#autistic friendship ⭐

[steam-beasts]

Belly :)

[jetwhenitsmidnight]

Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White

Release date: 3 September 2024

Genre: young adult contemporary horror/thriller

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Synopsis

A gut-wrenching story following a trans autistic teen who survives an attempted murder, only to be drawn into the generational struggle between the rural poor and those who exploit them.

On the night Miles Abernathy—sixteen-year-old socialist and proud West Virginian—comes out as trans to his parents, he sneaks off to a party, carrying evidence that may finally turn the tide of the blood feud plaguing Twist Creek: Photos that prove the county’s Sheriff Davies was responsible for the so-called “accident” that injured his dad, killed others, and crushed their grassroots efforts to unseat him.

The feud began a hundred years ago when Miles’s great-great-grandfather, Saint Abernathy, incited a miners’ rebellion that ended with a public execution at the hands of law enforcement. Now, Miles becomes the feud’s latest victim as the sheriff’s son and his friends sniff out the evidence, follow him through the woods, and beat him nearly to death.

In the hospital, the ghost of a soot-covered man hovers over Miles’s bedside while Sheriff Davies threatens Miles into silence. But when Miles accidently kills one of the boys who hurt him, he learns of other folks in Twist Creek who want out from under the sheriff’s heel. To free their families from this cycle of cruelty, they’re willing to put everything on the line—is Miles?

Content warnings

Transphobia, misgendering, deadnaming

Death, murder, violence, blood, gore, body horror, injury, fire injury

Gun violence

Hospitalisation

Car crash

Mentioned animal death/abuse

Implied sexual assault

Toxic friendship

Drug abuse/drug addiction

Ableism

Classism

(I did my best to get all the content warnings, but I might have missed some things so do be warned)

Review

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC!!!

I have heard nothing but good things about the author's other works, so I went into this book excited, but trying to temper my expectations in case I got let down.

Y'all. This book is pure FIRE.

This book is horrifying and visceral, but at the same time, it's moving and sincere. While this book tackles heavy topics like transphobia and classism, it's also very much about the importance of family and community.

Not to mention that the story/plot is absolutely gripping. I was tempted to finish this in one sitting, but I made myself pace it out so that I could enjoy it longer. Every chapter ended on a cliffhanger that made me want to keep reading. The author does a great job of interspersing the really dark moments with hopeful ones, so the book never gets too bogged down in despair.

One thing I have to mention is that I was very much NOT prepared for how dark this book got. I think I underestimated it because it's categorised as young adult, but this book gets really heavy.

If I had to critique something, it would be the formatting. The first page of each chapter is all black with white text, and all the other pages are the regular white with black text. The changes in page and text colour threw me out of the story a little, but TBH this is like a really minor nitpick, and also the only negative thing I have to say about this book.

[taidelmoro]

spoonie penpal wanted!! 🥄

♿ looking for a chronically ill and/or autistic penpal!

Hey, hello! :]

My name's Tai, I'm 22 years old, from Brazil & I'm looking for a pen pal!

I'm specifically looking for a chronically ill, disabled and/or autistic penpal to share experiences only spoonies would understand - if you are not a spoonie yourself but u are supportive and respectful, you can still send a request if you're interested! ♾

🌼 About me!

🦇 I deal with multiple diagnosis;

Autism, Connective Tissue Disorder (currently investigating Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome), dysautonomia & autoimmune conditions (SLE) + comorbidities like IBS, food intolerances, mental disorders, etc).

All diagnosed, but we still have more questions than answers.

🦇 I'm an artist 🎨 [Tradicional & Digital] ;

🦇 I speak english & brazilian portuguese;

🦇 I'm kinda new to penpaling;

I've always loved writing letters & crafting gifts, but I'm new to actual penpaling, so you could be my first ever actual penpal! (I also researched a whole lot about it so call me experienced >:] )

🦇 I might need to take breaks;

I might take a bit longer to send letters or need to take breaks from time to time due to my health conditions.

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

🤎 Hobbies: All sorts of art, journaling, baking, gardening, listening to music (i love SOAD) & watching cartoons (i love OTGW);

🤎 Interests: Art, nature, halloween, animations / cartoons, minecraft, all animals!!, paganism/witchcraft, alt styles, etc.

