Perfect Enough: The sequel to Good Different

Good Different #2

by Meg Eden Kuyatt

The companion novel to the beloved and award-winning Good Different.Selah is a dragon.Or at least, she feels like one. And she finally figured out how to spread her wings and soar.Armed with her sensory tools, her notebooks and poems, and her newfound knowledge about her autism, Selah is heading to writing camp for the summer. She's excited to work on her writing, perform at the final showcase, and to meet more kids like her.Things aren't so simple though. As soon as she arrives, she realizes that her bully from home is there too. Ezra is chaotic, attention-seeking, and always teasing her.Selah is determined not to let him ruin her summer. But soon it turns out that it's not just Ezra causing problems. . . . As kind and enthusiastic as Selah's new friends are, they don't fully understand her autism and how overwhelming this new environment is for her.Friend drama, classes, overstimulation, and her relationship with Ezra all start to feel like a lot. But surely Selah can make it through just a few weeks without reaching her breaking point again . . . right?

Genres: Middle Grade, Poetry, Novel In Verse, Realistic Fiction, Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Fiction, Mental Health

341 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 2, 2026

About the author

Meg Eden Kuyatt is a 2020 Pitch Wars mentee, and teaches creative writing at Anne Arundel Community College. She is the author of the 2021 Towson Prize for Literature winning poetry collection “Drowning in the Floating World” (Press 53, 2020) and children’s novels, most recently “Good Different” (Scholastic, 2023). Find her online at www.megedenbooks.com or on Twitter at @ConfusedNarwhal and Instagram at @meden_author.

Reviews

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

In this sequel to Good Different, Selah is cautiously excited about attending a summer Writers' Camp at a university. She will be there with her long time friends Brooklyn and Rheya, but is concerned that she will become overwhelmed. This is something that can happen because she has autism, but she has some good coping strategies in place. Her mother is reluctant to let her go, but her grandfather, Pop, supports her. Selah worries that if she can't last a few weeks at camp, her mother will never let her do anything. She sets off with her tools like earplugs, fidgets, and sunglasses, and is excited to work on her poetry so that she can get a start on being a real writer. Her counselor, Noa, is understanding, since she also has autism and is in a wheelchair due to long COVID. Brooklyn and Rheya say that they don't want any drama during the summer, so Selah tries to not freak out, even when there are masses of ladybugs in the room. When Brooklyn and Rheya decide to do a film for their group project without consulting her, she's not happy, but tries to power through. A boy who has given her trouble back at her private Pebblecreek school, Ezra, is at the camp, but when the two are paired on a writing project, Selah finds that the two may have some things in common. Ezra has ADHD, which is what causes his exuberant behavior that irritates Selah. They find some common interests, and Selah finds it more calming to be with her than her friends sometimes, which irritates them. Brooklyn doesn't seem to really understand that Selah is sensitive to lights and noise, and Selah ends up trying to sleep in the dorm library because of the interference. When she mentions it to her roommates, Rheya seems to understand, but Brooklyn just laughs it off. This eventually causes Selah to call her mother and asks to come home. She ends up staying, but talks a lot to Noa about how she has to protect her health. This is especially important when everything becomes too much for her and she can't get out of bed. Selah talks to Pop, who lets her know that coming home doesn't mean that she can't ever succeed; it just means that she is overwhelmed right now. Brooklyn is upset because Selah hasn't been upfront with her, and claims that "real friends tell each other things". Brooklyn is, of course, having her own problems, and her parents aren't very attentive to her. Selah goes home, but has a new friendship with Ezra, a new understanding with her friends, and a new perspective in starting the upcoming school year and Old Mill Middle School.
Strengths: While many middle grade novels depict traditional outdoor summer camps, special interest camps at universities seem to be more prevalent today. There are certainly many camps for writing and computer programming, and spending time on a campus is an intriguing proposition for young readers. It was realistic to see the difficulties that Selah had with Brooklyn and Rheya; hanging out for a few hours is completely different than having to live with your friends 24/7! It was quite fascinating to see Selah and Ezra becoming friends and bonding over their neurodiverse brains, and it was good to explore how tweens might hate when people make assumptions about them even while they are making assumptions about others. The mother's overprotection was on point, and I was curious as to how Pop's was able to encourage Selah to listen to her mother while he was still driving despite some opposition. There might be another book possible detailing Selah's entrance into her new public middle school.
Weaknesses: While it is admirable that Selah wants to be a writer focusing on poetry, I would still like to see more books depicting tweens who are interested in careers that will be more in demand, such as STEM careers, child care, or math related occupations. I was a big fan of the 1950s career romances that encouraged girls to become physical therapists, nurses, copy editors, or librarians (which AT THE TIME was not a bad choice). It makes sense that authors are creating books about wanting to write, but it would be more useful to broaden the scope of jobs for tweens.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed Hicks' Inbetweens, Montague's Camp Frenemies, or Fajardo's Miss Camper.

