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Social Queue
'I thought I was nobody’s teen crush, but turns out I was just missing the signs.'
Zoe Kelly is starting a new phase of her life. High school was a mess of bullying and autistic masking that left her burnt out and shut down. Now, with an internship at an online media company—the first step on the road to her dream writing career—she is ready to reinvent herself. But she didn’t count on returning to her awkward and all-too-recent high-school experiences for her first writing assignment.
When her piece, about her non-existent dating life, goes viral, eighteen-year-old Zoe is overwhelmed and more than a little surprised by the response. But, with a deadline and a list of romantic contenders from the past to reconnect with for her piece on dating, she is hoping one of her old sparks will turn into a new flame.
Social Queue is a funny and heart-warming autistic story about deciphering the confusing signals of attraction and navigating a path to love.
Zoe Kelly is starting a new phase of her life. High school was a mess of bullying and autistic masking that left her burnt out and shut down. Now, with an internship at an online media company—the first step on the road to her dream writing career—she is ready to reinvent herself. But she didn’t count on returning to her awkward and all-too-recent high-school experiences for her first writing assignment.
When her piece, about her non-existent dating life, goes viral, eighteen-year-old Zoe is overwhelmed and more than a little surprised by the response. But, with a deadline and a list of romantic contenders from the past to reconnect with for her piece on dating, she is hoping one of her old sparks will turn into a new flame.
Social Queue is a funny and heart-warming autistic story about deciphering the confusing signals of attraction and navigating a path to love.
288 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2021
35 people are currently reading
2314 people want to read
About the author
Kay Kerr
8 books148 followersKay Kerr is an autistic author and journalist from the Sunshine Coast, Queensland.
PLEASE DON'T HUG ME is Kay's first book, and was shortlisted for the Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs) Book of the Year for Older Readers. It was also a Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) 2021 Notable Book for Older Readers.
Her second novel, SOCIAL QUEUE, is a YA romance with an autistic girl at the heart of it. It was shortlisted for the Queensland Literary Awards, and also a CBCA Notable Book for Older Readers.
Her narrative non-fiction book, LOVE & AUTISM, is out now. It is an exploration and celebration of autistic lives, as well as a return to her journalistic roots.
PLEASE DON'T HUG ME is Kay's first book, and was shortlisted for the Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs) Book of the Year for Older Readers. It was also a Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) 2021 Notable Book for Older Readers.
Her second novel, SOCIAL QUEUE, is a YA romance with an autistic girl at the heart of it. It was shortlisted for the Queensland Literary Awards, and also a CBCA Notable Book for Older Readers.
Her narrative non-fiction book, LOVE & AUTISM, is out now. It is an exploration and celebration of autistic lives, as well as a return to her journalistic roots.
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December 11, 2022
my autistic heart!! ahhh!!
September 13, 2021
Social Queue is the second novel by Australian author, Kay Kerr. Eighteen-year-old Zoe Kelly is one of three interns at Bubble, a website featuring news and pop culture, and has so far written horoscopes and compiled the events calendar. But, after some rather unsatisfactory experiences with online dating apps, she has written an article about navigating modern romance.
Zoe is autistic, something that attracted relentless bullying during high school, and her difficulty with reading social cues means that her dating history is non-existent. She is navigating the newness of her internship and her first year of Uni, studying Journalism, and her article is funny and candid. Apart from the inevitable negative or abusive comments, the reaction is mostly encouraging and enthusiastic, particularly from other autistic women, who appreciate Zoe’s perspective.
What is most surprising are five comments indicating that in her recent past there may have been potential for dates of which she was unaware. Her editor suggests that further articles might expand on the theme if Zoe is willing to connect with these five and explore any signs of attraction she may have missed, and why.
Of the five, she is most apprehensive about meeting with the high school bully; with the Uni classmate, the co-worker in her vacation job and the high school classmate with anxiety problems, Zoe is still nervous, but they present less of a problem; the one she can virtually dismiss immediately is the twin brother of her currently-absent best friend, who confesses to a Year Seven crush.
Zoe is lucky to have plenty of support: her parents are understanding; her extroverted sister, Harriet is a font of information about both clothing and interpreting social cues; her best friend is generous with long-distance advice; her boss is ready to accommodate her needs; and her senior colleague takes a bit of a mentoring role which turns reciprocal. All of that means she can write about each encounter with honesty and often humour.
Kerr’s characters are mostly appealing, and certainly realistic. Being autistic herself naturally gives authenticity to all of Zoe’s thoughts, feelings and reactions, and gives the neurotypical reader valuable insight into the world of an autistic person. Kerr also highlights the need for better training of police to deal with the neuro-diverse population, and the media for reporting on this population, and the disabled generally, in a non-offensive manner. Kerr’s second novel is funny, insightful and thought-provoking.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Text Publishing.
Zoe is autistic, something that attracted relentless bullying during high school, and her difficulty with reading social cues means that her dating history is non-existent. She is navigating the newness of her internship and her first year of Uni, studying Journalism, and her article is funny and candid. Apart from the inevitable negative or abusive comments, the reaction is mostly encouraging and enthusiastic, particularly from other autistic women, who appreciate Zoe’s perspective.
What is most surprising are five comments indicating that in her recent past there may have been potential for dates of which she was unaware. Her editor suggests that further articles might expand on the theme if Zoe is willing to connect with these five and explore any signs of attraction she may have missed, and why.
Of the five, she is most apprehensive about meeting with the high school bully; with the Uni classmate, the co-worker in her vacation job and the high school classmate with anxiety problems, Zoe is still nervous, but they present less of a problem; the one she can virtually dismiss immediately is the twin brother of her currently-absent best friend, who confesses to a Year Seven crush.
