect to on some sort of level. This one didn't fit that bill.
**Anyways, thank you again, Ashley, for lending me this book (especially since it's not out yet!). I'm sorry I couldn't rate it any higher. Regardless, you rock.
I received a copy of this book from my friend, Ashley, who loved this. Naturally, I was quite exited to read it after listening to her talk about it, so I dove in that same day! I was ready to experience just how "wonderful" this novel was. Truthfully, I was quite exited.
That feeling didn't last long.
Unfortunately, it quickly became apparent to me that this sort of writing style wasn't really my "taste." Everything moved slowly and tiresomely, and I never felt a connection to any of the characters. It was just a dry and mediocre story.
I'm also going to be blunt and say: I didn't like any of the characters - but it's purely because none of them were memorable. They all morphed into one individual - and it seemed like everyone's voice was the same. However, what I did enjoy was the way Martin viewed everything going on in his life. It was an new/original perspective, and I always give stars for originality. Which is pretty much the only reason this novel didn't get 1 star from me.
Something that really took away from this story was how everyone/everything seemed so unimportant. I'm not sure how else I'm supposed to phrase that. I just felt disconnected from the entire book. None of the characters left lasting impressions on me, and neither did any of the events. I felt like I was reading one giant eventless book, and this book isn't even that long! It's just that nothing was grabbing my attention. I was reading words and failing to get into the story.
Honestly, it's interesting to me how two people can read the same book - but one can give it 2 stars, and the other 5 stars. It's all about perspective and how you connect with the story/characters. Sadly, with this novel, I didn't experience anything that Ashely did. But that doesn't mean you won't like it! It's a great idea and includes a new perspective on life. I think everyone should at least give it a try.
Overall, I'm disappointed I couldn't at least give this 3 stars. But I would've been lying if I'd given it anything but 2 stars. 'Cause usually 3-star books are stories that I can connect to on some sort of level. This one didn't fit that bill.
**Anyways, thank you again, Ashley, for lending me this book (especially since it's not out yet!). I'm sorry I couldn't rate it any higher. Regardless, you rock.
January 2, 2018
God. Okay. I am so tired of requesting contemporary books and being so bored by them that I DNF.
The thing about Kids Like Us is that none of the events seem to draw a bigger picture. Its arc is obvious. Or maybe, to put it simply: this book is a bit boring.
Let’s explore this. The problem with this book is that there are a lot of events and sideplots and about 75% have nothing to do with the book. That blurb? That romance and exploration of incorrect expectations promised by this book? Basically nonexistent in the first half. You know what the focus of the first half is? Well, me neither. Because what the hell was even happening.
It just felt like a lot of buildup and not enough development. That is all.
I was… unsure how to feel on the autism rep. See, I love that there’s an autistic protagonist who gets to be the focus. And I’m hoping this book will improve on this front later. But Martin’s mother is… really clearly anti autistic people, and the narrative is very unclear on calling her out. It made me feel a bit uncomfortable. Okay, a lot uncomfortable, but I'm trying to stave it off because I DNFed this and I can't form full opinions on narrative agency in books I DNFed.
I don’t know, guys. I’d read Cait @PaperFury’s review of this if you want more info on autism rep, because she’s honestly smarter than me on this topic. And also I literally second 90% of what she’s saying here.
One more thing: not enough France. This is set in France and I wanted at least one pretty setting description. That is all.
Blog | Goodreads | Twitter | Youtube
New Year's Resolution: don't request contemporary books unless I'm literally desperate to read them immediately
The thing about Kids Like Us is that none of the events seem to draw a bigger picture. Its arc is obvious. Or maybe, to put it simply: this book is a bit boring.
Let’s explore this. The problem with this book is that there are a lot of events and sideplots and about 75% have nothing to do with the book. That blurb? That romance and exploration of incorrect expectations promised by this book? Basically nonexistent in the first half. You know what the focus of the first half is? Well, me neither. Because what the hell was even happening.
It just felt like a lot of buildup and not enough development. That is all.
I was… unsure how to feel on the autism rep. See, I love that there’s an autistic protagonist who gets to be the focus. And I’m hoping this book will improve on this front later. But Martin’s mother is… really clearly anti autistic people, and the narrative is very unclear on calling her out. It made me feel a bit uncomfortable. Okay, a lot uncomfortable, but I'm trying to stave it off because I DNFed this and I can't form full opinions on narrative agency in books I DNFed.
I don’t know, guys. I’d read Cait @PaperFury’s review of this if you want more info on autism rep, because she’s honestly smarter than me on this topic. And also I literally second 90% of what she’s saying here.
One more thing: not enough France. This is set in France and I wanted at least one pretty setting description. That is all.
Blog | Goodreads | Twitter | Youtube
February 4, 2018
‘You’ll smile, you’ll gasp, you’ll root for main character Martin throughout…An exquisitely insightful, charming tale.’
LoveReading UK
‘Martin is one of the most relatable characters I have ever read…Unique and refreshing.’
Autistic & Unapologetic
‘A heartwarming read. The characterisation is strong and the setting idyllic…This book not only transports you emotionally but geographically as well.’
Reading Time
‘Whether tender and familiar or brilliant and disorienting, Kids Like Us weaves together a truly atypical love story—from pound cake and Proust, from autism and family dysfunction—but always with the rare, luminous humanity that makes a true teen anthem, another Fault in our Stars.’
Melissa De La Cruz, NYT bestselling author of Blue Bloods and Witches of East End
‘A heartfelt celebration of young life with all its strange and endearing awkwardness, obsessions and first eruptions of love.’
Martine Murray
‘For a teenager on the spectrum, a simple human connection can be an epic challenge. In her wonderfully touching YA debut, Hilary Reyl tells the story of one boy's effort to connect his imaginary world to the real one. There is love, humor and compassion on every page. You'll be blown away by this boy and by this book.’
Holly Goldberg Sloan, NYT bestselling author of Counting by 7s
‘The most original voice since The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime tells the most radiantly human love story since Eleanor and Park. Reyl's extraordinary YA debut isn’t just a book you read; this is one of those rare books that reaches in deep and writes you back.’
Margaret Stohl, co-author of #1 NYT and international bestseller Beautiful Creatures
‘Kids Like Us is a song in which, like life, both harmony and dissonance play their part. The writing is beautiful; the setting lush and evocative. I didn't want to leave Martin's world.’
Ally Condie, #1 NYT bestselling author of Matched and Summerlost
‘Kids Like Us was a really beautiful story…I loved the writing and the sparse but well placed details. I thought this was a thoroughly accurate and interesting exploration of the autistic mind, feelings and experiences.’
Paper Fury
LoveReading UK
‘Martin is one of the most relatable characters I have ever read…Unique and refreshing.’
Autistic & Unapologetic
‘A heartwarming read. The characterisation is strong and the setting idyllic…This book not only transports you emotionally but geographically as well.’