[Emily Bess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got this ARC through Scholastic and I’m really excited to put it into my middle school library! I’m a librarian with ADHD and I loved the way it teaches about neurodiversity in a way that makes sense. I also love a novel in verse!

[TheNextGenLibrarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

A middle grade companion novel to Good Different.
✍🏾
Autistic seventh grader Selah is excited to spend the summer at writing camp, where she hopes to improve her craft, perform her work, and meet kids who understand her. But camp quickly becomes more complicated when her longtime bully, Ezra, shows up too. As she navigates new friendships, sensory overload, and the challenges of being understood, Selah must learn how to advocate for herself and share her voice and writing with others.
📝
I loved this novel-in-verse and was so happy to return to Selah and her life. Her voice is authentic, relatable, and full of heart, and I appreciated how honestly the book portrays the realities of autism, sensory overload, and the desire to be understood. The writing camp setting was the perfect backdrop for a story about finding your voice, both as a writer and as a person. Watching Selah navigate friendships, self-advocacy, and growth made this an emotional and empowering read that I think will resonate with many middle grade readers. Happy pub day!

CW: parental abandonment, panic attack, bullying


It was hard to top the original. I just loved that one so much, not to say this one isn’t a great addition.

[Stan Yan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect follow up to Good Different, which I feel was not only a great book for neurospicy readers to see themselves, but also for non-neurospicy readers to empathize with students needing accomodations and their systemic challenges with peers, parents, teachers, and admin. This story explores the challenges Selah still faces in a more supportive camp environment when interacting with other neurospicy kids, and how differently it can manifest itself. Selah has to learn to also learn about her friends and how they all grow to understand each other to become better friends.

[Katie Reilley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review based on an advanced reader’s copy.

This middle grade novel in verse is the companion story to Good Different. Selah (who loves dragons) has recently learned about her autism and is ready to spread her wings and soar. She’s looking forward to taking her sensory tools and notebooks to join her two friends for three weeks at Writing Camp. But things don’t as smoothly as she’d like. Remember Ezra (her bully) from Good Different? He’s at camp, too. And as excited as she is to be in a room and spend time with her friends Brooklyn and Rheya, Selah begins to feel overwhelmed by keeping her social mask on all the time.

A heartfelt middle grade story that celebrates courage, resilience, and self-discovery as Selah learns to embrace new challenges, understand her own boundaries, and speak up for herself.

Lines I enjoyed:
ARC page 10:
That’s how it is
when you love the same thing -
it’s easy to talk
when you speak the same language
and you know there’s someone
who’s always excited to listen.

ARC page 27:
Like for me,
My ability levels
fluctuate
like ocean waves.
Plus, these labels
make us value people
based on what they can do,
not who they are.
Language is powerful.

ARC page 82:
Autism is a double-edged sword.
It has good
and hard
in the same package.
If you only look at it
from one side, you miss
the person
in the middle of it all.

ARC page 156:
Selah,
Sometimes all you can do
is survive
but don’t settle
for surviving
when you can choose
to thrive.

ARC page 193:
Noa frowns.
“I’m not sure
I believe
any of us are actually
fine,
especially when we try
to go at it alone.
We all need help sometimes.”

ARC pages 286-287:
Pop chuckles.
“Everything feels like
the end of the world
when you’re young.
But then you live through it
and realize
you’re stronger than you thought
and the things you’re afraid of
don’t have the power
you think they do.”

ARC page 330:
But after this summer,
I think revising
isn’t just for poems,
that learning the language
of my brain and body -
that being a person -
is a work in progress
where I’ll keep growing
and changing
more and more
into the person I want to be.