Zoe is lucky to have plenty of support: her parents are understanding; her extroverted sister, Harriet is a font of information about both clothing and interpreting social cues; her best friend is generous with long-distance advice; her boss is ready to accommodate her needs; and her senior colleague takes a bit of a mentoring role which turns reciprocal. All of that means she can write about each encounter with honesty and often humour.
Kerr’s characters are mostly appealing, and certainly realistic. Being autistic herself naturally gives authenticity to all of Zoe’s thoughts, feelings and reactions, and gives the neurotypical reader valuable insight into the world of an autistic person. Kerr also highlights the need for better training of police to deal with the neuro-diverse population, and the media for reporting on this population, and the disabled generally, in a non-offensive manner. Kerr’s second novel is funny, insightful and thought-provoking.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Text Publishing.
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April 19, 2022The following book reviews have been shared by Text Publishing – publisher of Social Queue
'An absolute delight! Relatable, perceptive and full of heart.’
CG Drews
'A fun, honest and timely coming-of-age story that I wish I'd had when I was a teen. I absolutely LOVED it!'
Jen Wilde
‘A perceptive, honest, and warmly captivating romantic comedy that touched my heart. I adored it!’
Helen Hoang, author of The Kiss Quotient
'Kay Kerr burst onto the YA scene with her 2020 debut Please Don’t Hug Me, and Social Queue confirms her as an important voice in the representation of the neurodiverse experience—as well as a skilled writer of young adult fiction.’
Books+Publishing
‘So cute, so lovely…and so needed coming from the voice of someone who has autism.’
Triple J, The Hook Up
'Social Queue is an important voice of representation in the young adult fiction market and also a charming read with wonderful characters, which is ultimately what we all want.’
Booktopia
‘I love Kay Kerr’s books for their wonderful characters and their heartfelt elucidation of life.’
2SER Final Draft
‘An authentic, heart-warming, and witty exploration of dating, identity, and reflection on high school life…One of the best books I have read this year.’
CBCA Reading Time
'This story is both humorous as well as heart warming, as Zoe finds her way through the tangle of misunderstood and complicated social queues, ready to find love. A great book representing the neurodiverse experience.’
Magpies
'Kay Kerr’s second novel Social Queue (Text Publishing 2021) is another fantastic YA deep dive into big emotions and all the feelings that come with that liminal time between adolescence and young adulthood.’
Cass Moriarty
'Written by an own voices author, Social Queue offers such a warm, healthy perspective on dating but also recognising your own boundaries and warning signs when it comes to social encounters...I really enjoyed this read and it’s definitely recommended.’
Happy Indulgence Books
'Utterly endearing and 100% heart-warming, I loved Zoe and I loved this book. Once I started, I couldn’t put it down; I was absolutely on Team Zoe! Thank you Kay Kerr, what a smash-hit, honest read.’
Australian Romance Readers Association
'An absolute delight! Relatable, perceptive and full of heart.’
CG Drews
'A fun, honest and timely coming-of-age story that I wish I'd had when I was a teen. I absolutely LOVED it!'
Jen Wilde
‘A perceptive, honest, and warmly captivating romantic comedy that touched my heart. I adored it!’
Helen Hoang, author of The Kiss Quotient
'Kay Kerr burst onto the YA scene with her 2020 debut Please Don’t Hug Me, and Social Queue confirms her as an important voice in the representation of the neurodiverse experience—as well as a skilled writer of young adult fiction.’
Books+Publishing
‘So cute, so lovely…and so needed coming from the voice of someone who has autism.’
Triple J, The Hook Up
'Social Queue is an important voice of representation in the young adult fiction market and also a charming read with wonderful characters, which is ultimately what we all want.’
Booktopia
‘I love Kay Kerr’s books for their wonderful characters and their heartfelt elucidation of life.’
2SER Final Draft
‘An authentic, heart-warming, and witty exploration of dating, identity, and reflection on high school life…One of the best books I have read this year.’
CBCA Reading Time
'This story is both humorous as well as heart warming, as Zoe finds her way through the tangle of misunderstood and complicated social queues, ready to find love. A great book representing the neurodiverse experience.’
Magpies
'Kay Kerr’s second novel Social Queue (Text Publishing 2021) is another fantastic YA deep dive into big emotions and all the feelings that come with that liminal time between adolescence and young adulthood.’
Cass Moriarty
'Written by an own voices author, Social Queue offers such a warm, healthy perspective on dating but also recognising your own boundaries and warning signs when it comes to social encounters...I really enjoyed this read and it’s definitely recommended.’
Happy Indulgence Books
'Utterly endearing and 100% heart-warming, I loved Zoe and I loved this book. Once I started, I couldn’t put it down; I was absolutely on Team Zoe! Thank you Kay Kerr, what a smash-hit, honest read.’
Australian Romance Readers Association
October 22, 2021
Zoe has a traineeship with an online media service where she writes an article noting that, due to her autism, not only has she never had a boyfriend, she believes no one has ever even had a crush on her. When five readers dispute this fact, her editor asks her to go on a date with each of her five admirers, writing a column about the experience later.
Even though the idea/trope of going on several dates has been done a fair few times in books, I did find the ones Zoe went on in Social Queue quite unique and some outcomes were a little surprising and unexpected. I also thought the romantic pairing at the end was nicely done.
I enjoyed the setting - one of my old stomping grounds, Brisbane. I now have the urge to jump on a City Cat and head for New Farm for icecream.