Reading Time
‘Whether tender and familiar or brilliant and disorienting, Kids Like Us weaves together a truly atypical love story—from pound cake and Proust, from autism and family dysfunction—but always with the rare, luminous humanity that makes a true teen anthem, another Fault in our Stars.’
Melissa De La Cruz, NYT bestselling author of Blue Bloods and Witches of East End
‘A heartfelt celebration of young life with all its strange and endearing awkwardness, obsessions and first eruptions of love.’
Martine Murray
‘For a teenager on the spectrum, a simple human connection can be an epic challenge. In her wonderfully touching YA debut, Hilary Reyl tells the story of one boy's effort to connect his imaginary world to the real one. There is love, humor and compassion on every page. You'll be blown away by this boy and by this book.’
Holly Goldberg Sloan, NYT bestselling author of Counting by 7s
‘The most original voice since The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime tells the most radiantly human love story since Eleanor and Park. Reyl's extraordinary YA debut isn’t just a book you read; this is one of those rare books that reaches in deep and writes you back.’
Margaret Stohl, co-author of #1 NYT and international bestseller Beautiful Creatures
‘Kids Like Us is a song in which, like life, both harmony and dissonance play their part. The writing is beautiful; the setting lush and evocative. I didn't want to leave Martin's world.’
Ally Condie, #1 NYT bestselling author of Matched and Summerlost
‘Kids Like Us was a really beautiful story…I loved the writing and the sparse but well placed details. I thought this was a thoroughly accurate and interesting exploration of the autistic mind, feelings and experiences.’
Paper Fury
November 27, 2017
I quite liked Kids Like Us. I was interested at first because I’m on the autism spectrum too, and I could really connect with Martin in a lot of ways. For example, I, too, am obsessed with an old French novel and for quite a while I saw my life through the lens of that novel. (The novel in question is Les Miserables, and I genuinely believe that I lifted a significant amount of my personality from Les Amis de l’ABC, especially Grantaire.) There are other books, too. I could identify with the obsessive interests of Martin and Layla; I know for a fact my ALL-CONSUMING INTEREST in the Percy Jackson series was a significant factor in getting diagnosed. I imagined I was Percy, just like Martin imagines he’s Marcel. We both live in our own little bubbles of fiction. So Martin’s repetitive recounting of In Search of Lost Time was very relatable to me, even if I didn’t understand what was going on because I didn’t read the novel. God knows I’ve done that more times than I can count, so I can’t exactly fault him.
Martin was so well-written too. He was’t a stereotype of autistic kids, and he does call it out that he’s expected to be a stereotype. He’s a good character and he tries his best to understand the world around him, which is difficult even for neurotypical kids. He’s very fleshed out and definitely seemed like a real person, and he had wonderful character development throughout the book. His trouble with pronouns was interesting as a literary device, because the book opens in second person, and occasionally veers back to second person, which puts a whole new light on it in literary terms. It transposes the reader into the book like Martin does with Search.
I wish we had found out more about Simon and the girl Martin calls Gilberte. I feel like their stories were left kind of hanging. I really liked both of them, though, and all of Martin’s friends. I liked Layla too - and gosh, I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen an autistic girl in media, which I appreciated so, so much. I loved the setting in France. It was so idyllic and set a really lovely tone for the story as a whole.
There’s a lot of really interesting discourses about neurodiversity and autism brought up and left for the reader to ponder. I can’t comment on that too much. I myself would probably be considered “high functioning” (even if I don’t particularly like that label, because according to the psychiatrist that diagnosed me, I was hopelessly low-functioning Asperger’s, and basically there are a lot of problems with the high/low functioning binary that I’m not going to get into or we’ll be here all day) and I wouldn’t want anyone to try to cure me. Like, I may not be functioning as well as most young adults my age but I am doing my damndest to live my life how I want to. And Martin is too. But like me, he recognizes that there are things he’s missing out on and it’s not bad to better yourself if it’s making yourself happier. There’s a lot more discourses in the book, and Kids Like Us is a book that makes you think, whether you are on or off the spectrum.
Martin was so well-written too. He was’t a stereotype of autistic kids, and he does call it out that he’s expected to be a stereotype. He’s a good character and he tries his best to understand the world around him, which is difficult even for neurotypical kids. He’s very fleshed out and definitely seemed like a real person, and he had wonderful character development throughout the book. His trouble with pronouns was interesting as a literary device, because the book opens in second person, and occasionally veers back to second person, which puts a whole new light on it in literary terms. It transposes the reader into the book like Martin does with Search.
I wish we had found out more about Simon and the girl Martin calls Gilberte. I feel like their stories were left kind of hanging. I really liked both of them, though, and all of Martin’s friends. I liked Layla too - and gosh, I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen an autistic girl in media, which I appreciated so, so much. I loved the setting in France. It was so idyllic and set a really lovely tone for the story as a whole.
There’s a lot of really interesting discourses about neurodiversity and autism brought up and left for the reader to ponder. I can’t comment on that too much. I myself would probably be considered “high functioning” (even if I don’t particularly like that label, because according to the psychiatrist that diagnosed me, I was hopelessly low-functioning Asperger’s, and basically there are a lot of problems with the high/low functioning binary that I’m not going to get into or we’ll be here all day) and I wouldn’t want anyone to try to cure me. Like, I may not be functioning as well as most young adults my age but I am doing my damndest to live my life how I want to. And Martin is too. But like me, he recognizes that there are things he’s missing out on and it’s not bad to better yourself if it’s making yourself happier. There’s a lot more discourses in the book, and Kids Like Us is a book that makes you think, whether you are on or off the spectrum.
November 7, 2017
Normally I do not read young adult novels, but due to the subject matter, I felt inclined to do so having two Autistic Nephews and one Autistic Niece. Martin is a teen who is on the Autism Spectrum, and he associates people he meets with his favorite book, In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust. He moves to France with his mother and sister. His mother is working on a movie project and his sister, Elisabeth helps with Martin. Martin’s father is not around, but each time Martin cooks, the memories of his father are revealed and why he cannot participate in Martin’s life. Martin has friends that are all on the Spectrum as well, living in America. He converses with them through the internet and gets advice from them and his teacher from the center back home.
While living in France Martin attends a public French school and falls for a girl, he keeps referring to her as Gilberte. Over time he realizes she is not Gilberte, but Alice and falls in love with her. Martin navigates through the tricky waters of learning to trust others, the value of friendship and love, all while whipping up amazing French cuisine. The author did a great job of telling the story through Martin’s viewpoint. At times the storyline did get a little cheesy and drawn out, but it was a quick read and a feel good book that was fun to read.
While living in France Martin attends a public French school and falls for a girl, he keeps referring to her as Gilberte. Over time he realizes she is not Gilberte, but Alice and falls in love with her. Martin navigates through the tricky waters of learning to trust others, the value of friendship and love, all while whipping up amazing French cuisine. The author did a great job of telling the story through Martin’s viewpoint. At times the storyline did get a little cheesy and drawn out, but it was a quick read and a feel good book that was fun to read.