[Mar Rose 🧡🤍🩷 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Late review of arc from NetGalley

This sequel to Good Different expands on Selah’s day-to-day existence with her autism and the different ways she’s learning to cope with her disability and not trigger meltdowns. The book centers around Selah attending a sleep-away writing camp with her two new allistic friends, Brooklyn and Rheya, only to discover that her school bully, Ezra, is also at the same camp.
This was a difficult book for me to read because Selah’s emotions were so vivid. I could feel her anxiety about everything being so different and chaotic, and her frustration over her friends making decisions without her and her not knowing how to explain how she’s feeling to them.
I especially sympathized as someone who is also autistic. I know I couldn’t handle going to camp for several weeks especially not at Selah’s age. Fortunately, as an adult, I know my limits and what I can and cannot handle.
Learning her limits is something Selah does in this book. She pushes back at first, not wanting her friends to think differently of her for needing more accommodations, or her mom to take her back home because she’s having a hard time. In the end, Selah learns that being disabled means that sometimes we have to do things differently or can’t do certain things even if we really want to and there’s nothing wrong with that. It doesn’t make us weak or mean we weren’t trying hard enough.
I liked how her confrontation and friendship with Ezra were explored. He was less of a bully and more of an extreme annoyance who didn’t realize he was being annoying and who had his own preconceived ideas about Selah. It turns out he was sweeter and more thoughtful than Selah realized, and a good friend too. I also sympathized strongly with his feelings about his adhd, which is something I also have. Ezra was right. It’s not a superpower. It’s difficult and frustrating to live with and is rarely taken seriously by anyone. The part where he talks about how he never finishes anything no matter how he tries and how bad that makes him feel about himself, made me tear up.
Selah’s other two friends I was less fond of. Particularly Brooklyn. But reminding myself that this was a child still working through emotions made it easier.
I will say though, that there’s nothing wrong with talking about your friends to your parents if they are the sort of parents you can confide in. Brooklyn gets angry at Selah for telling Ezra and her mom some of the frustrations she’s dealing with in regard to her friends and Selah later apologizes. While Selah shouldn’t have talked to Ezra about it, children are supposed to talk to their parents about things like that. It’s how they learn and there’s nothing wrong with it. I wish the author hadn’t made it seem like talking to her mom about her friends was a bad thing. Talking to my mom about one of my friends when I was a teenager helped me realize how manipulative and mean that friend actually was.
I also didn’t like it when Brooklyn told Selah that friends aren’t supposed to have any secrets from each other and again this was never addressed. Everyone has a right to their privacy and you don’t have to tell your friends everything. I’ve dealt with difficult friends in the past who get angry if you spend time with other people or want you to tell them everything and not have any secrets from them and Brooklyn reminded me a little too vividly of those people.
Some of the things said about friendship in here were concerning to me, especially since the children reading this book will probably often be autistic ones and autistic people of every age are often more vulnerable to manipulation and being taken advantage of in friendships.
This wasn’t a bad sequel but I was expecting more from it.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heartfelt middle grade novel about Selah, a young autistic aspiring poet who goes to a writer's camp and has challenges with making friends, learning how to BE a good friend and asking for understanding and accommodations when it comes to her sensory needs. I loved the friendships at the core of this book, the great neurodiversity rep and the poems at the core of the Selah's story. It was good on audio and perfect for fans of books like Maya plays the part by Calyssa Erb. This book is a companion novel to Good enough (also featuring Selah) but can be read as a standalone too.

[Jen Nishi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book while recovering from ADHD overstimulation burnout. I have never felt so seen and heard while reading a book. An important read for anyone who has a neurodivergent kiddo in their lives. Important to be in every classroom and school library.

[Danielle Silver · Rating 5 out of 5]

The neurodiversity representation in this was so accurate that I was on the verge of tears for the bulk of this book. There are no words for how much I loved this and it far outshines the first book. Go read Good Different by this author, and then read this one immediately! Can’t wait for my kids to read this.

[Latte Hyacinth · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5ish stars? Not as good as the first one, in my opinion, but I still really liked it! For context, I am a woman with ADHD, diagnosed when I was about four years younger than Selah and her friends. So while I’m not autistic, I can relate to some of Selah’s experiences. (Side note: love her name!). I personally still wasn’t a fan of Brooklyn, but I appreciate that she recognized she was being unfair. I want another book focusing on Ezra and his life, and I appreciate the section discussing struggles of ADHD beyond focus issues.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

So glad this book exists. The sequel to "Good Different" (which will forever hold the most special place in my heart) follows Selah as she heads to an overnight writing camp. It's exactly where she wants to be...and it's difficult to navigate as a person on the autism spectrum. Beautiful discussions of autistic burnout, spoon theory, and neurodivergent "brain cousins" abound.

[YSBR · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s summer vacation, and budding poet Selah is headed off to three weeks of Writers’ Camp.  It’s the first time she’s been away from her mother and grandfather (Pop), and her first big adventure since being diagnosed with autism in the spring of seventh grade.  Mom is apprehensive and Pop is cautiously optimistic - and both reassure Selah that there’s no shame in changing her mind if she wants to come home - but Selah is confident and excited.  She is rooming with Brooklyn and Rheya, two girls she met at a FantasyCon who share her love of dragons and creative expression.  On the first day of camp, she is startled to see her classmate and sometime nemesis Ezra in attendance as well, and plans to avoid him as best she can.  

