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ownvoices

A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll – an #ownvoices review

5th June 2020 by Jax Blunt Leave a Comment

Disclosure – I was sent a proof of this book free for review, and links may be affiliate links.

A kind of spark

There’s a trepidation in approaching a book about an autistic character when you’re autistic. What if it doesn’t describe autism the way you experience it? What if you’re going to have to spend the next however long replying to people that that’s not quite how it works for you? We’re desperate to see ourselves on the page, like other people get to, but far too often it’s a caricature or a stereotype written by someone with no experience, rather than a representation.

Not in this case. In this case, debut author Elle McNicoll is neurodivergent herself. She writes with a sure touch, describing aspects of autistic life without apology, but also making it clear that there’s no one way to be autistic, or to experience autism, and although her two main autistic characters have a lot in common, given they are sisters, there’s mention of other characters and experiences too. This doesn’t read like a debut, and while it’s middle grade fiction suitable for younger readers, (Addie is 11 and narrates the story accordingly) I thoroughly enjoyed it for myself too.

There were particular parts that leapt out at me. Being bullied by a teacher, for doing things differently. Not fitting in at school. That sense of burning injustice and overwhelming pain on behalf of someone else. The need to do something about it. Hyperfocus on a favoured interest, acquisition of knowledge, a deep dive into a topic.

I was not diagnosed autistic as a child, and I didn’t have anyone to explain to me the things that I was going through. There weren’t books with openly autistic characters either, and so I want to leap up and down and shout about every one I come across now, and make sure every child gets the opportunity to understand about other viewpoints. It’s important.

One day, I’d like for it to be possible for a character to be incidentally autistic rather than it having to be the point if that makes any sense, but I think we’ve a way to go before that happens. I’m very glad that we’ve got books like this explaining autism in the mean time.

My autism isn’t always my superpower. Sometimes it’s difficult. But on the days when I’m finding electricity in things, seeing the details that others might not, I like it a lot.”

About the book:
A Kind of Spark tells the story of 11-year-old Addie as she campaigns for a memorial in memory of the witch trials that took place in her Scottish hometown. Addie knows there’s more to the story of these ‘witches’, just like there is more to hers. Can Addie challenge how the people in her town see her, and her autism, and make her voice heard?

A story about friendship, courage and self-belief, Addie’s story was born from Elle’s own experiences of neurodiversity and her commitment to seeing greater representation in children’s books.

Published by KnightsOf, a publisher focused on actively finding voices from under-represented backgrounds. They are committed to publishing inclusive, commercial books and ensuring that the most diverse team possible, from across backgrounds and communities, work on every book. #BooksMadeBetter

Find A Kind of Spark at Waterstones (affiliate link), Hive books (affiliate link) or via your local independent bookshop. (Lots of places seem to be low on stock, but hang in there, it’s worth it.)

If you want to read other autistic voices, other recommendations/ reviews here:

proof copy of the state of grace by rachael lucas next to a cup of coffee
State of Grace by Rachael Lucas
Pretending to be normal
Pretending to be normal
For world autism acceptance day, read autistic authors
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Filed Under: autism, Book club Tagged With: autism, Elle McNicoll, KnightsOf, ownvoices

The State of Grace by Rachael Lucas – an #ownvoices review

10th February 2017 by Jax Blunt 13 Comments

Pre order The state of Grace at Amazon (affiliate link).

I’d like to introduce you to a girl. We’re going to have to pop back in time to the last 70s for this one, but I’m sure we can make it.

She’s kind of scruffy, not very fashionable. Tends to frown a bit when she’s concentrating or confused, and that’s a lot of the time when she’s in school. Maths is really easy, reading is her all time favourite occupation, and she’d rather sit in at playtime and teach herself German from a book than risk playing out in the playground with the other girls.

Fast forward to senior school. Her parents pulled out all the stops to get her into a private school (thanks go also to the assisted places scheme, as without it the school wouldn’t have been nearly as good a one) because the girl really really didn’t want to go on to the local high school with the girls who had bullied her throughout primary school. And when you get to 11 or 12 you don’t get to just go play football with the boys any more, even this girl knows that.

Senior school was a bit of a haven once she’d made it to third year and made friends with a new girl who was bigger than most of the bullies. Life got a lot better.

But life was always confusing, because back in the 70s and 80s, girls didn’t get diagnosed with autism, not even high functioning autism or aspergers. (Let’s not get into the debates around functioning labels at this point, that’s what they were known as back then.) And so this girl struggled through life with anxiety, or diverticulitis, or depression, or any number of other issues right up until in her 40s she suddenly got her autism diagnosis.

How different could it have been, if I’d known the truth about myself from an early age? If I’d picked up a book from one of those library shelves and seen myself staring back from the pages. I kind of did – I loved Meg Murry in a Wrinkle in Time. I lived in hope that someone would swoop in from a far off land and rescue me like in The Chrysalids. And if your book had changelings, time travellers, or alien lands I was all over it. But there was never anyone like me, in my world, with my problems that I could recognise.

The State of Grace is the book I’ve always wanted to read. I actually cried with happiness when I finished reading it because it is just so perfect. As regular followers of the blog know I’ve known Rachael for years and been a massive supporter of her writing career throughout. But I would shout about the State of Grace regardless of the author (much like I did with M is for Autism and On the Edge of Gone) because I think it is so so important for our often invisible girls to see themselves on the page. To find a friend in fiction – to know they aren’t alone, they aren’t aliens or changelings, or adrift in time.

Teenage girls can indeed be autistic, and it makes what is a fairly tough time in life anyway into an absolute minefield. If the State of Grace can give people a glimpse into what it can be like and demystify the whole A-word thing a little bit, it will do awesome things. I urge you to read it whether you’re autistic or not because I think Rachael has written an incredibly honest, warm hearted and funny book that deserves the widest possible audience. And also because Grace deserves to have friends, as do we all.

The state of Grace publishes on 6th April this year, and is available for pre order at Amazon (affiliate link) and other bookshops.

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Filed Under: 2017, autism, Book club, It's where it is, read52 Tagged With: aspergers., autism, autistic, book review, high functioning autism, Macmillan kids, ownvoices, rachael Lucas, The state of Grace

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