Read
May 1, 2018DNF @ 8%
I would like to thank the publishers for the free digital copy via NetGalley for read and review! I've marked this as currently reading for a few months now, but sadly, the digital copy I received for my Kindle e-reader was badly formatted. I hadn't experienced this before so decided to put the book on hold for a while. When I came back to it today, I simply decided that the writing style in the end wasn't for me and chose to DNF the book.
I would like to thank the publishers for the free digital copy via NetGalley for read and review! I've marked this as currently reading for a few months now, but sadly, the digital copy I received for my Kindle e-reader was badly formatted. I hadn't experienced this before so decided to put the book on hold for a while. When I came back to it today, I simply decided that the writing style in the end wasn't for me and chose to DNF the book.
September 10, 2019
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. A big thank you to Hilary Reyl and Text Publishing!
There is something truly raw and genuine-feeling about this book, that I don't feel like I come across often in YA contemporary.
Kids Like Us is a very character driven story. The storyline is fairly slow moving, but in a way that lets you delve into the mind of Martin. The story focuses a lot on how Martin perceives the world through his understanding of Search, through the tools that he's been developing with the help of his family and The Centre, and through his own intuition of how the world and others work.
I adored how much I felt I learned from this book. Reyl dives into so many little nuances that I haven't come across before in autism-related lit. For example, a lot of Martin's responses involve echolalia - repeating back what he's heard before instead of using 'original language' - and mixing up his pronouns, both things that have featured very little, if at all, in other books featuring characters on the spectrum.
Of course, ASD, like so many other neurodiversities, develops and presents differently in one person to the next. But so often I feel as though the same things are presented over and over in a stereotypical way. In this way, Kids Like Us breaks free of this narrow-minded way of presenting autism.
I also loved the examination of identity in this book. Martin's best friend, Layla, who is also on the spectrum begins a conversation about the neurodiversity movement - a movement that society should accept people on the autistic spectrum for who they are instead of trying to cure them.
The discussion of where the line is between equipping someone on the spectrum with tools to navigate the world and giving them therapy to develop them closer to being neurotypical/general-ed is, of course, a tough one that requires a lot of discussion and understanding on the topic.
But I truly admired it's inclusion to the story. It is presented in a way that will fuel readers to ponder on the idea and how they view people on the spectrum.
There are a lot of other things that the book does well
+ this book will make you hungry and it will possibly make you want to draw moths on your shoes
+ you will fall in love with Elisabeth - she is everything that should be an older sibling
+ you will root for the friends, as they navigate the difference between friend and moth, and develop their own views and understanding of interacting with someone on the spectrum.
I will finish up by being completely transparent and saying that I can not comment accurately on the authenticity of the spectrum rep in this book, however, there are plenty of ownvoices reviews out there - including the one featured on my full review.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
There is something truly raw and genuine-feeling about this book, that I don't feel like I come across often in YA contemporary.
"I'm finding out that there are a lot of us who hate that the world is trying to cure us. I think the point is that we don't need to be cured"
Kids Like Us is a very character driven story. The storyline is fairly slow moving, but in a way that lets you delve into the mind of Martin. The story focuses a lot on how Martin perceives the world through his understanding of Search, through the tools that he's been developing with the help of his family and The Centre, and through his own intuition of how the world and others work.
I adored how much I felt I learned from this book. Reyl dives into so many little nuances that I haven't come across before in autism-related lit. For example, a lot of Martin's responses involve echolalia - repeating back what he's heard before instead of using 'original language' - and mixing up his pronouns, both things that have featured very little, if at all, in other books featuring characters on the spectrum.
Of course, ASD, like so many other neurodiversities, develops and presents differently in one person to the next. But so often I feel as though the same things are presented over and over in a stereotypical way. In this way, Kids Like Us breaks free of this narrow-minded way of presenting autism.
"Missing out on subtelties is one of my specialties."
I also loved the examination of identity in this book. Martin's best friend, Layla, who is also on the spectrum begins a conversation about the neurodiversity movement - a movement that society should accept people on the autistic spectrum for who they are instead of trying to cure them.
The discussion of where the line is between equipping someone on the spectrum with tools to navigate the world and giving them therapy to develop them closer to being neurotypical/general-ed is, of course, a tough one that requires a lot of discussion and understanding on the topic.
But I truly admired it's inclusion to the story. It is presented in a way that will fuel readers to ponder on the idea and how they view people on the spectrum.
"I'm finding out that there are a lot of us who hate that the world is trying to cure us. I think the point is that we don't need to be cured"
There are a lot of other things that the book does well
+ this book will make you hungry and it will possibly make you want to draw moths on your shoes
+ you will fall in love with Elisabeth - she is everything that should be an older sibling
+ you will root for the friends, as they navigate the difference between friend and moth, and develop their own views and understanding of interacting with someone on the spectrum.
I will finish up by being completely transparent and saying that I can not comment accurately on the authenticity of the spectrum rep in this book, however, there are plenty of ownvoices reviews out there - including the one featured on my full review.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
October 12, 2017
This review originally appeared on We Live and Breathe Books
•Pro: The author takes us to France, delights our senses with delicious food, and even interacts with locals.
•Pro: Martin just touched my heart. He was so genuine, and being in his head was pretty interesting.
•Pro: I learned so many things about neurodiversity that I did not know. It wasn't done in an info dump way, it was told through Martin's self reflections.
•Pro: Martin's sister, Elisabeth was pretty special, and so was their sibling bond. She loved Martin for Martin, and they shared some really beautiful moments in this story.
•Pro: I really loved the Skype session with Martin's friends from the center, but my favorite was Layla. The way she expressed herself with Martin, how she did not feel the need to adopt neurotypical ways, and the fact that she kept asking, "Do you think our phones are instruments of communication or torture?"
•Pro: This book's tagline hints at romance being the focus of this story, but that short changes this story. The romance is so secondary to Martin's summer of coming into his own, his journey, and it's a wonderful one.
•Pro: This one gave me a lot to think about. There is this awesome scene between Martin and his mother, where he is trying to express his autism is a part of who he is, not a disease to be cured, and I think neurotypical people lost sight of that.
Overall: A beautiful and touching coming of age story, which filled me with warm-fuzzies and made me look at autism in a different light.
**Thank you to the publisher for the ARC I won through a Goodreads giveaway!
BLOG | INSTAGRAM | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS
•Pro: The author takes us to France, delights our senses with delicious food, and even interacts with locals.
•Pro: Martin just touched my heart. He was so genuine, and being in his head was pretty interesting.
•Pro: I learned so many things about neurodiversity that I did not know. It wasn't done in an info dump way, it was told through Martin's self reflections.