In the beginning, Selah thrives in her new independent environment: she loves being with her friends, enjoys the challenge of the classes she’s taking, and even starts to warm up to Ezra, who confides in her that he has ADHD and considers them neurodivergent ‘brain cousins.’  An assignment for a group project leads to problems for the roommates as Brooklyn takes charge and doesn’t leave a lot of space for Selah’s ideas, and gets mad when Selah suggests she might work with Ezra instead.  On top of that, Brooklyn and Rheya tend to talk late into the night with the lights left on, inviting other girls in with no regard for Selah’s sensitivity to both noise and light.  Selah tries to tolerate it at first, knowing her friends don’t fully understand her autism and how it manifests for her.  She just wants to fit in, but the harder she tries to manage her situation without asking for help from a grownup, the bigger her reactions become.  She takes to sleeping in the library of her dorm, which leads to exhaustion and dysregulation as well as misunderstandings with her friends.  Her kind counselor and her mother and Pop encourage her to consider going home, but she is hesitant to let them - and herself - down by admitting what she sees as defeat.

Perfect Enough is a satisfying follow-up to Meg Eden Kuyatt’s debut novel, Good Different, which chronicles Selah’s seventh grade school year, in which she discovers her love of writing poetry and also receives her diagnosis of autism.  Like that book, the first-person narration is told in free verse poetry with an authentic voice that really enables the audience to access Selah’s feelings and mindset.  Readers will empathize with Selah as she navigates new experiences and social situations while learning to put her own needs and well-being at the top of her priority list.  This is challenging enough for any middle schooler, without the added stress of remembering the various coping strategies she has acquired from therapy and her own research, and trying to advocate for herself with her peers.  This summer is a real growth experience for Selah, who definitely needs to give herself a break as she prepares to go to public school for the first time in the fall.  Back matter includes writing prompts based on some of the camp activities, recommendations for reading manga, and resources for learning more about ADHD. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...

[Ashton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perfect Enough by Meg Eden Kuyatt presents a heartwarming and heartshattering story about the dangers of wearing oneself too thin and bending until you break, especially when you are struggling with invisible differences others may not be.
We return to Selah’s story after the events of Good Different. She’s looking for a fresh start, and she finds one in this summer’s session of Writer’s Camp. Armored with new friends and a new set of tools, she is eager to become a “real writer” by the end of the summer. But summer camp is complicated; emotions are confusing and why is one of her least favorite people from Pebblecreek Academy here, jumping through a window?! Selah has to learn that not every space is a friendly one for a neurodivergent brain. And not every neurodivergent experience is the same. Navigating Writer’s Camp may be more than Selah is capable of, and that may not be a bad thing.
Kuyatt further explores the neurodivergent lens in an approachable and engaging manner for middle grade fans. She adds ADHD to the conversation in this installment, and for readers that may be unfamiliar with the disorder, her discussions add another layer of diversity to her world of characters. I also imagine that these ruminations may also be a mirror to younger readers who are just coming to terms with their own experiences or diagnoses. The relationships Selah explores in Perfect Enough seem raw and realistic, and at times had me cringing at my past escapades with friends who didn’t quite get me in my younger years.
However, though Selah is older and wiser in Perfect Enough, the story does not seem to grow alongside her. Her arguments and inner voice still feel incredibly juvenile, even if she has aged from her last appearance in Good Different. The tug-of-war between internal thoughts and external actions remains in Perfect Enough, but I can’t help but feel like her voice in Perfect Enough has lost some of its grit. The mixed metaphors of her self-discovery ring slightly more hollow in this sequel.
Kuyatt’s discussions on autistic burnout are vitally important for her young audience. I wish I had ever been given the permission to slow down, not bend until I break, and call it quits when it just isn’t working out when I was younger; it would have saved me a large amount of money in therapy co-pays. Being able to take stock in one’s own needs, respect them, and still pursue your passions is a fine line that even the strongest of people can stumble from, but it is leagues harder when you are neurodivergent in a neurotypical world. The fact that this conversation is even making it into the minds of middle grade readers is a hefty praise.
Overall, if you enjoyed Good Different, you will be happy with its sequel. I don’t think Perfect Enough occupies the same shining space in my heart, but it is a story that is needed nonetheless. Young readers will rally behind Selah as she navigates a fiery pit of teenage social situations, and older readers will look back at their own youthful experiences with a new lens.


