Can You See Me? Quotes

“Home is supposed to be a safe place. It's supposed to be a place where she feels understood and cared about—not abandoned and ignored.”
― Rebecca Westcott, Can You See Me?

“Sometimes, thinking about ourselves and who we really are is the most terrifying thing of all.”
― Rebecca Westcott, Can You See Me?

“Sometimes, the strongest voices are those who are speaking the quietest.”
― Rebecca Westcott, Can You See Me?

“It's everything!" screams Tally. "And I am not upset! I am hurt and that's different but nobody even knows. And if Nell gets hurt then she gets all the sympathy and people are sorry for her and she gets to lie down on the sofa with a blanket and be looked after but when I get hurt then everyone just says, 'Oh, it's only Tally having a TANTRUM and she's a bit upset,' but I'm not upset."

She stops and heave in a huge breath. "I. Am. Hurt.”
― Rebecca Westcott, Can You See Me?

“The”
― Libby Scott, Can You See Me?

“LIBBY SCOTT is a young autistic writer who lives in the UK with her family. Since her “Life of a Perfectionist” essay went viral online, she has become an autism advocate, speaking about her own experience of it at conferences and in interviews. Can You See Me? is her first novel. You can find Libby on Twitter at @BlogLibby.”
― Libby Scott, Can You See Me?

“The walk is over too quickly. Tally tries everything she can think of to make it last longer, suggesting that Rupert needs to be taken all around the park and then play some stick-chasing games. But after twenty minutes, Mum says that it’s time to head home. “He’s an old dog,” she tells Tally. “And he had quite a fright yesterday. He’ll be happiest having a sleep on his bed now, while we pop out for a while.” “Can’t Nell and I stay here?” Tally asks, the second they’re inside the house. Mum shakes her head. “Not today. After yesterday’s escapades I think that I want us all to stick together. And besides, Dad is looking forward to seeing you.” “I can’t wait to see him,” says Nell, and Tally wonders how she can be so brave about going to the hospital but so scared about something as silly as the dark. Just like the dog walk, the drive to the hospital doesn’t take long enough. Mum parks the car and they all get out. Tally stares at the building ahead. It is grey and gloomy and huge and she knows that if she were to get lost in there then she’d never find her way out. “This way,” says Mum, leading them towards the main entrance. They walk past a man sitting in a wheelchair and a woman with her arm in a sling, and Tally lowers her eyes so that the only thing she can see is Mum’s feet in front of her. The ground changes from concrete to tiles and then Mum’s feet stop and Tally has to look up There are people everywhere and the lights are so bright that it hurts her eyes. “Dad is on the fifth floor,” mum says. “So we need to take the lift.” Tally steps back, accidentally bumping into Nell.”
― Libby Scott, Can You See Me?: A powerful story of autism, empathy and kindness

“What I’m saying is I’m just like one mouldy blueberry in a packet. I’m not sure I’m wanted by the others as I make the whole packet look bad. I never fit in with anything or anyone. I feel like a key that doesn’t fit properly in the lock.”
― Libby Scott, Can You See Me?: A powerful story of autism, empathy and kindness

“Actually, the more I think about it, the more I figure that a lot of the cons of autism are not really caused by autism, but by how other people react to it.”
― Libby Scott, Can You See Me?

“But that's what they all want," she murmurs. "That's why people think being autistic is a bad thing. Because it stops me from being the same as everyone else. It stops me from fitting in.”
― Rebecca Westcott, Can You See Me?

“Mrs. Jarman looks at her and smiles. "And would you say that's an effective tactic?" She asks. "Does saying nothing or opting out of the situation make it any better?”
― Rebecca Westcott, Can You See Me?

“She loves acting and she's good at it, she knows that. And reading from a script is the best because you don't have to figure out how you're supposed to be behaving or what you're supposed to be thinking or feeling—it's all written out for you, right there on the page.”
― Rebecca Westcott, Can You See Me?

“It's not a "choice" I've made, like Nell seems to think. When I'm behaving my worst, it actually means I'm struggling the most. I feel like I'm often not listened to or seen properly by people, they just see "challenging" Tally. People just don't understand me, but I guess how can they if I don't explain what it's like to be me and also what I need at these times?”
― Rebecca Westcott, Can You See Me?

“She grins and Tally smiles back. The smile that she has practiced in the mirror—the smile that says she is having an awesome time and that there is nowhere else she'd rather be.
And then they attack her.”
― Rebecca Westcott, Can You See Me?

“If we can't make each other understand what we're trying to say without shouting or sounding angry, then we probably aren't saying it in quite the right way.”
― Rebecca Westcott, Can You See Me?

“Don't be scared," Tally whispers. "Can you see me?"
She used to ask this question all the time when she was younger. Every time she put on the mask. And she was never quite sure what she wanted the answer to be. Whether it was better to be hidden or to be seen.”
― Rebecca Westcott, Can You See Me?

“But she does not stop and she does not cry. Not once. Because the girls were pleased with her for getting changed on time and it made them forget that they think she's weird. If she keeps running, then she's exactly like they are and people like it when you behave like they do. Even if it hurts more than you can tell them.”
― Rebecca Westcott, Can You See Me?

“They make it look so easy. Maybe life is simply if you're the same as everyone else. Maybe they don't have to plan everything in advance and figure out what they might say in reply to a hundred questions or what their face is supposed to look like when they feel excited or happy or surprised or scared.
Maybe they never feel scared.”
― Rebecca Westcott, Can You See Me?

“She's at school, and when she's here, she has to pretend to be normal. No matter what it takes, because you aren't allowed to be anything else when you're at school.”
― Rebecca Westcott, Can You See Me?