•Pro: Martin's sister, Elisabeth was pretty special, and so was their sibling bond. She loved Martin for Martin, and they shared some really beautiful moments in this story.
•Pro: I really loved the Skype session with Martin's friends from the center, but my favorite was Layla. The way she expressed herself with Martin, how she did not feel the need to adopt neurotypical ways, and the fact that she kept asking, "Do you think our phones are instruments of communication or torture?"
•Pro: This book's tagline hints at romance being the focus of this story, but that short changes this story. The romance is so secondary to Martin's summer of coming into his own, his journey, and it's a wonderful one.
•Pro: This one gave me a lot to think about. There is this awesome scene between Martin and his mother, where he is trying to express his autism is a part of who he is, not a disease to be cured, and I think neurotypical people lost sight of that.
Overall: A beautiful and touching coming of age story, which filled me with warm-fuzzies and made me look at autism in a different light.
**Thank you to the publisher for the ARC I won through a Goodreads giveaway!
BLOG | INSTAGRAM | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS
November 14, 2017
I will be pretty surprised if this doesn't end up being a popular YA fiction title.
This story is primarily about Martin, a fairly high functioning 16 year old boy with autism. Initially, the story feels a little stilted spoken inside Martin's head, but, gains more fluidity as you continue through the story. The teens are smart and cultured, a bit like John Green's teens.
Martin has a bit of an obsession going on with Proust and thus there are tons of references to Proust. Thankfully though, Martin is primarily reading "Swann's Way", not the entire "In Search of Lost Time". If you feel like reading the 2 books concurrently, it should actually be achievable. There's even several references to madeleines and Cesar Franck's Violin Sonata in A Major.
This is one of those books where you can choose to focus on the relationships theme or the 'book within a book' theme.
I liked this enough to read it all in one day, that's saying something. It does warm up quickly in just a few chapters, so if you are lukewarm on chapter one, continue until at least chapter three to give it a chance to grow on you.
This story is primarily about Martin, a fairly high functioning 16 year old boy with autism. Initially, the story feels a little stilted spoken inside Martin's head, but, gains more fluidity as you continue through the story. The teens are smart and cultured, a bit like John Green's teens.
Martin has a bit of an obsession going on with Proust and thus there are tons of references to Proust. Thankfully though, Martin is primarily reading "Swann's Way", not the entire "In Search of Lost Time". If you feel like reading the 2 books concurrently, it should actually be achievable. There's even several references to madeleines and Cesar Franck's Violin Sonata in A Major.
This is one of those books where you can choose to focus on the relationships theme or the 'book within a book' theme.
I liked this enough to read it all in one day, that's saying something. It does warm up quickly in just a few chapters, so if you are lukewarm on chapter one, continue until at least chapter three to give it a chance to grow on you.
November 21, 2017
Actual rating is 3.5 🌟
Let me start by saying that as a person who deals with mental illness the decision to read this book was inevitable.
This book was a slow enjoyable read ,
but it wasn't really for me , TBh i care about the characters more than anything else and frankly none of them was memorable maybe because the writer didn't give them any importance.
i really liked how the writer focused more on Martin's mental illness .
I loved how Martin kept referring to the book that helped him.
Unfortunately I didn't like the romance that much maybe I was really interested in Martin's family and social circle! The writing style wasn't really my type but like i said i enjoy this book and i would recommend it . I do intend to re-read it maybe the rating will change by that time .
Let me start by saying that as a person who deals with mental illness the decision to read this book was inevitable.
This book was a slow enjoyable read ,
but it wasn't really for me , TBh i care about the characters more than anything else and frankly none of them was memorable maybe because the writer didn't give them any importance.
i really liked how the writer focused more on Martin's mental illness .
I loved how Martin kept referring to the book that helped him.
Unfortunately I didn't like the romance that much maybe I was really interested in Martin's family and social circle! The writing style wasn't really my type but like i said i enjoy this book and i would recommend it . I do intend to re-read it maybe the rating will change by that time .
January 23, 2018
Good story, just not for me. It was interesting to read a book narrated by an Autism spectrum boy. I guess I expected a...lighter, teen romance? Hmph, mistaken, but I am sure teens will get into the story in varying degrees. The Paris setting and a actress mom were interesting. And I guess Martin confusing a character in a 100 year old book with a contemporary girl in his class at school was kind of tragicomic.
I received an Advance Kindle copy from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.
I received an Advance Kindle copy from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.
September 3, 2018
*I received a copy through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review."
I was really looking forward to this book but sadly it's not for me. I got really excited when I started the book since it starts off on my birthday but I was quickly bored and just not liking the writing style. I hate to give bad reviews but this just didn't work for me.
I do hope that if you decide to read it that you enjoy it.
I was really looking forward to this book but sadly it's not for me. I got really excited when I started the book since it starts off on my birthday but I was quickly bored and just not liking the writing style. I hate to give bad reviews but this just didn't work for me.
I do hope that if you decide to read it that you enjoy it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 14, 2017
This is a refreshing take on a coming-of-age story, told from the perspective of a 16 year old boy, Martin, who is on the autism spectrum. It is about family, friendship, relationships and change. Martin is piercingly observant and deeply analytical, and through his eyes, the author explores some of the many nuances of human interaction and emotion. I really enjoyed reading it.
January 4, 2018
"How it feels like seeing the life through the eyes of an autistic sixteen years old boy? Quite an epiphany! Kids Like Us is an eye opening journey into the unknown world of autism and how its diversity collides with our well-known world. "
"I received a complimentary copy of this book and have volunteered to leave a review."
First of all I want to be honest with you. I have never been into books which captures social issues. However, this year I promised to give it a try. Hilary Reyl's book cover was what firstly attracted my attention; secondly came its synopsis. While, I haven't any relation with the autism spectrum is an issue I am familiar with it through conversations with other mothers. I was in the dark! Kids Like Us helped me understand this unknown world and I'm very happy for taking the chance to read it.
There are so many levels and differences between the autistic people; I have never imagined that. Martin Dubois, a sixteen year old boy helped me learn some of these differences while narrating his own personal story. It is a revelation to me seeing through his eyes how daily life unfolds before him; The way Martin sees (understand) himself so clearly, how easily rationalize the behavior of the people around him shows me a person who, while he lives into his own personal bubble most of the time, he's also trying to live into his loveones personal bubbles too.
Martin's understanding with the world around him is intoxicating. While he is constantly compares his real life with his favorite book, always keen on finding connections between the two, in the end he earns the recognition of how the world around him works. For me, Martin's mind works the way I wish all the other peoples minds work. I might sound naive but my explanation for this wish is that is not bad to think once in a while or always, about who you really are to yourself and to others; how you might treat better yourself and the others.
Martin's trip to France with his mother and sister, opened him a new door to what the real world is about. For the first time he is out of his comfort zone. He isn't forced to do anything but he has the opportunity to go to school there and interact with "normal" kids. So he goes and that's how his journey begins. Martin's experiencing a lot of unwelcome behaviors whereas he is acting much more mature than all the others. He experiencing love with different individuals, in various ways. His mother, his sister, his best friend Layla, his France friends, his book heroine that he found out she is totally real and unique. Each type of love gives him the knowledge to separate them and go along with them. It's unnerving and remarkable at the same time.
Hilary Reyl introduced me to the world of autism spectrum disorder in the best possible way. The storyline she chose to feature is intelligent and clearly very helpful to understand that subject. Hilary Reyl using a first person narration gives me the opportunity to see and feel through Martin's eyes and emotions of how people and their behavior around him affect him. Also, she tangled up Martin's thoughts and attitude using an old book which Martin is so attached to. For me it wasn't always easy to follow up with his book's scenes but in the end it is clear that Martin life is nothing but this book. I could write unstoppable about what where the things I like in this book. The fact that it is very well written and not at all scientific, is important to be mentioned. All the others are waiting to be unfold to be known.
I hope I intrigue your a little and make you grab the book, finding out what's really happening in the end because there is no way to tell you myself.
Until next time, enjoy your free time reading great books with the most unforgettable stories.
Vivi
September 4, 2021
Ok not a bad book but I wouldn’t recommend it. I picked it off the shelf of teen corner at the metropolitan library so really what can you expect.
May 28, 2019
What it’s about: Martin sees life through the lens of French writer Marcel Proust's In Search of Lost Time. He finds connections between the main characters of Proust's work and the people in his life. He relates the events of the book to the events of his life. This helps Martin make sense of his life. Martin is on the autism spectrum. He sees the world differently than many people.
Martin's mother is a film director. She takes Martin and his sister to France when Martin is sixteen. Martin's mother is working on a movie. Martin doesn't like changes in his life. But he does like encountering a woman that he thinks of as Gilberte, the main love interest of Search. Now Martin hopes to win Gilberte's heart.
What I thought: I enjoyed this book quite a bit. It reminded me a bit of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night and the Rosie Project books. I like getting to see the world from a neurodiverse perspective. I also think it's valuable for others to read such books to be able to better appreciate that not everyone sees the world the same way (sometimes literally), and that this does not make anyone better or worse than others - just different. Sometimes those differences provide a very interesting and unusual perspective on the world, which can help us all see things a bit differently.
Martin often mentions how doctors told his parents when he was younger that he would never form original thoughts or sentences, that he would, at best, remix what he had taken in. This is presented as though it is some kind of fault or flaw in Martin; but reading this made me consider how all of us communicate. There are very few ways for people to come up with truly unique and creative ways to communicate. We acquire our language by seeing and hearing it from others, and we tend to have favorite words and phrases and ways of saying things that stick with us, and that we use frequently. I know that there are individuals on the autism spectrum who only communicate by repeating back phrases they've read or heard, such as movie lines. However, to label such a person as fundamentally different than the rest of us misses the fact that many people communicate in this way, though perhaps to a less extreme degree (though, thinking of some of my movie-quoting friends, perhaps not!).
In other words, I found this to be a thought-provoking book. The above is just one of the topics that had me digging in and examining my own thoughts and behaviors. Friendships, romance, family dynamics, familial love - there's a lot of fertile ground for consideration and discussion.
Why I rated it like I did: This story moves right along. I really appreciated the glimpse into Martin's world that this book affords.
Martin's mother is a film director. She takes Martin and his sister to France when Martin is sixteen. Martin's mother is working on a movie. Martin doesn't like changes in his life. But he does like encountering a woman that he thinks of as Gilberte, the main love interest of Search. Now Martin hopes to win Gilberte's heart.
What I thought: I enjoyed this book quite a bit. It reminded me a bit of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night and the Rosie Project books. I like getting to see the world from a neurodiverse perspective. I also think it's valuable for others to read such books to be able to better appreciate that not everyone sees the world the same way (sometimes literally), and that this does not make anyone better or worse than others - just different. Sometimes those differences provide a very interesting and unusual perspective on the world, which can help us all see things a bit differently.
Martin often mentions how doctors told his parents when he was younger that he would never form original thoughts or sentences, that he would, at best, remix what he had taken in. This is presented as though it is some kind of fault or flaw in Martin; but reading this made me consider how all of us communicate. There are very few ways for people to come up with truly unique and creative ways to communicate. We acquire our language by seeing and hearing it from others, and we tend to have favorite words and phrases and ways of saying things that stick with us, and that we use frequently. I know that there are individuals on the autism spectrum who only communicate by repeating back phrases they've read or heard, such as movie lines. However, to label such a person as fundamentally different than the rest of us misses the fact that many people communicate in this way, though perhaps to a less extreme degree (though, thinking of some of my movie-quoting friends, perhaps not!).
In other words, I found this to be a thought-provoking book. The above is just one of the topics that had me digging in and examining my own thoughts and behaviors. Friendships, romance, family dynamics, familial love - there's a lot of fertile ground for consideration and discussion.
Why I rated it like I did: This story moves right along. I really appreciated the glimpse into Martin's world that this book affords.
September 1, 2017
This is a wonderful coming of age story about a 16 year old boy with autism. He is the book's narrator, and the writing is wonderful. Though fiction, it is still a fascinating glimpse into the mind of a person who has autism. It explores areas of his autism, but also areas of life we all face - school, friends, family, romance. I highly recommend it to teens and adults alike.
I received an ARC from NetGalley. This book will be released on November 14, 2017.
I received an ARC from NetGalley. This book will be released on November 14, 2017.
August 22, 2017
I received an arc of this book at the ALA conference I went to over the summer. Listening to the publishers of this book speak about it made me want to snatch up a copy right away. Its a tricky slope sometimes with YA books being either so far-fetched or super cheesy, so I hope this one is as good as it sounds!
October 14, 2017
Thoroughly charming.
January 15, 2018
I've read quite a few books featuring characters on the autism spectrum, and this might be one of the few/only ones that made a case for allowing the individual to be him/herself. Martin is a teen on the spectrum. Back home in the United States, he lives a privileged life and attends special classes, hanging out with others who are like him. He's especially connected to Layla, a talented musician friend who has drawn moths on his tennis shoes. Accompanying his older sister Elizabeth and his director mother to France while she's making a film during the summer, Martin soaks up the French food and culture and attends classes in order to improve his language and social skills. He is obsessed with Marcel Proust's writings, in particular the first volume, which he and his father refer to as Search since it guides him in his decisions. To his delight, he meets a girl who brings to mind Gilberte Swann whose actual name is Alice Corot. When he is befriended by Simon, one of his new classmates, and his set, which includes Alice, Martin is delighted to think he's making friends so easily and possibly beginning a relationship with someone he has only imagined until now. But he quickly learns that the friendships are not real and are based on the teens' desire to mingle with the actors that have come to France for the film and possibly get small roles in the movie. I'm not sure how the author did her research on characters with autism, but she includes some of the classic signs of echolalia, rocking, and a dislike for having routines varied. Although Martin's behavior is often frustrating and mystifying to others, he is so earnest and honest that he's hard to resist. My heart broke for him when he saw an online post labeling him a robot and when Simon grew angry as he was trying to bond over the fact that both of their fathers were incarcerated. The book is filled with rich descriptions of food and the bubble in which Martin has lived most of his life. But what adds to the book's pleasures and makes it something that prompts reflection about assumptions about those like him is how the author weaves in messages and song titles from his friend back home, even including an article that argues against changing someone on the autism spectrum since that is essentially their identity and is as cruel and thoughtless as trying to force someone gay to become straight. Although this idea is only briefly explored, it does bear contemplation and consideration as to whether trying to make someone like Martin blend into the neurotypical world is even desirable or appropriate. I enjoyed this book, particularly for the musings on Proust's world, which resonated far more with Martin than today's.