However, Zoe’s age didn’t really work for me. There were several references to her high school days where she was bullied, had her own crush, and excelled academically despite her miserable social life. Many times Zoe thought about how those years were long gone and way behind her and a distant memory etc etc etc. But Zoe was 18. So… As my daughter is 18 and still in school (albeit year 12), at the most Zoe would have been out of school for six months. I think Kerr should have changed Zoe’s age to her 20s at least.
Social Queue is a very worthy read when it comes to learning how to treat people with autism. Zoe’s traineeship allows her to interact with other (older) journalists whom she schools on the correct and most inoffensive language to use when writing about (or addressing) people with disabilities. My dilemma here was I felt I was sometimes constantly reading a very worthy read and I was never allowed to relax and just enjoy it as a cute romcom.
The book is definitely aimed at readers younger than myself, so it might work a little more if you are in that new/young adult target audience.
3 ½ stars
Even though the idea/trope of going on several dates has been done a fair few times in books, I did find the ones Zoe went on in Social Queue quite unique and some outcomes were a little surprising and unexpected. I also thought the romantic pairing at the end was nicely done.
I enjoyed the setting - one of my old stomping grounds, Brisbane. I now have the urge to jump on a City Cat and head for New Farm for icecream.
However, Zoe’s age didn’t really work for me. There were several references to her high school days where she was bullied, had her own crush, and excelled academically despite her miserable social life. Many times Zoe thought about how those years were long gone and way behind her and a distant memory etc etc etc. But Zoe was 18. So… As my daughter is 18 and still in school (albeit year 12), at the most Zoe would have been out of school for six months. I think Kerr should have changed Zoe’s age to her 20s at least.
Social Queue is a very worthy read when it comes to learning how to treat people with autism. Zoe’s traineeship allows her to interact with other (older) journalists whom she schools on the correct and most inoffensive language to use when writing about (or addressing) people with disabilities. My dilemma here was I felt I was sometimes constantly reading a very worthy read and I was never allowed to relax and just enjoy it as a cute romcom.
The book is definitely aimed at readers younger than myself, so it might work a little more if you are in that new/young adult target audience.
3 ½ stars
February 6, 2022
Written by an own voices author, Social Queue offers such a warm, healthy perspective on dating but also recognising your own boundaries and warning signs when it comes to social encounters. I also loved how it navigates starting an internship and recognising your worth in the work place - and shows how even respected senior journalists in the field may not have all the answers.
I really enjoyed this read and it's definitely recommended!
Trigger warnings: bullying, police brutality, ableist language
I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this read and it's definitely recommended!
Trigger warnings: bullying, police brutality, ableist language
I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
March 31, 2022
Only just realised I hadn't linked my Reading Time review" here.
Re-read for Reading Time review. Sigh. Swoon. So lovely.
So much to love here. Authentic, warm and uplifting.
Re-read for Reading Time review. Sigh. Swoon. So lovely.
So much to love here. Authentic, warm and uplifting.
October 29, 2021
“Living each day in survival mode doesn’t leave a lot of space for contemplation.”
Zoe Kelly is tired of only experiencing romance second-hand but dating is hard when you combine a complete lack of experience with autism and anxiety. Writing about this struggle at her internship for an online magazine, Zoe discovers that there have been times in the past when people have been interested in her, she just didn't quite notice. So she's taking a stroll down memory lane to figure out how she missed the signs and what she can do to make sure love doesn't pass her by again.
All aboard the Kay Kerr train! This was leagues ahead of her debut, Please Don't Hug Me, with a much tighter plot, a wonderfully well-developed protagonist and a much more confident stance on how disabled people deserve to be treated by the people around them.
What struck me most about Social Queue is that it’s a perfect reminder of how much extra effort and work disabled people have to put in just to meet the (usually pointless) standards of able-bodied people. To navigate social situations, to meet expectations about how to present yourself, to cope with negative emotions and experiences. The world weighs so much more heavily when you experience it differently and Kerr does an excellent job of portraying that with Zoe.
But having said that, I did wonder why Zoe never figures out - on her own or with guidance from her supposedly supportive friends and family - that she doesn’t have to live up to the standards of able-bodied, neurotypical society. She doesn’t have to have the perfect dates and meet “the one”. She doesn’t need to shower and do her make-up and dress perfectly for every single occasion. She’s allowed to say when something or someone bothers her. She’s allowed to be daunted by the idea of conflict or arguing. She’s allowed to get things wrong and not be made to feel foolish or ashamed. I was waiting for her to realise that but the turning point never came.
Another turning point that never came was that Maia, Zoe's colleague who keeps writing ableist articles, never acknowledges and apologises for the articles she wrote and then made Zoe read and fix. If I was in Zoe's position, being forced to read and edit ableist news stories for a colleague, I would expect my corrections to lead to some sort of actual change but we never hear Maia's thoughts on Zoe's notes and attempts to educate her. I really would've loved a scene where Maia even just thanks Zoe for her help and apologises for her mistakes but instead, Zoe is loaded up with this emotional labour and never gets to debrief about it.
Luckily, the romance is pretty cute even if Zoe and her beau getting together is a little rushed and convoluted. I also loved that Zoe questions her sexuality for the first time during the course of the book! I really related to the whole "I just said I liked boys because I thought I was supposed to" situation she experienced as a teenager and I loved seeing her open herself up to the idea of being something other than straight (even though that little story thread kind of got lost in the dust as well).
An engaging, thoughtful novel about navigating the world of romance with some important disability rep and a lovely romance. I just wish all the storylines had been tied up a bit more neatly.
