Rebecca Westcott

Representation: Main character with autism, side characters with autism
Trigger warnings: Bullying, ableism
Note that I bought this book and now I own it.
Read this review for context.

7/10, a few months back I purchased this book and I kind of left it there for a while until I picked this pack up and read it and initially I didn't know where to set my expectations since this is part of a series and the concept feels familiar and borrowed from other books however that didn't matter in the long run as I enjoyed it and now I can't wait to read the prequel. Where do I begin? It starts with the main character Tally Olivia Adams or Tally for short and it was revealed that she has autism much like a character from another book I know and she recounts her life uniquely because there's not one, but two types of POVs, that being 3rd person POV and 1st person. I guess the former was to tell the story and the latter was to tell Tally's thoughts if I'm correct. I found it a bit jarring at first switching between them but I got used to it and as I got through more of the book I found some aspects that needed polishing if you know what I mean. One the writing style is okay but sometimes I found it inconsistent when it used words from British and American English, two the messages are heavy-handed, and three the characters are a mixed bag. At least Tally was someone I could root for despite her flaws, not to mention that development however most of the characters were pushed to the sidelines unless they were needed to forward the plot. Also, what was the motive of Skye bullying Jade and Tally and framing her? What for? Ableism? Maybe. There was one plot point that didn't feel tied up which is the Tiger Mask Incident, whatever that is but I must read the prequel to find it. There's also a sequel in the works which I'm looking forward to reading. In essence, Tally initially didn't want to go to camp because she overthinks of the many ways she could die and at first she didn't enjoy it at all but soon enough? She had the time of her life. Great.… (meer)

Wow! What a tear jerker. The story is told from the perspective of Olivia, a 12- 13 year old girl as she learns about her mother’s terminal illness. Olivia takes us on a journey through her family’s life from Thirteen Weeks before to Six months after the death of her mother. The reader learns of
Olivia and her father’s passion for photography,
Her brother Isaac’s need for routines and obsession with sticking to the rules due to him being autistic,
The stupidity of Moronic Louise at school (how people say or do heartless things without thought for others feelings,
And how the family copes as Mum's terminal illness takes hold...
Guided by Mum's own childhood diaries, Olivia finds out that her mother once was just a child like her and felt the same feelings of love and loss.
This book is real, utterly touching and absolutely heartwarming. 5/5… (meer)