November 18, 2017
Brilliantly told story of an American boy with high-functioning autism filtering his first love through the lens of a classic French novel.
Disclaimers: this book was provided through NetGalley, I'm choosing to leave an unbiased review, and also I know relatively little about autism.
Moving on. I'm not really qualified to comment as to how accurate a depiction this was of a person with autism, but it provided a fascinating perspective on the MC, Martin's life. He goes to a school for kids with neurodivergent/developmental differences/autism...? It's not quite clear, but they seem to have a special program for teaching these kids how to learn and communicate with others more effectively. Martin and a friend from the program both understand the world by comparing people and experiences to a beloved piece of media. In Martin's case, it's a classic French novel. In his friend's, it's the TV show Downton Abbey.
I enjoyed the way Martin was portrayed as deliberately thinking through his surroundings and choosing to respond. It was a bit surprising in the first few pages, but then felt very comfortable and surprisingly relatable. In the story, he's visiting a French town and attending school there on a casual basis while his mother films a movie in town. He struggles with the new situation and new people, but works out relationships mostly by helping others and examining their reactions for insight into why they act a certain way. He enjoys translating for his friends, finding meaning, purpose and acceptance while overcoming anxiety in the act. He struggles, like many children, with his impact on his parent's lives and relationship, feeling guilt for being different and creating conflict and challenges in their lives.
He falls for a local girl who he regards as equivalent to the heroine of his favourite book, and while it takes a while for him to separate his fantasy from reality, he is capable of thinking through the differences and seeing her as unique. In a way, it's a very quiet story about Martin's journey of understanding and relating to the world around him, but satisfying in the way it concludes and entertaining in that the world told in Martin's voice is intricate, interesting and challenging.
A satisfying story that lets you experience the world through a distinctive lens. 4/5 as entertainment, 5/5 as a very well produced book.
Disclaimers: this book was provided through NetGalley, I'm choosing to leave an unbiased review, and also I know relatively little about autism.
Moving on. I'm not really qualified to comment as to how accurate a depiction this was of a person with autism, but it provided a fascinating perspective on the MC, Martin's life. He goes to a school for kids with neurodivergent/developmental differences/autism...? It's not quite clear, but they seem to have a special program for teaching these kids how to learn and communicate with others more effectively. Martin and a friend from the program both understand the world by comparing people and experiences to a beloved piece of media. In Martin's case, it's a classic French novel. In his friend's, it's the TV show Downton Abbey.
I enjoyed the way Martin was portrayed as deliberately thinking through his surroundings and choosing to respond. It was a bit surprising in the first few pages, but then felt very comfortable and surprisingly relatable. In the story, he's visiting a French town and attending school there on a casual basis while his mother films a movie in town. He struggles with the new situation and new people, but works out relationships mostly by helping others and examining their reactions for insight into why they act a certain way. He enjoys translating for his friends, finding meaning, purpose and acceptance while overcoming anxiety in the act. He struggles, like many children, with his impact on his parent's lives and relationship, feeling guilt for being different and creating conflict and challenges in their lives.
He falls for a local girl who he regards as equivalent to the heroine of his favourite book, and while it takes a while for him to separate his fantasy from reality, he is capable of thinking through the differences and seeing her as unique. In a way, it's a very quiet story about Martin's journey of understanding and relating to the world around him, but satisfying in the way it concludes and entertaining in that the world told in Martin's voice is intricate, interesting and challenging.
A satisfying story that lets you experience the world through a distinctive lens. 4/5 as entertainment, 5/5 as a very well produced book.
Read
December 12, 2020“Kids Like Us” by Hilary Reyl is a book about Martin, an American teenager who is on the autism spectrum. Martin lives in the French countryside with both his mother and sister for the summer. This story is one of romance. As heart-wrenching and dramatic as romance can be, this one tells of a heartwarming story between Martin and Gilberte- Alice. The story is told from Martin’s perspective, in the first-person point of view. In the beginning, Martin suspects that Gilberte- Alice is not a real person, rather she is a character out of Martin’s favorite book. One of the best things to come out of Martin’s character development is that he realizes that even while being autistic, he can still have romantic feelings towards others. Not only just romantic but even just connecting with other people amidst his autism.
One of the great things about this book is its use of literary devices. One example of this is Hilary Reyl’s usage of allusion. In its basic terms, allusions mean a reference to something real or fictional, to someone, history, literature, or any phase of culture. In the book, Reyl states, “ The first song was “Michelle” by The Beatles.” This being a quite obvious reference to the famous 60’s band, The Beatles. Another literary device used was simile. For this example, Reyl says, “Marcel wrote that the moon in Gleyre’s landscapes was cut out against the sky like a silver sickle.” This would be a simile because she is comparing the moon to a silver sickle. Irony is also found within this book with Reyl stating, “...Mathew had just come from seeing his wife and newborn baby son, and over the past year he had survived World War I. He’d miraculously recovered from an injury that had almost left him paralyzed.” This interaction occurred when Martin was explaining a scene in Downton Abbey when one expected Mathew to survive but didn’t. Another literary device would be the usage of metaphors. In this example, Reyl says, “I wanted to impress her somehow, but all I could do was stare with stone eyes.” My last example is one of personification. This being when Reyl states, “The brown sofa was sucking me in.” With this example, one is given the image of a sofa consuming a human.
This story was overall an okay book to read. Whether it be as a mild distraction or something to read for an English class, it’s heavy usage of similes and other literary terms make it so it’s not boring to read. Not only that, but it’s a good story about acceptance. Not only from others but self-acceptance which, in my opinion, is more important. “Kids Like Us” is a book I would recommend to anyone who loves romance books and self-acceptance stories.
