Review: Unfolding by Jonathan Friesen
The portrayal of epilepsy in this book was frustrating and disrespectful. People with epilepsy deserve better than this.
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Review: Stoner & Spaz by Ron Koertge
Stoner & Spaz is funny and often unafraid of ambivalence, and I feel similarly ambivalent: liking a lot of what I got, yet wanting more of the stuff between the lines of what Ben says and does.
Review: Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde
Queens of Geek is an authentic and refreshing portrayal of an autistic and anxious girl.
Review: Omegaball by Robert J. Peterson
I was intrigued by the virtual-reality premise, but this book is a veritable hotbed of misogyny and a case study in how not to write a wheelchair-using character.
Review: Handbook for Dragon Slayers by Merrie Haskell
Princess Tilda does not demonstrate the need to “overcome” her clubfoot, that word many of us in the disability community have come to loathe. To me, Tilda represents a new kind of heroine, who is strong and doesn’t need saving, but also acknowledges and shows her vulnerability and insecurities.
Review: What I Couldn’t Tell You by Faye Bird
All the way through the book, I felt that something was slightly off with the portrayal of Tessie’s selective mutism, but in a way that made it hard to pin down.
Review: Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
Wonderstruck is wonderful. It is, to date, the most creative and ambitious novel about the d/Deaf experience in America I’ve ever come across.
Review: Our Chemical Hearts by Krystal Sutherland
The characterization and descriptions of Grace do disabled readers a disservice in more ways than one.
Review: Dead Girls Society by Michelle Krys
I appreciated the honesty and authenticity with which the emotional aspects of serious illness were written; the actual details of day-to-day life with cystic fibrosis, however, were a mixed bag.
Review: Skim by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki
Skim does a good job of showing misguided attempts to help those with depression, and lets the reader see the absurdity for themselves.
Review: Two Girls Staring at the Ceiling by Lucy Frank
I wish this book, featuring a girl newly diagnosed with Crohn’s, had existed when I was a teenager—my recurring thought throughout was, “Oh my god, someone wrote a book for me!”
Review: The Half-Life of Planets by Emily Franklin and Brendan Halpin
While some elements of the representation were handled decently, I ultimately wasn’t a fan.
Review: Deenie by Judy Blume
When Deenie was first published, it may well have been a positive representation of the experience of a child with scoliosis, but it hasn’t held up well.
Review: A Time To Dance by Padma Venkatraman
Venkatraman creates a fully-formed character, and nails both the details and the emotion of having a limb amputated and adjusting to life afterwards.
Review: Other Broken Things by C. Desir
Any time I pick up a book about addiction and recovery, I do so with equal parts hope and trepidation. Despite our differences, I understood Natalie fully and completely from the get-go.
Review: Crazy by Amy Reed
I appreciated the nuance present in both Izzy’s portrayal as an undiagnosed teen with bipolar disorder and in the reactions of those around her.
Review: Game World by Christopher John Farley
Eli is a refreshing wheelchair-using character who regularly surprises and aids the protagonist with his skill set and mind.
Review: When We Collided by Emery Lord
Vivi’s struggle with bipolar disorder was portrayed accurately and compassionately, and I would highly recommend the book for readers who want to understand the illness better.
Review: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Six of Crows portrays disability with incredible nuance; it’s realistic, respectful, and perfectly integrated into the characters and story.
Review: On the Edge of Gone by Corinne Duyvis
An emotionally wrenching book, but a worthy one, and one that treats its autistic protagonist with every bit of the realism and respect that she deserves.
Review: Otherbound by Corinne Duyvis
I highly recommend this book to readers with disabilities who enjoy fantasy, particularly amputees. It’s great to see one of our own portrayed authentically and centered as a main character in an exciting adventure.
Review: Graceling and Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
This series is a fascinating look at how a writer can acknowledge the “magical cure” trope and improve on the portrayal in later books.
Review: The Drowned Cities by Paolo Bacigalupi
I related to Mahlia’s struggle with the harsh words hurled at her because of her limb deficiency—sometimes wanting to prove herself and sometimes wanting to keep her distance.
Review: The Shattering by Karen Healey
Keri’s anxiety seems more of a framing device than anything else; The Shattering doesn’t contain as thorough a portrayal of anxiety as I’d hoped for, though its representations of other kinds of diversity more than make up for that.
Review: The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness
Despite reservations about the ending, I would recommend The Rest of Us Just Live Here; it’s a welcome addition to YA novels involving OCD and anxiety.