☆ Special Interests: Commemorative dates & festivals, nature and studying about neurodiversity and medical conditions.

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

🤎 Ideal penpal:

• Snail mail preferably, but digital's also ok!

• Long term (preferably);

• Any gender, any location, any age above 18;

• LGBTQ+ friendly, trans ally, etc;

• If not disabled themselves, respectful towards disabled people;

• Likes getting creative / crafty w/ their letters, but is also open to share thoughts, ramble and build a friendship (i don't mind long letters!!!);

• Is someone who can be patient and understanding about my mental and physical limitations;

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

👻 What else to expect from me? 🖍

• stickers!!! • poems • tea • trinkets •

• pretty letters • pressed flowers •

• lots of drawings & doodles • existential crisis •

• we can talk about the extras we have / would like!! ♡

Anyways, feel free to DM me or comment if you're interested!

☆ e-mail: fantasmalberto@gmail.com

Lets chat for a bit :] ⭐

[demonicintegrity]

I'M GOING TO SEND ⭐ TO EVERYONE WHO REBLOGS THIS

Kfndkdndkdnd

Oh joys what do I really wanna talk about?

How about I shake it up, do some non-hk content for once. Keep ya on your toes.

Enderman Moment is my longest work so far, and it’s only on chapter 1 of 3? I really really like this story. It was inspired by some asks I had gotten months before. As much as I adore a good dynamic romance, and I’ve been on that kick lately, I have a really soft spot for unusual friendships. Platonic bonds that mean a lot to said relationship.

The basic premise is a grade-school autistic villager girl becomes friends with an enderman because it hears that’s she’s referred to as having enderman moments (refusing to make eye contact.) and it wants to know why they’re alike. Friendship slowly builds.

It’s a fluffy feel good thing, but the human/nonhuman friendship is something that really speaks to my own neurodivergent soul. And I think it does to others as well. There’s something about being such a weird human that you relate better and have more affectionate connects to a nonhuman entity.

(I’m gonna write in some other themes into as well, all around relationships and all that. But the biggest thing is that it is a story structured around neurodivergent struggles and joys.)

The story is actually really close to my heart and probably the closest I’ll be to writing something that speaks to/heals my inner child. I had a hard time making friends growing up, I wanted to have a funky special nonhuman friend in the form of characters from shows or whatever. Minecraft was also something I enjoyed as a child, so of course I’ve always had affection for the mobs, especially endermen.

I can’t wait to write more of it one day, and I hope it’s something’s others like as much as I do.

[linus-wickworth]

August 2022 Reading Wrap-Up!

1. Beside Myself by Ann Morgan. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

6-year-old twins Ellie and Helen switch identities for a day -- but when Ellie refuses to change back, Helen loses her self-confidence and her identity.  25 years later, Helen risks being pulled into her sister's dangerous orbit once more.

2. A Very, Very Bad Thing by Jeffrey Self. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Marley doesn't just want to be labeled the gay kid, but he doesn't have much else going on. He doesn't have any hobbies. He's the only kid he knows without a passion. A new kid comes to town who has the potential to finally make life interesting in Marley's small town. One problem: he's the son of the country's most famous, most bigoted television evangelist.

3. If We Were Us by K. L. Walther. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Sage Morgan and Charlie Carmichael prove to everyone at Bexley School that their close friendship does not hide a romance when new student Nick Morrissey and Charlie's twin brother, Nick, stir things up.

4. The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time by Mark Haddon. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Despite his overwhelming fear of interacting with people, Christopher, a mathematically-gifted, autistic fifteen-year-old boy, decides to investigate the murder of a neighbor's dog and uncovers secret information about his mother.

5. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Mary is a lonely orphaned girl sent to a Yorkshire mansion at the edge of a vast lonely moor. At first, she is frightened by this gloomy place until she meets a local boy, Dickon, who's earned the trust of the moor's wild animals; the invalid Colin, an unhappy boy terrified of life; and a mysterious, abandoned garden.

6. Looking for Alaska by John Green. ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

Miles is fascinated by famous last words - and tired of his safe life at home. He leaves for boarding school to seek what the dying poet Francois Rabelais called the 'Great Perhaps'. Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young. Clever, funny, screwed-up, and dead sexy, Alaska will pull Miles into her labyrinth and catapult him into the Great Perhaps.

7. Mallee Boys by Charlie Archbold. ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Sandy knows that life at 15 is hard, but it's even harder when your mum died a year ago and nothing's gone right since. His brother Red is 18 and working the farm. As Sandy and Red deal with girls, dirt biking, footy and friendship, both have to work out who they want to be, without their mum. It turns out this is going to be one hell of a year.

8. Punching Bag by Rex Ogle. ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

Rex Ogle describes his struggle to survive; reflects on his complex, often paradoxical relationship with his passionate, fierce mother; and charts the trajectory of his stepdad's anger. Hovering over Rex's story is the talismanic presence of his unborn baby sister. Through it all, Rex threads moments of grace and humor that act as beacons of light in the darkness.

9. Bloom by Kevin Panetta. ⭐⭐⭐1/2

After graduation, Ari is desperate to move to the big city with his band, but he has to find someone who can replace him at his parent's struggling bakery, so when he meets Hector he thinks his prayers have been answered.

10. A List Of Cages by Robin Roe. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

When Adam lands the best elective ever in his senior year, serving as an aide to the school psychologist, he thinks he's got it made. Sure, it means a lot of sitting around, which isn't easy for a guy with ADHD, but he can't complain, since he gets to spend the period texting all his friends. Then the doctor asks him to track down the troubled freshman who keeps dodging her, and Adam discovers that the boy is Julian - the foster brother he hasn't seen in five years...

11. Sleepless by Thomas Fahy. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Terrified by the gruesome nightmares and unexplained bouts of sleepwalking that seem to be affecting her and many other students at Saint Opportuna High, Emma and her friends become even more unnerved when, after several deaths, they begin to suspect that something is causing them to kill in their sleep.

12. Colin Fischer by Edward Miller. ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Colin Fischer is 14 and he has Asperberger's syndrome. Much of the world is a mystery - he can't read his classmates' expressions without looking at a chart, the colour blue is really off-putting and he has no idea why his parents like to hug him. But when a gun goes off in the school cafeteria, Colin knows he can work out who did it.

13. Spin Me Right Round by David Valdes. ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Meet Luis. He's out, he's proud ... and, although he doesn't know it yet, he's about to travel back in time to save a closeted student called Chaz from a tragic end.

14. Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Late on a hot summer night in the tail end of 1965, Charlie, a precocious and bookish boy of thirteen, is startled by an urgent knock on the window of his sleepout. His visitor is Jasper, an outcast in the regional mining town of Corrigan. Rebellious, mixed-race and solitary, Jasper is a distant figure of danger and intrigue for Charlie. So when Jasper begs for his help, Charlie eagerly steals into the night by his side, terribly afraid but desperate to impress.

15. Plague by Michael Grant. ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

A deadly, flu-like epidemic and a plague of flesh-eating creatures threaten the lives of the children at Perdido Beach while Sam, Astrid, Caine, and Diana each struggle with doubts and uncertainties.

16. Playlist for the Dead by Michelle Falkoff. ⭐⭐⭐1/2

After his best friend, Hayden, commits, suicide, fifteen-year-old Sam is determined to find out why--using the clues in the playlist Hayden left for him.

17. Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Today is Leonard Peacock's birthday. This birthday, he has decided, will be different. Alone, as ever, in his house, he wraps five presents: four are for the people who matter most to him, and one is for himself - a gun. He plans to kill his former best friend, and then himself, but first he will say goodbye four times, in his own unique and special way.

18. 96 Miles by J. L. Esplin. ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

The Lockwood brothers are supposed to be able to survive anything. Their dad, a hardcore believer in self-reliance, has stockpiled enough food and water at their isolated Nevada home to last for months. But when they are robbed at gunpoint during a massive blackout while their dad is out of town, John and Stew must walk many miles in the stark desert sun to get help, and they have only three days before their time runs out.

[tigger8900]

The Books I Didn't Review

I dropped the ball on book reviews in 2023. I'm not surprised. It was a rougher year than 2022, and I also dropped that particular ball then as well. It's hard for me to stay motivated, especially since when I get stressed out I simultaneously read more and want to write(including blogs) less. But this is a new year(I have realized, more than two weeks into it) and I can wipe this slate clean. Start with a book I'm very excited to review, and then...nothing! Empty pile!