Warnings: misogyny, ableism, anxiety, panic attacks and one scene involving police brutality.
September 28, 2021
“It’s that I get a chance to learn about this entirety unexplored side of myself, of my personality and my life. Me! Not a character in a movie or a book, not one of my Sims.”
Life hasn’t been easy for Zoe. Barely making it out of high school alive and is leaving that chapter behind her along with the the people that bullied her for being different. Zoe beat out hundreds of other applicants for an internship at an online media company where she hopes to write her first piece of work.
Zoe’s first assignment has her writing about her non existent dating life and revisiting her awkward high school encounters. Her first piece goes viral and she is overwhelmed by the responses. She decides to catch up with some of the people in her life who voiced that she missed their signals, hoping to spark a missed flame.
An authentic, vulnerable and witty novel that hits some very important topics in such a thought provoking way. Zoe learns how navigate through life with the support of her family, friends and colleagues. While beautifully conveying that not all autistic people classify themselves as disabled, while others do. As a society we need to do a better job at breaking the stigma associated with having a disability.
I loved this book, it’s one you’ll finish in a sitting then hug when your done. Thank you for sharing Zoe with the world, congratulations on yet another powerful #loveozya novel.
Life hasn’t been easy for Zoe. Barely making it out of high school alive and is leaving that chapter behind her along with the the people that bullied her for being different. Zoe beat out hundreds of other applicants for an internship at an online media company where she hopes to write her first piece of work.
Zoe’s first assignment has her writing about her non existent dating life and revisiting her awkward high school encounters. Her first piece goes viral and she is overwhelmed by the responses. She decides to catch up with some of the people in her life who voiced that she missed their signals, hoping to spark a missed flame.
An authentic, vulnerable and witty novel that hits some very important topics in such a thought provoking way. Zoe learns how navigate through life with the support of her family, friends and colleagues. While beautifully conveying that not all autistic people classify themselves as disabled, while others do. As a society we need to do a better job at breaking the stigma associated with having a disability.
I loved this book, it’s one you’ll finish in a sitting then hug when your done. Thank you for sharing Zoe with the world, congratulations on yet another powerful #loveozya novel.
October 3, 2021
A truely delightful YA rom-com, I loved this book from start to finish. Our charming heroine Zoe, an autistic teenager trying to find her place in the world, romantically and professionally, and the supporting cast of characters in this novel will have you devouring this read in great gulps. Sweet and honest, while also not shying away from some hard truths about disability in media, this is a wonderful book that anyone can enjoy. One for high school libraries for sure!
[Copy received for review]
[Copy received for review]
March 27, 2022
This book had the misfortune to be read when I wanted to be reading something else. Nothing personal, I just wanted to binge a series and this had the audacity to be due back at the library first. But it was great! Do not regret reading this at all.
Zoe publishes an article about how nobody had a crush on her in high school, and is surprised by the comments. Five people claim they did. So she writes follow up articles after a 'date' with each of them. Which sounds easy, but Zoe has autism and social anxiety, so everything becomes harder than it seems.
I felt for Zoe in this. She was putting way too much of herself into everything, and the burnout was slowly building. I was glad she had a support team behind her, but she did give me second-hand stress. The articles she wrote though... they were pretty average. For something that was supposed to be attention grabbing, driving up traffic to the website and gaining so much attention, they were a bit.. nothing.
This book hits on so many important things though, and through Zoe it doesn't feel like being preached at or hammered down your throat. It was a perfect balance of awareness and highlighting everyday things so many people take for granted or just never notice.
Zoe publishes an article about how nobody had a crush on her in high school, and is surprised by the comments. Five people claim they did. So she writes follow up articles after a 'date' with each of them. Which sounds easy, but Zoe has autism and social anxiety, so everything becomes harder than it seems.
I felt for Zoe in this. She was putting way too much of herself into everything, and the burnout was slowly building. I was glad she had a support team behind her, but she did give me second-hand stress. The articles she wrote though... they were pretty average. For something that was supposed to be attention grabbing, driving up traffic to the website and gaining so much attention, they were a bit.. nothing.
This book hits on so many important things though, and through Zoe it doesn't feel like being preached at or hammered down your throat. It was a perfect balance of awareness and highlighting everyday things so many people take for granted or just never notice.
November 24, 2025
M'ha semblat tan i tan cuqui. No sabia ben bé que esperar d'aquest llibre, perquè tot i que havia llegit la sinopsis no tenia clar per on aniria la cosa. I m'ha sorprès de bon grat.
M'hi veig molt reflectida en la Zoe. Jo també vaig patir bullying al institut i ara com adulta hi ha certes situacions en les que veig com em va afectar realment i com m'ha condicionat com a persona. A més, que m'encantaria poder fer veure a totes aquelles persones que em van tractar malament com de bé m'ha anat la vida en realitat i que soc una persona DPM (no gràcies a ells, però malgrat ells).
En fi, que m'ha encantat i l'únic motiu pel qual li dono quatre estrelles i no cinc es perquè m'hagués agradat que fos més llarg i aprofundir en certs aspectes del llibre.
M'hi veig molt reflectida en la Zoe. Jo també vaig patir bullying al institut i ara com adulta hi ha certes situacions en les que veig com em va afectar realment i com m'ha condicionat com a persona. A més, que m'encantaria poder fer veure a totes aquelles persones que em van tractar malament com de bé m'ha anat la vida en realitat i que soc una persona DPM (no gràcies a ells, però malgrat ells).
En fi, que m'ha encantat i l'únic motiu pel qual li dono quatre estrelles i no cinc es perquè m'hagués agradat que fos més llarg i aprofundir en certs aspectes del llibre.
