Book Review: Nonverbal (Love Beyond Words) by Raina Ash

Nonverbal (Love Beyond Words) by Raina Ash is a contemporary romance. Paige—a bubbly, autistic woman obsessed with EDM—is lost when it comes to finding a man to connect with. But when she moves in with her best friend's brother, the chemistry is instant. Is there room for love in her fight for independence? Paige yearns for one thing: release. But physical barriers make that wish seem impossible. Thanks to a shattered home life, she also doesn't know how to trust. Especially those she loves. Paige isn't expecting a spark with her bestie's brother, Brody. He's gigantic, protective, and makes her feel something she hasn't felt in a long time: safe. Brody wants to keep his relationship with Paige platonic, but he can't get the troubled woman out of his mind. Maybe it's the way she makes him question his entire stance on relationships. But his sister, Amber, warns him to stay away. He needs to listen. For everyone's sake. As Paige struggles to navigate her tumultuous feelings and legal troubles, words fail her. How can she understand her heart when her past left her damaged? And what if revealing the truth means losing Brody forever?

Nonverbal gives readers a good look at how one nonverbal, autistic woman feels and what she has been through. Her search for a life, and an orgasm, is the foundation of the book. I loved the relationship with Brody, and how organically it is formed. I also love that the book contained honest looks at how addiction and trauma effects people, and how being willing and ready for change is just as important of every other aspect of growth. I felt like Paige, Brody, and Ashley all grew a great deal in this story, and that even secondary characters that we only saw glimpses of are on their own journeys- not just scenery for this one story. There is talk about abuse and trauma, and a great deal of honesty thoughts and conversation about sex. If any of these things are triggers for you, or something you just do not want to read about, then I would skip the read. However, I thought all of the hard topic included in the book are tacked with honesty and respect, which I greatly appreciated. 

Nonverbal is a engaging and emotional read.

Book Review: Invisible Differences: A Story of Asperger's, Adulting, and Living a Life in Full Color by Julie Dachez

 

Invisible Differences: A Story of Asperger's, Adulting, and Living a Life in Full Color is a graphic novel by Julie Dachez that has been translated for the very first time in English. Mademoiselle Caroline did the adaptation, illustrations, and color, and the story was inspire by and done in collaboration with Fabienne Vaslet. The translation was done by Edward Gauvin.

Marguerite feels awkward, struggling every day to stay productive at work and keep up appearances with friends. She's sensitive, irritable at times. She makes her environment a fluffy, comforting cocoon, alienating her boyfriend. The everyday noise and stimuli assaults her senses, the constant chatter of her coworkers working her last nerve. Then, when one big fight with her boyfriend finds her frustrated and dejected, Marguerite finally investigates the root of her discomfort: after a journey of tough conversations with her loved ones, doctors, and the internet, she discovers that she has Aspergers. Her life is profoundly changed – for the better.

Invisible Differences: A Story of Asperger's, Adulting, and Living a Life in Full Color is a wonderful book that can help people understand what dealing with Asperger's can feel like, both before and after diagnosis. It can also help readers that have Asperger's see that they are far from alone. I could empathize with Marguerite right from the first page, and my connection only grew through the entire read.I could understand her frustration and disappointment when those around her dismissed her needs or concerns, even after she made the effort to meet them halfway or try to explain. I was angry on her behalf through a good part of this book. I think the artwork does a very good job of capturing the details and emotion in each panel. I especially liked the use of red in the noise and problematic aspects of the world. I thought the addition of facts about Autism in general, and Asperger's specifically, in the endpages of the book. Offering further details to readers is always a good thing to me. I think this is a book that young adults and older will be able to get a great deal out of, whether they are on the autism spectrum or not, it is for anyone interested in learning more about how others think and feel. 

Early Book Review: The Aussie Next Door (Patterson's Bluff) by Stefanie London

The Aussie Next Door by Stefanie London is the first book in the Patterson's Bluff series. It is currently scheduled for release on August 27 2019. 

American Angie Donovan has never wanted much. When you grow up getting bounced from foster home to foster home, you learn not to become attached to anything, anyone, or any place. But it only took her two days to fall in love with Australia. With her visa clock ticking, surely she can fall in love with an Australian—and get hitched—in two months. Especially if he’s as hot and funny as her next-door neighbor. Jace Walters has never wanted much—except a bathroom he didn’t have to share. The last cookie all to himself. And solitude. But when you grow up in a family of seven, you can kiss those things goodbye. He’s finally living alone and working on his syndicated comic strip in privacy. Sure, his American neighbor is distractingly sexy and annoyingly nosy, but she’ll be gone in a few months. Except now she’s determined to find her perfect match by checking out every eligible male in the town, and her choices are even more distracting. So why does it suddenly feel like he—and his obnoxious tight-knit family, and even these two wayward dogs—could be exactly what she needs?

The Aussie Next Door takes two wonderful people, with their own trust issues, and makes them work for a happy ending. Angie has been through in her life and all she wants is love and to help others. She slaps on a happy face and acts like everything is perfect even when her world seems to be crumbling around her. Jace needs his routines, and is set in his ways. He does not believe that he can be loved and accepted as he is because of his past. They both are so worried about getting hurt or ruining things that they are the cause of the majority of their own issues. I enjoyed getting to know both the characters very much, and liked hpw Jace's autism was handled in a matter of fact and realistic way. I love that it is a slow burn, friends to more story- and that the small town and big family tropes are also used. All of the characters and the setting are so well described and real to me that I want to go visit and meet them all- if only the trip would not take so long. I loved Jace's family- and think that the introduction of the secondary characters was well done, leaving me wanting to know more about what might happen to them and how they might find their own happy ending, but not with cliff hangers or big questions to leave me in suspense. It was a good balance. 

The Aussie Next Door is a sweet contemporary romance with a realistic look at how we are sometimes our own biggest barriers when it comes to making relationships work. It is sweet, tackles some real issues, and offers a believable HEA.

Book Review: In My World by Jillian Ma

In My World by Jillian Ma is a simple, heartfelt story that follows the life of a child with autism through his imaginative journey as he seeks to be accepted, loved and celebrated for his strengths and abilities. Despite the qualities that make children on the autism spectrum exceptional, they all have hopes, dreams and feelings of belonging that all children desire. This beautifully illustrated picture book is a powerful reminder that with a little help from each of us, children with autism can fulfill their dreams.

In My World is a sweet and simple story that describes a day in the life of a child with autism. I think it shows the things that we all have in common well; the joys and desires surrounding love and acceptance among them. The illustrations and words do a wonderful job of showing the joy and imagination that fill the child's world, and explaining some of the struggles they have in dealing with other people and their expectations. I think this would be a great conversation starter in classrooms, families, or public settings like library story times to help children understand and care for each other and themselves.