*A giant "thank you" to Meg Eden Kuyatt's publishing team for sending me an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review* This review was originally posted on Goodreads

[this_eel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like Meg Edan Kuyatt SO much. This is my third book by her, and her third kindhearted middle grade verse novel about an Autistic kid, and it's a very lovely follow-up to Good Different. Selah is figuring out what to do to make her life easier now that she has an Autism diagnosis to reframe some of her feelings and experiences. She is also at WRITING CAMP, away from home for several weeks, spending time with friends and honing her favorite craft. But away camp is actually super hard and so is friendship, so partway through, Selah is crashing. This is a book about really really really wanting something and needing to figure out the balance between your desires and your capacities. It is also about how sometimes your friends can be jerks and those jerks also have mental health problems. Broadly I think it's empathetic, sweet, effectively stressful and enjoyable. Nice book.

This is a whole soap box, but I have this backwards old suspicion sometimes that having supercodified language that, at last, explains and defines our experiences in some ways diminishes our ability to seek our own descriptions of those experiences. Diagnosis CAN save your life but maybe, also, groping for language is sometimes a beautiful thing. I just think about this when I run into a book where the experiences of, for example, Autism, are neatly labeled as per the glossary of a workbook rather than described in a way that I feel in my heart. This book doesn't do that so much that I didn't enjoy it, but it gets clinical in its language sometimes, and I don't think it will help an Autistic child more to hear about spoon theory in a novel than it would help that Autistic child to read about a character whose fresh telling of their self, using words not provided to them by a clinician, matches the reader's own impossible and familiar feelings. Walk around the block twice after therapy BEFORE setting out to write, is what I am saying here to all of us.

There was a stretch of the book where I was very uncertain whether Selah (or Kuyatt) would notice how messed up one of the friends who Selah struggles with is being / is feeling. But overall I think she pulls it off--"it" being both yet another compelling portrait of a child's Autistic experiences, and ensuring that other characters and not just her protagonist are complicated people with their own inner mental health and disability struggles.

I also appreciate, very much, Kuyatt's choice of message: not "it's summer and at the last second everyone will triumph" so much as "it's summer and maybe you are taking on a bit too much". I appreciate her willingness to make things...well, imperfect...in order to get there.

Overall, a very pleasant (if sometimes deliberately frustrating) reading experience that I strongly recommend to fans of Good Different, seekers of thoughtful stories about Autism, and readers of contemporary MG in general.

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful follow-up to Selah’s story of self-discovery and the beginnings of understanding her autism in Good Different.

In Good Different, Selah, her mother and grandfather finally putting a name to why it has been so difficult for her to regulate emotions, handle loud noises and chaotic situations and express her wants and needs to others. With guidance from supportive friends, family and professionals, she completed 7th grade using a variety of tools that are beginning to help her navigate life’s challenges and all the things that neurotypical people may not have to think much about. Her poetry writing continues to be an outlet for her as both retreat and self-expression and thanks to new friends Brooklyn and Rheya, she is planning to attend a 3 week writing camp in order to fine tune her skills and possibly even be published. But the pressures of the schedule, projects to be completed, noisy teens who do not understand the concept of quiet time or lights and, maybe most especially, the presence of nemesis Ezra, may prove to be more than Selah can handle, even with her newfound skills.

Once again Meg Kuyatt gives readers an NIV that will validate the experiences of many neurodivergent thinkers and/or guide others to greater understanding of those who do not fit into the box that traditional expectations require. Using Ezra’s ADHD, Noa’s physical battles with long COVID complications, and Brooklyn’s struggle with being alone or in too much silence, the focus expands to include more personalities and unique sets of needs allowing more readers to make direct connections to the main characters. In the writer’s camp setting, there are plenty of positive reactions to the specific needs of Selah, Ezra and Brooklyn but there are also those who do not react well at all and plenty who fall somewhere in-between providing a very realistic backdrop of experiences. Love how Kuyatt uses Selah and others to demonstrate different ways to express one’s needs and to try and heal rifts between friends.

Perfect edition to the NIV collections in libraries serving grades 3-8 and highly recommended even if readers haven’t read Good Different.

Target age: grades 3-8
Profanity: none
Violence: none
Sexual content: none
Representation: Selah and Noa are autistic; Ezra has ADHD; Noa has difficulties with mobility; Brooklyn’s parents are often emotionally and physically absent from her life; the cover illustration only indicates Ezra is Black; Selah has a positive and supportive family with the unique configuration of mom, grandfather and child

Thanks for providing a print arc for an early look, Scholastic!