February 5, 2022
i honestly really related to the way zoe felt sometimes when struggling with social anxiety and i think that made me love her and this book a lot more. i really enjoyed her growth and how the times when she was questioning her life were written quite poetically. zoe and gabe were so cute together and i knew they were gonna end up together right from reading their first interaction (although at times i thought i might be wrong as it took a long time to get there). overall, i really loved the autistic representation and the fact that this book was set in australia and written by an australian author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 4, 2022
5/5 ⭐️
'I am my responsibility, and as long as I treat people with more care and consideration in future, that is all I can do. I don’t owe my life or my time to people just because they have been nice to me, even though that is my usual reaction.' - Zoe, Social queue
'There are so many things about me that make me wonder if they’re actually parts of my personality, or just things I think other people would like to see in me. I have so much anxiety over getting things ‘wrong’.' - Zoe, Social queue
'Confrontation brings tears, and the tears make me boil because they detract from my very real anger.' - Zoe, Social queue
I literally finished this book in two days and let me say: it was good, really good. I have never related more to a main character about the subject: love. This whole book was literally me making notes: ‘me, so me, omg that’s me.’ Me, showing only three quotes in my review, is an understatement. What also made me relate more to the main character was her love for writing (and I’m a media student, so it makes sense). I could also relate to the way she navigate through life (anxiety) as a sensitive person myself.
If it comes to love I am literally the most naive person you will ever meet, which the main character could also relate to. As I mentioned earlier: I previously said that I hated romance in books. But this is what I deemed to be acceptable!
The autism representation in females was top notch. Stereotypically people view autism as their neighbors five year old son’s behavior. Or either their socially awkward genius uncle. You know what I mean. And this is not how autism represents in most cases. Especially not in females. That’s why it’s so important that books like this represent how (especially) young adult females experience autism and everything that comes along with it. Phenomenal!
The only thing that bothered me was non existing time line. Did this story take place in a month? Half a year? Who knows? Some things where predictable (yes even for me) and a bit boring. But it was acceptable because the rest of the story was AMAZING!
This is literally my longest review ever lmao, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME! Lol.
'I am my responsibility, and as long as I treat people with more care and consideration in future, that is all I can do. I don’t owe my life or my time to people just because they have been nice to me, even though that is my usual reaction.' - Zoe, Social queue
'There are so many things about me that make me wonder if they’re actually parts of my personality, or just things I think other people would like to see in me. I have so much anxiety over getting things ‘wrong’.' - Zoe, Social queue
'Confrontation brings tears, and the tears make me boil because they detract from my very real anger.' - Zoe, Social queue
I literally finished this book in two days and let me say: it was good, really good. I have never related more to a main character about the subject: love. This whole book was literally me making notes: ‘me, so me, omg that’s me.’ Me, showing only three quotes in my review, is an understatement. What also made me relate more to the main character was her love for writing (and I’m a media student, so it makes sense). I could also relate to the way she navigate through life (anxiety) as a sensitive person myself.
If it comes to love I am literally the most naive person you will ever meet, which the main character could also relate to. As I mentioned earlier: I previously said that I hated romance in books. But this is what I deemed to be acceptable!
The autism representation in females was top notch. Stereotypically people view autism as their neighbors five year old son’s behavior. Or either their socially awkward genius uncle. You know what I mean. And this is not how autism represents in most cases. Especially not in females. That’s why it’s so important that books like this represent how (especially) young adult females experience autism and everything that comes along with it. Phenomenal!
The only thing that bothered me was non existing time line. Did this story take place in a month? Half a year? Who knows? Some things where predictable (yes even for me) and a bit boring. But it was acceptable because the rest of the story was AMAZING!
This is literally my longest review ever lmao, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME! Lol.
September 23, 2021
This was just such a delight to read, it was honest and insightful, funny and romantic, and utterly captivating!
The premise was so interesting and unique - Zoe, an intern at a small news website, writes about trying online dating as an autistic woman who has never been in a relationship before, and then all of the people who have had crushes on her that she didn't realise reply, and she decides to write about her dates with them.
I loved Zoe's voice, her dialogue and inner monologue was so good! I just want to be friends with her! I really enjoyed reading Zoe’s articles too - her voice felt so authentic and real. I haven’t read a lot of books with autistic characters, but I’ll definitely be looking out for more, especially if they’re own voices, like this one is.
I also really enjoyed the glimpses into the other characters and their relationships with Zoe, especially her family. And Peaches the cat? Perfection.
This was such a wonderful book, I can’t wait to read more from Kay Kerr!
The premise was so interesting and unique - Zoe, an intern at a small news website, writes about trying online dating as an autistic woman who has never been in a relationship before, and then all of the people who have had crushes on her that she didn't realise reply, and she decides to write about her dates with them.
I loved Zoe's voice, her dialogue and inner monologue was so good! I just want to be friends with her! I really enjoyed reading Zoe’s articles too - her voice felt so authentic and real. I haven’t read a lot of books with autistic characters, but I’ll definitely be looking out for more, especially if they’re own voices, like this one is.
I also really enjoyed the glimpses into the other characters and their relationships with Zoe, especially her family. And Peaches the cat? Perfection.
This was such a wonderful book, I can’t wait to read more from Kay Kerr!
November 23, 2023
Overall, I'd say the story is a 4*, but the autism representation was the best I've ever read, so it warrants a bonus star.
My favourite quotes:
"I'm not sure I'm cut out for online dating. My mind flashes forward to the alternative: me in my eighties, an eccentric old spinster with too many cats. It is obvious a man came up with that archetype of a failed woman, because it sounds quite lovely to me."