So I'm going to do a very brief overview of some of the books I read in the last few months of 2023. Some stuff I read completely fell through the cracks, because it had to go back to the library and I just wasn't able to write up anything about it. Most of these are ones I'd tried to save though, because I was excited to make a record of them in the blog. So I'm disappointed in myself that I couldn't do as well as I'd hoped, but at the same time I recognize that I did as well as I could. Haven't ragequit my job. Still meeting the important bills. Am reading, and writing, and having weird-ass dreams about what if Beauty and the Beast were mutual beards. So it could be a lot worse. Let's see what happens when I give myself permission to start fresh.

Golden Boys, by Phil Stamper

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2

Young adult gen fic. This is Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, but with less 00s-era weirdness. Brotherhood of the super gay boys, as I deemed it in a work e-mail. I didn't expect to like this one, but I actually found myself incredibly invested in these boys' lives. I especially appreciated how their friendships were centered above all else, even in the cases where romance was also taking place. I intend to read the sequel if I can find time, because y'all I have *got* to know where these boys go next.

The Darkness Outside Us, by Eliot Schrefer

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Young adult science fiction. This is a love story, but not a traditional romance(even though it starts out looking like a straightforward enemies to lovers in space). High appeal to people who enjoy brainfucky sci-fi as well as gay romance, though if you come solely for the romance you're probably going to walk away disappointed, confused, and possibly vaguely traumatized. I'm so glad my coworker insisted I pick it up, because I never would have read this based on the cover.

Horse Barbie, by Geena Rocero

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Adult memoir. This is about a Filipino trans woman's experience in the pageant circuit in the Philippines as well as her time modeling in the US. I wasn't really into the performance-oriented segments, but I found it illuminating how she contrasted the US's legal acceptance(but social hostility) of trans identity with the Philippines' social acceptance(but legal hostility). Someone who's more into glamour/fashion might get more out of it than I did, but it's still a solid trans memoir even if you're not into that stuff.

Never Whistle at Night, edited by Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2

Adult short stories. This is an anthology of "dark fiction," horror-adjacent, centering North American indigenous voices. Almost all of the two dozen~ stories were good or great, hitting a diverse selection of tones and content. I loved too many of them to list favorites. The stories might not be the type to make you check under the bed, but come prepared to be unsettled and disturbed.

Citadel, by C. M. Alongi

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2

Adult science fiction. Featuring a nonverbal autistic protagonist, who seems to have been researched very thoroughly, this is a story about uncovering the truth about what happened long ago. My main gripe is that it ends rather suddenly, leaving me feeling like there's meant to be a sequel, but as far as I can tell there's no plans for that. But the story it told was fantastic, I just wish I knew where some of the loose ends and teased bits were going. Probably has strong crossover appeal to an older YA audience.

Blackouts, by Justin Torres

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Adult general fiction. Won the national book award this past year. Three and a half stars for the novel, bumped up to four for the excellent use of blackout poetry on found text throughout. It's about an inter-generational friendship between two gay men, one of whom is on his deathbed and gifts the other a selectively blacked-out copy of Sex Variants, a real publication from the 40s, as well as a selection of other photographs and artifacts. This is all characters and no plot. Highly recommend reading this in the print edition, as the best parts seem like they won't translate to audio.

Out There Screaming, edited by Jordan Peele

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Adult short stories. Horror-adjacent "dark fiction"(to borrow a phrase from a previous book) centering Black voices working in a variety of formats and genres. Picked this up for the names included(Nnedi Okorafor, Tananarive Due, N.K. Jemisin, Rebecca Roanhorse, P. Djèlí Clark, Tochi Onyebuchi, and of course Jordan Peele himself), but was happy to enjoy some of the other stories as well. My favorite story by an anticipated author was Clark's Hide & Seek(though it had stiff competition), and my favorite story by a new-to-me author was Nicole D. Sconiers's A Bird Sings by the Etching Tree.