[Tales Untangled · Rating 5 out of 5]

PERFECT ENOUGH takes me back to my childhood and navigating friendships (but with more wisdom and tools). I am amazed how this author taps into the nuances of this age, making it relatable to middle graders and adults.

Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Audience: Middle-Grade
Format: Novel in Verse
Themes: Friendship, Forgiveness, Collaboration, Family, Being Different, Understanding the Needs of Others, Resilience
Representation: There are multiple neurodiverse children and adults. I loved having both because it shows that things work out for neurodiverse people.

I firmly believe this book is for everyone. We can all do with finding greater compassion and understanding. For those who are neurodiverse, this book is like a hug that says, "I've got you. You are not alone. And everything will work out. You are so valuable and needed."

The characters make mistakes. Not tiny ones but things that are tragic because they spell out the death of a friendship. Besides family, friends are the most important support group for middle graders. It takes genuine work to figure out the mistakes and if they are solvable.

There is also this idea people have that we must do everything. Sometimes, that is not possible. Things change in life, and we must give ourselves and others grace.

I am absolutely in love with this book and the first, Good Different. It would be wonderful to have classroom sets go to schools so classes could read it together. Once we understand someone, we relate to them so much more. This book is also perfect for families, neurodiverse kids, neurotypical kids, and anyone who wants to better understand others. Empathy is the name of the game here.

I highly recommend this book, and I hope you run right out and get it.
Happy reading!

[Kathy MacMillan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This delightful sequel to Good Different follows Selah as she enters the brave new world of writing camp, armed with the autism diagnosis she received in the first book, and plenty of tools to help her manage sensory overwhelm. But a new environment and new friends come with lots of new challenges. Selah overcomes her negative previous impressions to become friends with Ezra, a boy from her old school. Even though they declare themselves “brain cousins” in neurodivergence, Selah soon realizes that her autism and Ezra’s ADHD express themselves in very different ways. Add to that the exciting (but sometimes overwhelming) experience of rooming with two new friends who share many of her interests but don’t understand her boundaries. (“Rumors say autistic people aren’t good at social cues,” she says, “but I don’t know where that came from because it seems to me that other people don’t get my obvious cues to leave me alone.”) The author shows Selah’s mounting frustrations with her friends and herself in lyrical verse that often incorporates the forms featured in her writing classes. (Take note, language arts teachers! This book has SO many lesson extension possibilities, many of which are included in writing prompts in the backmatter.) My favorite thing about this story is its refusal to tack on a pat happy ending; the story’s conclusion is satisfying and completely earned, and emphasizes that real progress comes in many different forms. For Selah that is about learning to answer the question: “How do you know what’s a good or bad uncomfortable? The kind that makes you grow or makes you melt down?”

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The blurb lists this book as being a companion to Good Different, but really it's a sequel. You'll get a LOT more out of this if you've read the first one before you read this one.

Selah is a 12-year-old girl who's recently received a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder and is learning how to listen to her body and what supports she might need to thrive in a neurotypical world. She's heading off to Writer's Camp for three weeks in the summer before she starts at a new middle school in the fall. Selah is excited because she'll be with her friends Rheya and Brooklyn at camp. Her mom and her grandfather are a little worried, but willing to let her go.

As the days progress, Selah gets more and more overwhelmed, not quite sure how to articulate her needs to her friends. She absolutely loves the classes and is thrilled at the prospect of getting published in the camp journal at the end of the three weeks. She wants so badly to succeed, that it begins to overshadow everything else, including her own mental health and her friendships. Can she figure it out or will she have to go home? If she goes home will that be the end of her aspirations to become a writer?

Told in beautiful verse, this novel captures the essence of what it's like to walk the line between maintaining your friendships and your sanity; between figuring out your own abilities and needs and setting realistic but stretching goals.

This was not only an entertaining read, it was informative and heartwarming, but realistic. I highly recommend it!

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Novel in verse
I received an electronic ARC from Scholastic Press through NetGalley.
Readers met Selah in the first book. This one picks up during the summer following. She is excited to go to a writers camp. She'll be there with two friends - Brooklyn & Rheya. Readers may already start to understand that rooming together is very different from simply being friends, and this plays out in the story. Selah is still new to understanding her autism and pushes herself to be what everyone else needs. She can't find the way to speak up and share what she needs so a lot of hurt happens on all sides. In many ways, this is a typical summer camp experience with some additional elements woven through. Selah learns more about Ezra and his ADHD and comes to realize he was not intentionally bullying her - just trying to connect. They for a friendship that should carry into the school year by being honest with each other. Honest communication is a main theme that weaves through the entire book. The characters all have their own needs and don't share them well in the beginning.
Kuyatt uses this format well to bring the characters and the emotions out. Readers will connect with the characters and may directly relate to some of their ways of participating in their world. I appreciate the ending when Selah realizes she has to take care of herself to heal the autism burnout. It is never failure to take care of yourself.