"Having a shower isn't just having a shower. It's picking out what I'm going to wear, getting undressed, turning the taps, washing my hair, turning off the taps, drying my hair, drying my body, getting dressed and getting ready to leave the house. It's too many steps."
"I check my phone and my heart sinks to see Jake hasn't responded. It's been a full...four minutes. He obviously hates me." (lol)
"They hug in that awkward, one-sided way people who don't really know or like each other do because they feel socially obliged to. It must be tough being neurotypical."
My favourite quotes:
"I'm not sure I'm cut out for online dating. My mind flashes forward to the alternative: me in my eighties, an eccentric old spinster with too many cats. It is obvious a man came up with that archetype of a failed woman, because it sounds quite lovely to me."
"Having a shower isn't just having a shower. It's picking out what I'm going to wear, getting undressed, turning the taps, washing my hair, turning off the taps, drying my hair, drying my body, getting dressed and getting ready to leave the house. It's too many steps."
"I check my phone and my heart sinks to see Jake hasn't responded. It's been a full...four minutes. He obviously hates me." (lol)
"They hug in that awkward, one-sided way people who don't really know or like each other do because they feel socially obliged to. It must be tough being neurotypical."
January 23, 2022
Accalia notes: “Social que is a book about a young autistic girl called Zoe. Zoe has just started her internship at a news and journalist place called bubble. Zoe gets an opportunity to write about her experience as an autistic girl and her high school experiences. As the book progresses we see Zoe explore the world of dating, identity, and reflection on high school life. This story is both humorous as well as heart warming, as Zoe finds her way through the tangle of misunderstood and complicated social queues, ready to find love. However the book is a little boring and cringe making it hard to read because there is no lead up to the end making it not suspenseful or exciting. I would rate this book
⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️”
⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️”
October 2, 2021
About halfway through, I had a bit of a ~*moment*~ realising (not for the first time, but nonetheless profoundly) that the vast, vast majority of books I read are lovely fantasies - The characters' motivations and thought processes and levels of activity are purely fantastical to me. I read a lot of YA, and I love it dearly, but reading Social Queue was reading about someone Like Me TM. #actuallyautistic Zoe and I are extremely different in a whole host and manner of ways, but something about her consciousness was relatable in a way that highlighted for me how UNrelatable everyone else usually is. It was the same feeling when I read Please Don't Hug Me. KAY KERR, THANK YOU.
May 10, 2023
I loved reading this book! Social Queue is such a cute rom-com novel, and was so engaging to read. I loved following along on Zoe's journey and I also learnt a lot about autism and anxiety through her story. I would reccomend this novel to senior-school students.
September 9, 2021
Love love love.
October 12, 2021
4.5! i adored this, the writing, the characters, simply a delight.
September 28, 2021
Thanks to the publisher for sending me a gifted copy, in exchange for an honest review. Please note that Zoe Kelly, the main character, prefers identity-first language so that's what I'll be using.
Social Queue finds Zoe, a young autistic woman, fresh out of high school and immediately thrown into an internship at Bubble, an online news/media company, and a whole new world of dating apps. This inspires her first writing assignment for Bubble; a personal piece on dating as an autistic person, missing the social cues that neurotypical people use, and what it was like to not be the person people ever had crushes on. What surprises her the most when the piece goes live, though, are the comments from people she knows in real life telling her something very different.
Social Queue is the sweet romcom you want it to be, and a neurodivergent and autistic voice that we need to see more of. It's light and lovely and sweet, as well as delving into important topics and issues, such as the (lack of) sensitivity training for police officers dealing with neurodivergent people, trying to educate people that should be educating themselves, and exploring her own sexuality. Zoe is such a genuine character, so open and real, and I wish we could see more like her. She has an incredible support network around her too, from her family and friends to her workplace, which non-autistic and neurotypical people can and should learn from. They're not perfect, but they're trying and constantly willing to learn and accommodate.
I'm not autistic (though I am neurodivergent and have some shared experiences with Zoe) but Kay Kerr is, and it gives such an authenticity and safety to her work. If you need to give your brain and heart a break from everything, this is the perfect book for it, and I can't wait to pick up Kerr's debut Please Don't Hug Me soon!
TW/CWs (may include spoilers): ableism, bullying, excessive force used by police on an autistic person, implied drink spiking almost resuting in sexual assault.
Social Queue finds Zoe, a young autistic woman, fresh out of high school and immediately thrown into an internship at Bubble, an online news/media company, and a whole new world of dating apps. This inspires her first writing assignment for Bubble; a personal piece on dating as an autistic person, missing the social cues that neurotypical people use, and what it was like to not be the person people ever had crushes on. What surprises her the most when the piece goes live, though, are the comments from people she knows in real life telling her something very different.
Social Queue is the sweet romcom you want it to be, and a neurodivergent and autistic voice that we need to see more of. It's light and lovely and sweet, as well as delving into important topics and issues, such as the (lack of) sensitivity training for police officers dealing with neurodivergent people, trying to educate people that should be educating themselves, and exploring her own sexuality. Zoe is such a genuine character, so open and real, and I wish we could see more like her. She has an incredible support network around her too, from her family and friends to her workplace, which non-autistic and neurotypical people can and should learn from. They're not perfect, but they're trying and constantly willing to learn and accommodate.
I'm not autistic (though I am neurodivergent and have some shared experiences with Zoe) but Kay Kerr is, and it gives such an authenticity and safety to her work. If you need to give your brain and heart a break from everything, this is the perfect book for it, and I can't wait to pick up Kerr's debut Please Don't Hug Me soon!