One of the great things about this book is its use of literary devices. One example of this is Hilary Reyl’s usage of allusion. In its basic terms, allusions mean a reference to something real or fictional, to someone, history, literature, or any phase of culture. In the book, Reyl states, “ The first song was “Michelle” by The Beatles.” This being a quite obvious reference to the famous 60’s band, The Beatles. Another literary device used was simile. For this example, Reyl says, “Marcel wrote that the moon in Gleyre’s landscapes was cut out against the sky like a silver sickle.” This would be a simile because she is comparing the moon to a silver sickle. Irony is also found within this book with Reyl stating, “...Mathew had just come from seeing his wife and newborn baby son, and over the past year he had survived World War I. He’d miraculously recovered from an injury that had almost left him paralyzed.” This interaction occurred when Martin was explaining a scene in Downton Abbey when one expected Mathew to survive but didn’t. Another literary device would be the usage of metaphors. In this example, Reyl says, “I wanted to impress her somehow, but all I could do was stare with stone eyes.” My last example is one of personification. This being when Reyl states, “The brown sofa was sucking me in.” With this example, one is given the image of a sofa consuming a human.
This story was overall an okay book to read. Whether it be as a mild distraction or something to read for an English class, it’s heavy usage of similes and other literary terms make it so it’s not boring to read. Not only that, but it’s a good story about acceptance. Not only from others but self-acceptance which, in my opinion, is more important. “Kids Like Us” is a book I would recommend to anyone who loves romance books and self-acceptance stories.
February 18, 2018
4/5 stars.
From the first sentence, Yesterday, you, Mom, and Elisabeth landed in Paris, France, of Kids Like Us by Hilary Reyl, you are thrust into the mind of Martin, an autistic sixteen-year-old spending his summer in the French countryside. He misses his friends in Los Angeles and his father, and finds it impossible to fit into this world of general-ed schooling until he meets ‘Gilberte’, a girl from a novel by Proust, a novel that’s taught him much about life, but perhaps she’s not really Gilberte and perhaps he isn’t as much like Marcel as he thought.
I think what I loved most about this novel is that Martin isn’t the stereotypical autistic character: he’s interested in cooking, literature, and music, and he tries very hard to relate to the people around him. I enjoyed learning about the different therapies and strategies he used, and I also just enjoyed Martin’s narration of the world around him. Yes, the story is slightly slow and quite detailed and, yes, you can argue that not a lot actually happens, but I appreciated the subtle characterisations, descriptions, and commentary. (Like Martin’s pronouns change; I think it’s dependent on how comfortable he is in a situation or something, but I found that kind of attention to detail cool.) Despite the fact that Martin’s autism and anxiety makes him feel very apart from the world, I felt very close to this story, which I think comes down to talented writing than anything else.
Kids Like Us, however, wasn’t a perfect five-star read for me. Firstly, I felt the book shied away from the deeper topics surrounding Martin’s autism and why they (especially his mother) were so fixated on making him normal rather than working to understand him and changing their lives to accommodate his differences. Realistically, this probably happens a lot, though, but I felt like the story was setting up to discuss these topics then just didn’t. Also, I saw one plot twist, which I personally think is overused, coming a mile away. I would have loved this novel to be longer (but I say that about every book I love); if I could, I would spend so much more time with Elisabeth and Arthur, Layla, Simon and Alice and learn more about their characters.
I personally haven’t much experience or knowledge regarding autism, but I found Kids Like Us by Hilary Reyl to offer a unique, emotional perspective on life and being yourself involving madeleines, music, and moths.
I received this novel from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
From the first sentence, Yesterday, you, Mom, and Elisabeth landed in Paris, France, of Kids Like Us by Hilary Reyl, you are thrust into the mind of Martin, an autistic sixteen-year-old spending his summer in the French countryside. He misses his friends in Los Angeles and his father, and finds it impossible to fit into this world of general-ed schooling until he meets ‘Gilberte’, a girl from a novel by Proust, a novel that’s taught him much about life, but perhaps she’s not really Gilberte and perhaps he isn’t as much like Marcel as he thought.
I think what I loved most about this novel is that Martin isn’t the stereotypical autistic character: he’s interested in cooking, literature, and music, and he tries very hard to relate to the people around him. I enjoyed learning about the different therapies and strategies he used, and I also just enjoyed Martin’s narration of the world around him. Yes, the story is slightly slow and quite detailed and, yes, you can argue that not a lot actually happens, but I appreciated the subtle characterisations, descriptions, and commentary. (Like Martin’s pronouns change; I think it’s dependent on how comfortable he is in a situation or something, but I found that kind of attention to detail cool.) Despite the fact that Martin’s autism and anxiety makes him feel very apart from the world, I felt very close to this story, which I think comes down to talented writing than anything else.
Kids Like Us, however, wasn’t a perfect five-star read for me. Firstly, I felt the book shied away from the deeper topics surrounding Martin’s autism and why they (especially his mother) were so fixated on making him normal rather than working to understand him and changing their lives to accommodate his differences. Realistically, this probably happens a lot, though, but I felt like the story was setting up to discuss these topics then just didn’t. Also, I saw one plot twist, which I personally think is overused, coming a mile away. I would have loved this novel to be longer (but I say that about every book I love); if I could, I would spend so much more time with Elisabeth and Arthur, Layla, Simon and Alice and learn more about their characters.
I personally haven’t much experience or knowledge regarding autism, but I found Kids Like Us by Hilary Reyl to offer a unique, emotional perspective on life and being yourself involving madeleines, music, and moths.
I received this novel from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
November 18, 2017
A brave and unique take on a first love YA novel. It is refreshing not to read about wizards or spies or gut-busting feats of physical prowess - no one in this novel is a ninja or can become invisible: It is a simple story about a fairly innocent (by today's sad social media standards) teenage summer and a group of kids from very different worlds getting to know each other, overcoming certain fears and prejudices and dealing with very real problems (a dad in gaol, a car accident, drinking too much, an autistic boy in a new school). Martin, the hero and our narrator, is autistic (very broad term to use - he never has a proper diagnosis but as the story develops we build up a picture), observant and articulate and tells his story clearly and with purpose - I found him engaging and I was cheering for him very quickly.
It is part Ulysses and part Breakfast Club at times but very much a many-layered and gentle collection of love stories (love for our an absent parent, love for a girl or a boy you don't know, love for a friend, love of cooking). The author did her homework on autistic traits and manages to smoothly introduce the extra challenges of Martin's life without evoking pity or fear. She succeeds in making the reader think a bit harder about people who are different but perhaps are not so different after all.
Although billed as YA I felt this was quite an adult book at times, not in themes (no drugs or teenage pregnancies), but in its honesty and sophistication - the near constant situational comparisons to episodes and characters in Proust's À la recherche du temps perdu (albeit simplified and well explained) add an interesting second narrative that help us better understand Martin and his fears.
Suitable for girls' at 13 and up and maybe boys at 15 or 16. (And any adult who wants to remember their first awkward experience of love and affection)
It is part Ulysses and part Breakfast Club at times but very much a many-layered and gentle collection of love stories (love for our an absent parent, love for a girl or a boy you don't know, love for a friend, love of cooking). The author did her homework on autistic traits and manages to smoothly introduce the extra challenges of Martin's life without evoking pity or fear. She succeeds in making the reader think a bit harder about people who are different but perhaps are not so different after all.