[Laura P · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect Enough is an endearing story told in verse about Selah, an autistic girl who is determined to prove she can handle the challenges of sleep-away camp. Late night noise, intense friendship dynamics, and the arrival of her nemesis are just a few of the challenges Selah faces. She attempts to use her strategies to overcome those challenges, but she's quickly overwhelmed by the environment, miscommunications, and the pressure she puts on her own self. Throughout the summer camp experience, Selah learns about working with and communicating with others, accepting others for who they are, and that she can settle for "perfect enough." I loved how Selah overcame differences in her relationships and found an unlikely ally. This book is a wonderful way for young readers to discover strategies for their own relationships in addition to acceptance of others' and their own limitations. Meg Eden Kuyatt's poetry is a captivating and relatable format for the story, as well as an accessible way for both seasoned and struggling readers to engage. Many thanks to the publisher for the review copy.

[Sally Kruger · Rating 5 out of 5]

PERFECT ENOUGH by Meg Eden Kuyatt is the companion novel to GOOD DIFFERENT. Selah is learning how to adapt to her autism diagnosis. She now knows why she does some of the things she does, and why she feels the way she feels about some things. She now has tools to help her cope.

Selah loves writing, especially poetry. Now that school is out for the summer, she has enrolled in Writing Camp. This means three weeks to concentrate on what she loves best - poetry - with other people with similar interests. She is looking forward to the experience, but she knows it will be a challenge.

Selah is roommates with Brooklyn and Rheya. At first all is well, but loud noises and bright lights when Selah needs quiet and darkness makes getting along a problem Selah isn't sure how to deal with. She also discovers her enemy Ezra is in the camp. Surprisingly, she and Ezra hit it off and actually begin working together on a project.

Kuyatt's novel in verse takes readers into the thoughts and processes of the autistic mind. This book is sure to connect with all readers interested in learning more about those who are neurodivergent.

[Stephanie Erickson · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 12-year-old daughter read this book. Her review is below:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ x ∞

Perfect enough was really good!! We follow Selah as she goes to a sleepaway camp as a neurodivergent. She has trouble sleeping at night even though they are her best friends, they are loud and don't let her sleep. There is a project for camp that is displayed at the end where she and her friends are working together, but they pick an idea without her.

A kid from her school that wasn't that nice to her at school is befriended and has adhd. It was a good description of how autism and adhd are alike but different.

I loved how it described autism and adhd as brain cousins. Both true and fun. It showed how autism can be like a superpower but also hard. It showed how making and keeping friends can be difficult, especially as someone who is on the spectrum.

Selah also finds a neurodivergent camp counselor who is nice, helpful and is always there for Selah.

In all it was the perfect sequel to Good Enough. Everyone who is neurodivergent/thinks they might be should read this series!

[Elizabeth Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the chance to reconnect with Selah, who we met in Good Different. In Perfect Enough, Selah is equipped with tools to manage her autism and excited to head off for 3 weeks away at writing camp. This is a book with a neurodivergent protagonist, sure, but it also includes universal challenges of grappling with independence, peer relationships, and identity. Other kids, and even counselors, at camp are also struggling. With ongoing metaphors of dragons and translation, plus references to gaming, Kuyatt provides plenty of opportunities for empathy and levels for readers to identify and engage. The lesson of bending but not breaking really hit home.

I like a story that doesn’t glamorize a perfectly tied-up happy ending. Instead we see the value of carrying on and recognizing progress.

Perfect Enough belongs in middle school/ upper elementary classroom libraries and with families and friends of neurodivergent middle schoolers. I copied out the poetry prompts in the back of the book. Thanks to the publisher for an ARC ahead of publication. Highly recommend.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave the first book five stars. This one isn’t quite as good, but still is very well done. And I still love the design.

The amazing way that Selah’s understandable tension builds up so gradually, day by day, in the book’s first maybe half, is tangible (and impressive). It does kind of feel that even in the best of situations, something like this was fated to happen to her at a three week camp…even surrounded by understanding friends. And as it turns out, that was the lesson.