TW/CWs (may include spoilers): ableism, bullying, excessive force used by police on an autistic person, implied drink spiking almost resuting in sexual assault.
September 26, 2021
I was lucky enough to read Social Queue as a manuscript when I performed a sensitivity reading, but I am absolutely in love with the final book! It’s a long time since I’ve read a book in a day, but I couldn’t put it down
Read
January 25, 2022Being a YA novel, Kay Kerr's latest release was ripped out of my hands the moment it arrived in my postbox, with my tween daughter devouring Social Queue and proclaiming it ‘amazing’ before I’d even got a look in! The novel follows 18-year-old writer Zoe Kelly as she embarks on an internship with an online media company. Just like I did, readers will find themselves cheering for Zoe as she writes about her search for romance. Told from a first-person perspective, the story gives a sharp and sometimes confronting insight into autism. Told with plenty of heart and humour, Social Queue was released late last year with Text Publishing.
Kay Kerr is a former journalist and community newspaper editor from Brisbane, now living on the Sunshine Coast with her husband and daughter and working as a freelance writer. Kay was writing Please Don’t Hug Me, her debut novel, when she received her own autism-spectrum diagnosis. Full author interview at https://www.mayalinnell.com/post/kay-...
Thanks to Text Publishing for the review copy.
Kay Kerr is a former journalist and community newspaper editor from Brisbane, now living on the Sunshine Coast with her husband and daughter and working as a freelance writer. Kay was writing Please Don’t Hug Me, her debut novel, when she received her own autism-spectrum diagnosis. Full author interview at https://www.mayalinnell.com/post/kay-...
Thanks to Text Publishing for the review copy.
October 6, 2021
Why I read it: I was provided with a review copy by the publisher. The book is currently only available in/from Australia and New Zealand.
What worked for me (and what didn’t): I don’t read a lot of YA – let’s face it, I’m in it for the romance. Zoe is 18 and so technically an adult but the book is very much a YA, not least because while there is a romance with a hopeful HFN ending, the main story is of Zoe’s own self-discovery and coming of age.
In her first year of university studying journalism, she wins one of three coveted four-week internships at “Bubble” an online media outlet which seemed something like a small Buzzfeed, based in her hometown of Brisbane. She’s also recently dipped her toe into the murky waters of online dating (something I have no experience with because I’m old and married) and it hasn’t gone so well. So she pitches an article for Bubble about her experiences as an autistic young woman navigating the apps. After the first article goes live, there are a five comments which seem to indicate that she’d missed prior signs from people she’d gone to school or worked a part time job with and that spurs a series where Zoe gets in contact with each of the five to find out what she missed and see if there’s a spark of something now.
Romance readers will not be surprised by who the eventual HFN is with but I will not name names here.
Zoe’s autism is front and centre in the book. At times it is somewhat didactic as she coaches one of her colleagues to stop using ableist language in her articles – this didn’t bother me at all as it fit the story and was presented more about how Zoe felt about it than as a lesson, but mostly it is about her own experience of the world. Zoe sometimes struggles to read social queues, prefers the feel of certain fabrics on her skin and hates the feel of others, has coordination and balance issues and needs a lot of quiet/alone time to recharge after the kinds of mental effort needed to put herself forward at Bubble and interact in some challenging circumstances. She can be easily overwhelmed at times and will shut down. She’s also smart, creative and ambitious. Sometimes those things don’t quite go together very well but Zoe finds a way to make it work for her.
Read the rest: https://www.kaetrinsmusings.com/2021/...
What worked for me (and what didn’t): I don’t read a lot of YA – let’s face it, I’m in it for the romance. Zoe is 18 and so technically an adult but the book is very much a YA, not least because while there is a romance with a hopeful HFN ending, the main story is of Zoe’s own self-discovery and coming of age.
In her first year of university studying journalism, she wins one of three coveted four-week internships at “Bubble” an online media outlet which seemed something like a small Buzzfeed, based in her hometown of Brisbane. She’s also recently dipped her toe into the murky waters of online dating (something I have no experience with because I’m old and married) and it hasn’t gone so well. So she pitches an article for Bubble about her experiences as an autistic young woman navigating the apps. After the first article goes live, there are a five comments which seem to indicate that she’d missed prior signs from people she’d gone to school or worked a part time job with and that spurs a series where Zoe gets in contact with each of the five to find out what she missed and see if there’s a spark of something now.
Romance readers will not be surprised by who the eventual HFN is with but I will not name names here.
Zoe’s autism is front and centre in the book. At times it is somewhat didactic as she coaches one of her colleagues to stop using ableist language in her articles – this didn’t bother me at all as it fit the story and was presented more about how Zoe felt about it than as a lesson, but mostly it is about her own experience of the world. Zoe sometimes struggles to read social queues, prefers the feel of certain fabrics on her skin and hates the feel of others, has coordination and balance issues and needs a lot of quiet/alone time to recharge after the kinds of mental effort needed to put herself forward at Bubble and interact in some challenging circumstances. She can be easily overwhelmed at times and will shut down. She’s also smart, creative and ambitious. Sometimes those things don’t quite go together very well but Zoe finds a way to make it work for her.
Read the rest: https://www.kaetrinsmusings.com/2021/...
October 17, 2021
Australian YA #LoveOZYA is just killing it at the moment! Social Queue was a wonderful read, and the discussions about disability throughout were excellent. So impressed! Between this and Poppy Nwosu I am so dang proud of the Aus YA out right now.