The Possibilities, by Yael Goldstein-Love

⭐⭐⭐ 1/2

Adult speculative fiction. A new mom struggles with contradictory memories of whether or not her child survived the birth. Then he disappears, as if he'd never been, and she has to go find him. I haven't read/seen Everything Everywhere All At Once, but people keep bringing it up when I describe this book to them, so it must be similar! Heavy content warning for baby-related trauma. This is not the book for you if you're going through an anxious time with a pregnancy or young child!

The Future, by Naomi Alderman

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2

Adult speculative fiction. In the near-future, tech bro CEOs have a plan for the end of the world. In the lead-up and as the plan deploys, we follow a survivalist blogger and a cult survivor who muses about the end of the world seen through the lens of god's wrath. A surprisingly hopeful pre-apocalyptic(the event itself happens roughly 3/4 of the way through) novel, with some sapphic shenanigans in the background. Funny coincidence: I finished this and handed it to my mom at the same time as she tried to hand me The Power by the same author. 😂

Us, by Sara Soler, translated by Silvia Perea Labayen

⭐⭐⭐ 1/2

Adult graphic novel memoir. Originally published in Spain, this is the story of Sara Soler's experience when her partner comes out as a trans woman. I read this hoping for more insight to their particular experience, especially when Soler mentioned early on that she discovered she was demisexual, but ultimately it reads as more of a primer to trans issues in general. No hate for that, it's just not what I was expecting. While this is marketed to adults, I think there's cross-appeal to teens who are interested in the subject matter. There was nothing that struck me as particularly scandalous, mostly a lot of swearing.

[thechangeling]

⭐

I LOVE fict rambles ahh this is gonna be fun!

Ok hey Zia! You didn't specify a particular fic so I'm just gonna assume that means I can choose. Sorry if that's not what you wanted lol. Secondly I'm not sure if you've actually read the fic I plan to discuss so I'm going to do my best to thoroughly explain everything so you have context for what im talking about.

I hope you like this!

Ok so the fic I wanna discuss is Enough, which is essentially about Ty and my OC Alyssa (I think you're familiar with her) discussing feelings of love, fondness, friendship and sexual attraction. They discuss their perceptions on attraction, sex and relationships and how that can be worped and influenced by being autistic. Ty expresses his anxieties over sex and relationships and imagining what it would be like with allistic people because of the communication barrier and also because we just process things in such different ways. Alyssa gives him the offer to sleep with him as an experiment so he can see what it's like and hopefully make the first steps to better understanding himself. The fic ends with Ty deciding to take Alyssa up on her offer.

The fic itself doesnt have any sexual content in it but I think I might have rated it muture because of some of the things they talk about. The fic is meant to be an exploration of their relationship as well as a greater exploration of the dynamic between two autistic people and how we tend to navigate friendships, romance and sex (based on my experiences). It's also about the incredible bond that can exist between two autistic people and their shared connection and how this thing that refuses to be defined by allistic/neurotypical standards and put in boxes can be quite beautiful and profound. I based their relationship loosely on the one between myself and my ex girlfriend who I am still friends with. They are also autistic and it created this fierce sense of sameness and relatability and connectedness that honestly kind of scares me with it's strength. Part of why we didn't work out I think is because the strength of that bond overwhelmed me. (Also I'm a tad romance repulsed.)

But moving on, the fic isn't meant to be indicative of Ty's sexuality in any way. (So can people please put down their fucking pitchforks lol?) He doesnt really know what he's doing or what he wants and that's part of the point of the fic. Exploration and experimentation with someone he feels safe with is the point.

"You deserve good things and good experiences. You deserve to have your first time be somewhere familiar. Somewhere you feel safe, and with someone who loves you."

This line is heavily inspired by a scene from the movie Perks of Being a Wallflower. Where Sam offers to give Charlie his first kiss because she wants the first person who kisses him to be someone who loves him. Alyssa and Ty are not in love by any means, just like Sam isn't in love with Charlie but their story is a love story.

It is a love story heavily influenced by my demiromantic perspective that prioritizes platonic love as just as importent as romantic love, as well as my autistic perspective that constantly blurs the lines between romantic sexual and platonic attraction and has trouble distinguishing between them. But the message of this fic as well as well as their relationship in general is that it really doesnt fucking matter in the long run.

Ty loves Alyssa, and Altssa loves Ty. Just like the sun always rises and sets and there are always stars in the sky whether you can see them or not. And that will never change.

The nature of their relationship isn't supposed to make sense to allistic people because it is not for allistic people. We talk about "the male gaze" as a society and queer characters written by queer people that are clearly for queer people (see Casey Mcquiston's books) but what I really want is autistic characters written without an allistic lense for an autistic audience and that's what I try to do with Alyssa and how I wrote Alyssa and Ty's relationship.

"They had created something different between the two of them. Something that almost transcended labels or rules or traditional allistic boundaries. Alyssa was like the armor he put on every morning, with the strength and confidence that he wasn't alone in this world. In the midst of all of their jokes and late night heartbreaking conversations. In the midst of this fragile peace they had created, there was something there. Something indescribable. Something like the sound of the page being turned in one of his Sherlock novels, or the sound of their favourite songs. A connection. A lifeline."

Autistic communication isn't always like allistic communication, especially in the ways we show affection. There are literal autistic love languages that we have names for such as parallel play and Pebbling. Parallel Play is sitting in silence doing seperate activities together side by side just enjoying each others company. I do this with my stepsister all the time. Pebbling is based on penguins giving each other rocks to show their affections. It's not always so literal. Something it's making playlists and sending song recs and book/movie/tvvshow recs and sending gifs and art work and memes. It's "I saw this and I thought of you." @the-wckd-powers is probably the person I pebble the most because I know they'll get it.

These are not autistic exclusive, but are definitely more common amongst autistics. Most nts and some allistic nd ppl get bored with parallel play or find it rude. And a lot of allistic ppl would rather you did other things besides sending them playlists to show your affections such as actually complementing them or giving them a hug. Or actually get them a "proper" gift. (Whatever that means.)

In the beginning of this fic, Altssa and Ty are engaging in parallel play until Altssa speaks, asking a random question with zero context. This us how we communicate. Their affection is also very tactile but in an almost animalistic way (I really can't think of a better way to describe this). They dig their nails into each others skin, scratching at it and pull on each other hair. Ty twists Alyssa's long thick stands of hair through his fingers and stims with it. Ty does this to Kit I'm a lot of my other fics as well.

They touch fingertips and link pinkies and squeeze each others hands. It's very sensory seeking despite the fact that Ty us very sensory avoidant, he is frankly shown to like physical affection from people he trusts. He, like me needs to feel. "Tighter, I need to feel it". And Alyssa is the same way. They need to be squeezed. To feel pressure.

I also wanted there to be this feeling of melancholy present throughout the fic. Because Ty clearly still misses Kit and it influences a lot of his thoughts. And Altssa is perceptive. She doesnt exactly know what's going on but she can see the Herondale pendent and how heartbroken Ty seems and put two and two together.

And the end of the fic she is not only offering him a chance to experiment but also a chance to escape. A distraction from what's bothering him. She sees him list in the cocophany of his own mind and says,

"Enough."

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you liked it.

[catsbooksandbees]

Book 39 of 2022!

⭐⭐⭐⭐

“But You Said...?!”: A Story of Confusion Caused by Growing Up as an Undiagnosed Autistic Person by Emma Wishart 

Content Warnings: child abuse, suicide, rape, sexual assault, toxic relationships, toxic friendships, ableism, racism 

What Did I Think?

I have personally met this author, although briefly and each time was at least three years ago now, maybe more. We didn’t speak much, if at all, but she’s a very nice person and it was fascinating getting to know more about her and her life story. This goes from childhood to now (I believe late fifties, early sixties?). It’s a very valuable insight as the autistic community lacks voices from autistic Generation X/Baby Boomers. We are hearing more and more from people who didn’t know they were autistic into adulthood. 

This had focus on how, diagnosis or not, Emma had been treated badly by family, friends, strangers and romantic partners due to be autistic. They had also been put into some very difficult situations, such as being homeless for a number of years, as a direct result of burnout. 

I think the only thing that made me knock a start off was that it was too long for me, and there was a lot of diaries about her various trips to New Zealand. I think it might have been better to have published the New Zealand trip entries into a new book, and make them two separate things (although Emma did mention in the book that she wanted to write and publish this on her terms, which I applaud her for, so even though this is something that I don’t really get on with it, I like she decided to do it that way). 