I do sort of feel that the turn of the one-time antagonist was a smidge too abrupt. I am not sure about this one, but having taught middle school kids for 20 years, Selah’s self-analysis and the vocabulary of her inner monologue, even with her therapy and training, seems about two notches too grown up. And this story just packs in the education (for both us and Selah) at such a rapid pace. But it also definitely still generates some “dusty” moments.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid companion novel in verse for middle grade readers who loved the first one!


“Could it be OK to be
strong but also tired?
A hero who can do great things
but also needs a lot of sleep?”


"Friends aren't always perfect allies."
She nods
to the cane beside her.
"Some things are hard
to understand
if you aren't living it."


“I’m too tired
to be brave.”


“A group of dragons is called
a thunder
or a flight.

Sometimes being with dragons
is like thunder-
heated
loud
a lot.
Sometimes words sting
under our scales
and make us feel
more monster than magic.

Sometimes words sting under our scales and make us feel more monster than magic.
But sometimes it's a flight-
for so long
I've tried to be
one dragon
alone,
which can be
exhausting,
but in a group,
we help each other
lighten each other's loads
so we keep
flying.”

[T. Mills]

I once again find myself being incredibly thankful for the writing of Meg Eden Kuyatt! I didn't know that Selah's story in Good Different needed a sequel until I held it in my hands! Selah's first story helped our then 7th grade daughter come to the understanding that she, too, is Autistic. She will to this day tell people "this book saved my life". Kuyatt continues to offer highly relatable portrayals of the experience of late diagnosed Autistic girls. This time, Selah had to navigate the complexities of summer camp, a new friendship with a previously misunderstood classmate and the challenges of Autistic burnout. I will be recommending this to people who want both windows and mirrors for neurodivergent experiences!

I received an advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review. Perfect Enough hits shelves June 2nd!

[Susan Lefman · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC provided by NetGalley

In this follow-up to Good Different, Selah embarks on a new adventure at a writers' camp recommended by her friends Brooklyn and Rheya. While there, she crosses paths with Ezra, a frenemy from school, and is paired with him for a writing session. When a group project is assigned, Selah finds herself caught between her loyalties to Brooklyn and Rheya and a surprising connection with Ezra. As the pressure mounts, she must decide whether to stick with her old friends or embrace a new partnership.

This moving novel in verse beautifully captures Selah's growth as she learns to advocate for herself. It expertly balances common neurotypical tween experiences—like shifting friendships and roommate dynamics—with the specific communication and sensory challenges of neurodivergence. A heartfelt and empowering read for middle-grade students.

[Carli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to @netgalley, @scholastic, and the wonderful author for reaching out and providing this advance Kindle copy. It’s out on 6.2! All opinions are my own.
•
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 for this sequel, which follows Selah to summer camp. Having fought for accommodations and acceptance at school, Selah is ready to take her writing to a 3-week overnight writing camp. Armed with coping mechanisms that make her autism workable away from home, she dives in to living with friends. However, she soon learns that friends may mean well but don’t always have her needs at the forefront. She also tangles with bully Ezra from school, who she soon learns has ADHD. He dubs them “brain cousins”, and they strike up an unlikely friendship. This is a continuation of Selah’s life with autism, and comes with a dose of life lessons as well. Hand to fans of books in verse. #mglit

[Evelyn{in my Neoni era} · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book, but honestly, it didn’t hit as hard as Good Different. The plot felt both too fast and too slow, and, while I thought Selah’s new friends were nice, I just was not a big fan of Brooklyn, and it was pretty vague as to whether she’s neurodivergent or neurotypical. Ezra’s ADHD definitely explains a lot, and I felt very seen in his character. But he just is either really quiet and moody or super chaotic, and there isn’t really a balance. Great book, just maybe Meg spoiled me with the first one lol. I ended up making bracelets after reading the first book (red yellow green) but I used beads and they’re really pretty. THANK YOU MEG FOR MORE AUTISTIC REPRESENTATION IN BOOKS!!!!!! ♾️🌈✨

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

After having read Good Different, I was so excited to see a sequel was available and have it be my first ARC through Net Galley! I loved the first book, so I knew I would love this one too.

The way Kuyatt conveys the autistic experience is unparalleled in middle grade fiction. I can't wait until my autistic son is a little bit older so he can read these books too and see such good autistic representation. The introduction of an ADHD character in Perfect Enough and watching Selah grapple with understanding someone whose brain is also different but in another way was a great addition. I loved the term "brain cousins" used to describe them.

I hope this isn't the last we'll see of Selah's story. As long as Kuyatt keeps writing them, I'll keep reading them!