mssamanthanagel's reviews
133 reviews

this is one of the most special books i’ve read. having an autistic female main character is so refreshing. it felt like reading a diary many times - my copy is dog eared so much it’s hard to find a page that’s not, because of how much i related to her feelings and thoughts. it’s laugh out loud funny, lighthearted, yet also so deep and emotional. the ending is perfection, the foreshadowing is genius, and the character arc is beautiful. 

this book made me feel. were they enjoyable feelings? no. sometimes my stomach was twisted and i felt deeply uncomfortable. sometimes i absolutely hated the narrator. okay, i hated her a lot. and… i could relate to her. i know what it’s like to wish to press pause on life. i also know what it’s like to feel a renewed hope for life. this book deeply reminded me of my mother and the way she self medicated herself out of life. i thought the lack of consequences from stopping her substance use to be unbelievable, but then again, i don’t think believability is what the story is based on. i do think her character development was worth the read, though. i probably will never re-read, and i don’t recommend this as a light or easy or fun read. i listened to the book, and i do think that enhanced the experience. julia whelan is the best narrator of all time, and i think she made me push through the times i wanted to quit.