What do you think?
Rate this book
Sisterhood of the Spectrum: An Asperger Chick's Guide to Life
Spectrum gals, ever wished you had a handbook to help navigate the confusing world of teenage girlhood?
Look no further! Aspie-in-the-know, Jennifer Cook O'Toole provides just that with her inspirational guide to life for teenage girls with Asperger syndrome. Drawing on her own, real-life experiences rather than preaching from textbooks, she covers everything you need (and want!) to know, from body shapes and love interests to bullying, friendships and how to discover and celebrate your unique, beautiful self. With illustrations by an Aspie teen and inspirational quotes from well-known, female Aspie voices, including Temple Grandin, Rudy Simone, Robyn Steward, and Haley Moss, Sisterhood of the Spectrum is your perfect companion on the "yellow brick road" to womanhood. It will leave you empowered, informed and excited to be different.
Look no further! Aspie-in-the-know, Jennifer Cook O'Toole provides just that with her inspirational guide to life for teenage girls with Asperger syndrome. Drawing on her own, real-life experiences rather than preaching from textbooks, she covers everything you need (and want!) to know, from body shapes and love interests to bullying, friendships and how to discover and celebrate your unique, beautiful self. With illustrations by an Aspie teen and inspirational quotes from well-known, female Aspie voices, including Temple Grandin, Rudy Simone, Robyn Steward, and Haley Moss, Sisterhood of the Spectrum is your perfect companion on the "yellow brick road" to womanhood. It will leave you empowered, informed and excited to be different.
240 pages, Paperback
First published April 21, 2015
20 people are currently reading
237 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 5, 2019
I read this as part of my ongoing professional development that started last winter when I attended a conference on autism. One of my goals as a teacher is to learn more about how to reach, teach, and interact with children who struggle, for one reason or another. As I learned about autism spectrum disorders, I started seeing similar behaviors in my own family, so my professional development has turned into personal development as well.
I enjoyed this book, but I liked Autism in Heels better. To be fair, this book's target audience is teen girls on the spectrum, and I am over 40, so I'm not her demographic, but I found it slightly redundant, and she spends a lot time spent convincing teens whey they should take advice from her.
As for positives, I enjoyed reading about "mean girl" culture and how that works. (I've had no idea all this time why girls act like that.) I hope to read the "Queen Bee and Wannabees" books she recommends that the movie "Mean Girls" is based upon.
I gobbled up the section on "she thinks she's better than everyone else." By being a perfectionist and expecting nothing less than the best from herself, these girls inadvertently put other people down. (I can't believe I only got a 95% on the test!) Also, constantly interrupting and being late give others the message that your time is more valuable than their time. Hmmmm.
She has some good ideas on dealing with sensory issues and helping girls understand what powers their engines, but her coverage of the prevalence of self-harm/eating disorders in girls on the spectrum was truly eye-opening. Put a girl who already judges herself harshly, has perfectionist, depressive, and obsessive tendencies, who can easily perseverate on an idea, who likes to be in control (as a way to deal with anxiety), and who has an extreme knack for hyperfocus--put this girl in a stressful situation (being a teenage girl or a mom in our culture)---and you have a recipe for eating disorders and other forms of self-harm. A-ha! This makes so much sense.
Next I plan to read "Asperkids Secret Book of Social Rules."
I enjoyed this book, but I liked Autism in Heels better. To be fair, this book's target audience is teen girls on the spectrum, and I am over 40, so I'm not her demographic, but I found it slightly redundant, and she spends a lot time spent convincing teens whey they should take advice from her.
As for positives, I enjoyed reading about "mean girl" culture and how that works. (I've had no idea all this time why girls act like that.) I hope to read the "Queen Bee and Wannabees" books she recommends that the movie "Mean Girls" is based upon.
I gobbled up the section on "she thinks she's better than everyone else." By being a perfectionist and expecting nothing less than the best from herself, these girls inadvertently put other people down. (I can't believe I only got a 95% on the test!) Also, constantly interrupting and being late give others the message that your time is more valuable than their time. Hmmmm.
She has some good ideas on dealing with sensory issues and helping girls understand what powers their engines, but her coverage of the prevalence of self-harm/eating disorders in girls on the spectrum was truly eye-opening. Put a girl who already judges herself harshly, has perfectionist, depressive, and obsessive tendencies, who can easily perseverate on an idea, who likes to be in control (as a way to deal with anxiety), and who has an extreme knack for hyperfocus--put this girl in a stressful situation (being a teenage girl or a mom in our culture)---and you have a recipe for eating disorders and other forms of self-harm. A-ha! This makes so much sense.
Next I plan to read "Asperkids Secret Book of Social Rules."
September 29, 2019
Part of me wanted to just rate this book five stars and tell you not to read it.
Why?
Because this book sounded to me like it was talking about me.
Terrifying.
To tell the truth I read through this book way to fast.
It is a book for girls. Or should I say, those who were born girls.
Why?
Because this book sounded to me like it was talking about me.
Terrifying.
To tell the truth I read through this book way to fast.
It is a book for girls. Or should I say, those who were born girls.
March 17, 2020
I felt this book was relevant to all young women trying to make it in the jungle that is puberty. I ,as an aspiring imagine my friends forethought these same hoops and challenges every single day.
Congratulations on a fine book that erases the lines between groups and shows us we are all self-consciouse and see a red and afraid to do the thing. Brilliantly said!
Congratulations on a fine book that erases the lines between groups and shows us we are all self-consciouse and see a red and afraid to do the thing. Brilliantly said!
August 7, 2017
I found this book to be an informative first hand account about the struggles of being a teenager with Aspergers. the narrator is reassuring and explains concepts in a matter of fact way, promoting the readers self esteem throughout.
January 1, 2023
4.5 stars rounded up to 5
August 11, 2015
I lived all the great information in this book. So helpful for our girls on the Spectrum. That being said, I wish it would have been a little more user-friendly for girls who don't have the higher reading ability or the ability to attend for extended time periods. Jennifer O'Toole is a valuable resource for our girls and women on the Spectrum. She is definitely a voice that needs to be heard.
November 14, 2019
I think if I were a teenager still, i would absolutely adore this. But I'm a bit beyond dating tips and girly lessons. I would recommend The Asperkid's Secret Book of Social Rules instead, if you're not a teen girl.
April 22, 2015
Jennifer O'Toole's latest novel for girls on the spectrum. The description of top up thinking based on experiences was most helpful.
January 7, 2017
I wish this had been written when I was younger!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews