Reviews with content warning for Medical content - Something More

Talk about killing me softly with words. As someone who learned of her autism status as an adult, I resonated so much with Jessie. Some of her experiences feel ripped out of my own life, her thoughts ripped out of my own mind. I felt very emotional reading about her struggles. At the same time, her triumphs, which never happened for me at that age, gave me such a feeling of wish fulfillment.

My only complaint is that the number of characters weakened the book. I had a really hard time telling Jessie's female friends apart. When the one friend

was dating a 19-year-old and then that issue was resolved,

there was no followup or stakes or anything. Also, her family members' struggles felt like a distraction from the main plot, rather than an integral part of it. I know the author was probably trying to capture the fact that everyone has their own issues going on while you're having yours, but the execution was cluttered. The most poignant example of this was

the death of Jessie's grandmother. Because this character was only in one scene prior to her stroke, the emotional impact that should have been in that scene wasn't there. It would've been better if this character had been developed more/if she had interacted more with Jessie. Or even if she had lived with the family.

Overall, though, listening to this was a very moving experience.

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fromjuliereads's review against another edition

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funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This was a good read! I think it had well written characters and I wanted to keep reading. I admit that I found the YA love cringey at moments but others it was sweet! I cannot speak to the rep, but the main character is Palestinian and autistic, as is the author.

I also admit that I enjoyed the 90s pop culture! Generally I don't like pop culture added in but that's more for recent ones. I liked that it was 90s for a change!
Also I hadn't realized that this is set in Canada at a Catholic high school?! That was super fun for me! Although we don't all sing the national anthem (I never did that in any of my schooling so idk if that's an Ontario thing?).
I admit I wished for a bit more of the familial relationships - as I loved the moments that Jessie had with her family.

Overall a great YA contemporary read!

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