Catching up on bad reviews and bad rep. This series was recently on a Neurodivergent book promo thing, which, wow. Stop promoting offensive rep.
This review is for the entire series.
I cannot believe after this book/series has already been reviewed and called out for FUCKING ABYSMAL autism rep, people are still reccing it! Holy shit, way to announce to the world that you don't give a fuck.
Other reviewers are more eloquent, I'm just going to throw the obvious out there.
Also, there's a really bizarre take on alcoholism, AA, and how AA sponsors should act, no one mentions it, but it's awful and weird.
Let's start with this:
“You’re—” Will stares at him. “Wait, hold up. You’re autistic?” “No, I’m on the spectrum. There’s a difference.” Patrick counts out five beats of Will’s heart. “You don’t see me screaming and banging my head on tables because the spaghetti noodles aren’t done, do you?”
Nice. Not offensive at all. 🙄😵💫
Here's the rest, I'm not going to hand feed and explain why this shit is wrong:
• “I just mean, you don’t seem to have real feelings at all. You probably don’t even know what love is.”
• He’s never been good with the social skills at the best of times. If he’d been born five or six years later than he was, he’d probably have been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. As it is, he’s always been inappropriate and weird and he knows he does life wrong.
• He’s a thirty- five- year- old Aspie brain surgeon with a terror of emotional intimacy.
• “I work long hours. I have a stressful career. I’m on the autism spectrum and I’m crap at social skills.”
• What does happiness even look like to Patrick? He’s admitted to being on the autism scale, and Will has no idea what that means for his ability to have romantic feelings for another person, or for Will specifically. Patrick has made it clear: work, sex, and friendship is enough for him.
• “She doesn’t know you’re on the autism spectrum.” “Oh, no you don’t.” “What?” “You don’t get to file me away like that. That’s one reason I don’t tell people.”
• Patrick shrugs. “Yeah, well, I’m telling you to shut up.”“That’s pretty rude.”“It’s established that I’m rude.” Irritation flares. “You may have some autism thing happening, but you don’t get to be an asshole.”
• Patrick turns in his seat, the bomber jacket big on his wiry frame. “What do you think it means that I’m on the autism spectrum?”“That you’re rude and don’t have a filter? That you feel stuff differently? I don’t know.” Will looks over at him. “Why?”“I am rude and filters are boring. But I feel things. I’m capable of the same feelings you are.” Patrick stares at Will. “I’m not that different from you.” Will’s stomach tenses. “You’re pretty different, Patrick. It’s not an insult. It’s just facts.”
• “Hmmph.” Patrick clicks the glove compartment open again and then shuts it. “I didn’t tell you about being on the autism spectrum so you can use it to discount me. I told you because I trust you.”“You told me because it slipped out,” Will says, running a hand into his hair.
• “It only changes things because it helps me understand you. I can put your behavior in this box labeled ‘autism’ and it’s okay. But sometimes your behavior isn’t okay, even if it’s in the box. Telling me to shut up, for example.”“I’m not a box.”
• “You and me both.” Will’s fingers are cold, but the heat is coming on in the car. “I won’t mention the autism thing again.”“Spectrum. There’s a difference. Like the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Like the difference between dogs and cats.”
• Several hours later, Will’s trapped in his chair by Owen and a stack of briefs to review. Owen’s discussing one of their projects with a lymphoma charity out of Denver when Will interrupts him. “What do you know about people on the autism spectrum?”
• “I’ve met the man,” Owen says, smiling his particular AA sponsor smile, the one that means he’s ‘being there’ for Will now. “Pegging him as on the spectrum isn’t too hard.”“So you don’t think he’s just a jerk or socially awkward?”“No.”“He’s—” Will recalls the word he’s seen on the grant requests he’s fielded for learning disabilities. “Not neurotypical.” Owen nods, the light through the still-closed blinds glancing off his bald head. “And you’re struggling with his atypical neurology?”
• “I need to know more. Like, does he feel the same things I do?”“He’s a human being, but, as you say, he’s not a typical one.”“He says he feels the same things…” Will trails off, thinking about Patrick’s statements about love. “But I’m not sure he knows what neurotypical people feel. How does he know it’s the same?” Owen caps his pen and leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “You’re wondering if he can love you.”“I know he’s capable of love.”
• “I don’t know if he understands the difference between liking someone, enjoying sex with them, and being in love with them. Maybe to him, it’s the same thing.”