My third book on autism in a month — there might be a theme here. This one was recommended recently by the YouTube channel “I’m Autistic, Now What?” (Which is excellent, and I recommend it.) This book is part memoir, part intro to autism and how the neurotypical, capitalist world is not designed for it. I will say this: Hayden sounds like she had a really rough childhood and adolescence — I felt SO BAD for her while reading through parts of this book, and just wanted to give young Chloé a hug and tell her I’m sorry so many people were mean to her. That it wasn’t her fault her brain is different. While I certainly didn’t have a FUN adolescence, I was never physically assaulted. My bullying was more subtle. So I am incredibly glad that Hayden has now found a life where she can thrive, in all her autistic glory. I raise my hat to her. (Though I still wish I could give her a hug.)

My only quibble of the book is the occasional framing of life as a fairytale, and how all fairytales have “happily ever afters.” And that IS true… in fiction. Unfortunately, I have known plenty of people who came to “the end” before they reached the “happily every after” part. Or they had a "happily ever after" and then lost it through no fault of their own. I don’t want to detract from Hayden’s message of “you can live a beautiful life, not despite of but BECAUSE OF your neurodivergence!” That’s a beautiful message for people who have been beaten down. But insisting that a real person’s life will have a “happily ever after” because all the Disney movies do just seems… disingenuous, somehow. Anyway, good book, glad I read it.