Although billed as YA I felt this was quite an adult book at times, not in themes (no drugs or teenage pregnancies), but in its honesty and sophistication - the near constant situational comparisons to episodes and characters in Proust's À la recherche du temps perdu (albeit simplified and well explained) add an interesting second narrative that help us better understand Martin and his fears.
Suitable for girls' at 13 and up and maybe boys at 15 or 16. (And any adult who wants to remember their first awkward experience of love and affection)
July 26, 2018
Overall this book was ok. It's about Martin, a boy with autism. He spends the summer in France because his mom is a famous movie producer. He falls for this girl, Alice, who he calls Gilberte because she reminds him of one of the characters of his favorite book, Search. It's really not a romance, more contemporary fiction.
This first 100 pages were a real drag for me. I found Simon's narration at times extremely boring and at times really fascinating. The characters were SO DRY. It seemed so weak, I guess in terms of characters. Martin did have friends and a potential love interest, yet I felt like there was nothing to them. No stand out physical, emotional, or circumstantial traits. I think that's why this book was so hard to read there was no one to cheer for or against. I didn't even feel like I knew Martin that well, and he was narrating. The one friend Martin had, Simon, was just angry all the time and made Martin feel bad. I do think there were potential places for this book to rise to the occasion, but it just fell flat.
There is a lot of references to French Literature which I didn't entirely understand. There's lots of food in this book though which is cool. Overall it's just an OK book.
This first 100 pages were a real drag for me. I found Simon's narration at times extremely boring and at times really fascinating. The characters were SO DRY. It seemed so weak, I guess in terms of characters. Martin did have friends and a potential love interest, yet I felt like there was nothing to them. No stand out physical, emotional, or circumstantial traits. I think that's why this book was so hard to read there was no one to cheer for or against. I didn't even feel like I knew Martin that well, and he was narrating. The one friend Martin had, Simon, was just angry all the time and made Martin feel bad. I do think there were potential places for this book to rise to the occasion, but it just fell flat.
There is a lot of references to French Literature which I didn't entirely understand. There's lots of food in this book though which is cool. Overall it's just an OK book.
January 22, 2018
Rating 1.5/5
This is a book about a kid with an autism spectrum who moves to France for a period of time. The story tells the struggles this kid has to socialize with the people around him.
I had read a book about an autism kid before but I didn't like that so I had a high expectation reading this book. I have no knowledge about the autism spectrum so reading from that perspective could be goodand informative. However I didn't like this book. I didn't connect with the character nor the story. I really dislike his mom, I feel like she wasn't as supportive as she should be with her son.
Maybe if the reader has autism would understand this book better that I did but from an outsider perspective this was really hard to commit.
Setting: France
This is a book about a kid with an autism spectrum who moves to France for a period of time. The story tells the struggles this kid has to socialize with the people around him.
I had read a book about an autism kid before but I didn't like that so I had a high expectation reading this book. I have no knowledge about the autism spectrum so reading from that perspective could be goodand informative. However I didn't like this book. I didn't connect with the character nor the story. I really dislike his mom, I feel like she wasn't as supportive as she should be with her son.
Maybe if the reader has autism would understand this book better that I did but from an outsider perspective this was really hard to commit.
Setting: France
February 16, 2018
Reading this book had opened up a whole new world to me. It let me in on a journey of understanding what autism is about through the eyes of Martin. I actually like Martin. His being autistic does not bother me at all because I feel like I appreciate how he appreciates the little details. There was a part of the book when he appreciated the buzzing music of the flies that he calls "the chamber music of summer". The amount of details was also satisfying and to me, there was enough description for imagination.
Initially, I thought I would be giving this book a rating of three stars, but the plot did something and towards the end of the book, there were some emotional content that tossed to me like hot potato and convinced me that this book deserved more stars.
I think that there is something beautiful in being different (and I will say this line again and again because a vast majority of the population seems to not understand this, which frustrates me. I mean, how would diversity be defined then???). I do believe that there is room for achievement but to change a person because of something you wouldn't want them to be is too much.
There is so much appreciation in this book that I recommend it to everyone. With the European setting, and you might want to choose this book for a light read.
They think we can be happy only if we become like them. They don't understand that the way we are is the only way we can be, like having blue eyes, or being male or female, or being human even. It's not something we can change and they should stop making us try."
Blog Review Over Here
Initially, I thought I would be giving this book a rating of three stars, but the plot did something and towards the end of the book, there were some emotional content that tossed to me like hot potato and convinced me that this book deserved more stars.
I think that there is something beautiful in being different (and I will say this line again and again because a vast majority of the population seems to not understand this, which frustrates me. I mean, how would diversity be defined then???). I do believe that there is room for achievement but to change a person because of something you wouldn't want them to be is too much.
There is so much appreciation in this book that I recommend it to everyone. With the European setting, and you might want to choose this book for a light read.
They think we can be happy only if we become like them. They don't understand that the way we are is the only way we can be, like having blue eyes, or being male or female, or being human even. It's not something we can change and they should stop making us try."
Blog Review Over Here
April 3, 2018
This is the story of a teen boy who has Autism. You get to see the world through his eyes as he explains how he feels and sees things. I thought it was quite interesting - sometimes hard to grasp but I think that might have been on purpose. As Martin develops an interest in a young girl, we see how that evolves in his mind and how he deals with these new feelings using techniques he has been taught. I just thought the whole book was some interesting insight into a mind that deals with Autism. Worth the read.
August 5, 2018
3.5 Stars
I really enjoyed this book! I can’t speak for the accuracy of Martin’s autism, but I can say that the story was written very well. It opened my eyes to autism, and I enjoyed seeing how he thought. It took a while to get used to Martin’s voice since it’s different from the narrator’s I usually read. The setting, in France, was absolutely beautiful and I really liked this element of the story. Overall, this was a beautiful book and I would definitely recommend it.
I really enjoyed this book! I can’t speak for the accuracy of Martin’s autism, but I can say that the story was written very well. It opened my eyes to autism, and I enjoyed seeing how he thought. It took a while to get used to Martin’s voice since it’s different from the narrator’s I usually read. The setting, in France, was absolutely beautiful and I really liked this element of the story. Overall, this was a beautiful book and I would definitely recommend it.
May 30, 2019
I enjoyed reading this book. It was very eye opening i would say. It helps you see how easily someone can take advantage of you. Martin is a young boy with Autism and its hard for him to makes friends the whole friendship thing is new to him. Due to the fact that Martin is very unexpected when it comes to friends the kids at his new school take advantage of his kindness to meet his mother. I like how the book had unexpected changes. it was a good read, i would command it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 159 reviews