This is quite a long book, but it should be added to peoples’ reading TBR’s for sure, especially for very real and honest accounts of growing up autistic.  

52 Book Club Challenge - “Household Object on the Cover”

[magicalgirlagency]

I did it!

I managed to make a Kirby-themed MG as promised! And here she is!

⭐❤Starry Soldier Kiki-chan~!❤⭐

Backstory:

A young lady with sparkling stars in her eyes and a bright and brave heart, Kiara Sakurai (or "Kiki" for short) is the Guardian of Sweet Dreams.

Kiara's civilian form is shy and reserved. She loves studying astronomy, has a strong sweet tooth, and is a huge fan of magical girl aesthetics and fluffy kawaii things.

However, she has a little issue: she has difficulties on making friends.

Her struggle comes from past trust issues; she has been constantly bullied for her appearance and labeled as "brutish looking", and most people said she couldn't be into soft and sweet things...

...she is now 19 years old, and she hasn't give up on wanting to be a magical girl. People tell her that her dreams are "childish", and she should give up on them in order to grow up. But she still dreams about it, all out of spite.

She has earned her powers while stargazing, during a meteor shower. She was hit by a tiny heart-shaped meteorite that dissolved into stardust particles the moment it touched her body. And that's how she came to be the Starry Soldier.

What seemed to be the dream of a lifetime for Kiki, is yet to become a hard challenge; after all, with great power come great responsibility!

Powers & Abilities:

Friendship Beads: Kiki has two bracelets with magical beads that allow her to befriend other creatures! Just take one bead out, throw it at someone, and there you have it!

Hearty Hover: Our heroine can float in the air with ease, and slow her fall.

Dreamy Baton: What's a Magical Girl without her own magical trinket? Kiki's main weapon is a twirling baton, with golden hearts on both ends! It also acts as a magical wand for summoning purposes.

Starlight Swing: With her Dreamy Baton, Kiki can create a magical circus swing! By summoning two Milky Way strings, our heroine can swing playfully to the other side.

Pink Lemonade Shockwave: Another spell cast with her baton. She summons a giant wave of pink lemonade to wash out certain obstacles and enemies.

Starry Spin: Kiki can shapeshift herself into a heart and spin rapidly in any direction she desires.

Heartful Pocket: Kiki's heart-shaped chest plate acts as a pocket dimension where she stores her Dreamy Baton, alongside other weapons from her copy abilities.

Star Skates: To travel everywhere in the universe, Kiki's transportation method is a pair of small stars on her shoes that can be summoned with her baton.

Personal Info:

Kiara "Kiki" Sakurai;

19 years old;

March 23th, 1996;

Japanese/Brazilian;

Pansexual/Gender-neutral (she/her and they/them pronouns are fine with her);

Autistic (her baton acts as a stim toy);

Dreams of becoming an astronaut;

Is mature, but at the same time childish (which sometimes can lead into a internal conflict);

Is very fond of PDA;

Loves soft and fluffy things;

Pink is her favourite color;

Her favourite sweet is anything strawberry-flavoured;

She hates spicy foods. She somewhat associates them with anxiety and chaos and can't handle them very well;

Cinnamon Roll, Too Pure For This World™

Fun Facts:

Her surname is a nod to Kirby's creator, Masahiro SAKURAI;

Her birthdate is actually the day Kirby's Adventure/Yume no Izumi no Monogatari was launched (March 23th, 1993);

Her Dreamy Baton is a reference to the Star Rod;

Kiki's color scheme is a nod to her sexuality if you squint hard enough (pink, blue, yellow; does that ring a bell?);

Her name, Kiara, means "light", "shinning". Pretty fitting to the star theme;

The premise of a Kirby-themed Magical Girl was to make something hella generic. Hearts, stars, ribbons, the cheesy yet meaningful Power of Friendship and Love trope; y'know, things that make a magical girl magical;

I might have or I might have not projected myself into her on the sexuality/gender and autistic bits...

Influences include:

And of course, Kirby.

I feel like drawing a Kirby-themed Magical Girl, just to celebrate Star Allies’ arrival.

‘Cause let’s be real here; fighting, befriending and saving the universe through the power of friendship and hearts it’s totally a magical girl thing!