Zoe is doing an internship for an online info-tainment site after finishing high school. She is autistic, and is feeling fatigued from all the masking and energy spent in her last year at school. She writes an article about dating, and suddenly 5 people come out and say they had crushes on her at school. She goes on a journey to meet with them to figure out how she missed the signs.
Things I liked:
- Zoe’s voice and her description of her experiences with autism are amazing. I felt Zoe’s fatigue with her, I could get right into her head. So good. And she does not accept BS ableist talk. I loved it
- Zoe ends up providing some editorial “coaching” on writing about disability - and the way this was done was informative, educational. Cleverly done by the author!
- You get a gut feel about the romance from the start, but it was still so cute to explore it and go on Zoe’s journey
- As someone who was bullied in school, the section where she faces a bully was really powerful and meant a lot to me
Things I didn’t like:
- I think I wanted more interactions between the romantic leads after they figured it out
- It was over too soon! I felt like I could have kept reading and reading
In short: Excellent! As always, I wanted more of the romance, but it was still a wonderful reading experience
Zoe is doing an internship for an online info-tainment site after finishing high school. She is autistic, and is feeling fatigued from all the masking and energy spent in her last year at school. She writes an article about dating, and suddenly 5 people come out and say they had crushes on her at school. She goes on a journey to meet with them to figure out how she missed the signs.
Things I liked:
- Zoe’s voice and her description of her experiences with autism are amazing. I felt Zoe’s fatigue with her, I could get right into her head. So good. And she does not accept BS ableist talk. I loved it
- Zoe ends up providing some editorial “coaching” on writing about disability - and the way this was done was informative, educational. Cleverly done by the author!
- You get a gut feel about the romance from the start, but it was still so cute to explore it and go on Zoe’s journey
- As someone who was bullied in school, the section where she faces a bully was really powerful and meant a lot to me
Things I didn’t like:
- I think I wanted more interactions between the romantic leads after they figured it out
- It was over too soon! I felt like I could have kept reading and reading
In short: Excellent! As always, I wanted more of the romance, but it was still a wonderful reading experience
July 12, 2023
protagonist who is supposedly (!) 18 or so years old reads as a 50 year old woman who hasn’t used any technology past 2010. 18 years olds in the year 2021 are not using obscure blogs to flirt lets please be real. Author tases an autistic character for no particular reason except for making the protagonist really sad. The main character is supposedly autistic but the only evidence for this is her stating it over and over and over- none of her behaviours read as autistic, only as boring and excessively spoilt.
There was no character development of any character, main or side. There was no plot, except for the fact that 5 seemingly random people are madly in love with the main character- for what reason, I don’t know. Most of them don’t get more than 3 lines of dialogue. You can tell who she will end up with from about 15% of the way in.
If I had to chose a favourite character, it would probably be Ari or Harriet. The two are indistinguishable in character as they both exist solely to be an under-appreciated emotional crutch for the main character, but they at least seem capable of the slightest amount of joy, which is more than I can say for the rest of the cast. I also like the taxi driver who drove away without them in the last quarter of the book, as that’s also the action I would have taken.
It’s not an AWFUL book. A lot of people seem to enjoy it and it seems like I was one of the rare few who didn’t.
There was no character development of any character, main or side. There was no plot, except for the fact that 5 seemingly random people are madly in love with the main character- for what reason, I don’t know. Most of them don’t get more than 3 lines of dialogue. You can tell who she will end up with from about 15% of the way in.
If I had to chose a favourite character, it would probably be Ari or Harriet. The two are indistinguishable in character as they both exist solely to be an under-appreciated emotional crutch for the main character, but they at least seem capable of the slightest amount of joy, which is more than I can say for the rest of the cast. I also like the taxi driver who drove away without them in the last quarter of the book, as that’s also the action I would have taken.
It’s not an AWFUL book. A lot of people seem to enjoy it and it seems like I was one of the rare few who didn’t.
October 31, 2021
Trigger warnings: autistic meltdown, police brutality, bullying, ableism, toxic masculinity.
I loved Please Don't Hug Me so I was very excited to read this. I was also looking forward to this one because, like, it's definitely YA but it's YA that's set at university. It's also an autistic character by an autistic author discussing the difficulties of masking in public and at school and work.
I really enjoyed Zoe's experiences trying to push herself out of her comfort zone now that she's left school, and the discussion of how exhausting she found it to have to correct her colleague's writing around disability terminology was fantastic.
Part of me almost feels like this would have worked slightly better for me if it had featured a character in her early 20s (like, 23, 24) muddling her way through her first full time job rather than an 18 year old juggling uni and an internship. Because for all the discussion of university, we never actually SEE Zoe going to class or working on assignments or anything. The whole story focuses instead on her internship.
This is a pretty minor thing, tbh, but yeah. IDK. I liked it a lot! And I liked the Brisbane setting. But I was left with the lingering feeling that not enough time had passed since high school for me to buy some of this? IDK IDK.
I loved Please Don't Hug Me so I was very excited to read this. I was also looking forward to this one because, like, it's definitely YA but it's YA that's set at university. It's also an autistic character by an autistic author discussing the difficulties of masking in public and at school and work.
I really enjoyed Zoe's experiences trying to push herself out of her comfort zone now that she's left school, and the discussion of how exhausting she found it to have to correct her colleague's writing around disability terminology was fantastic.
Part of me almost feels like this would have worked slightly better for me if it had featured a character in her early 20s (like, 23, 24) muddling her way through her first full time job rather than an 18 year old juggling uni and an internship. Because for all the discussion of university, we never actually SEE Zoe going to class or working on assignments or anything. The whole story focuses instead on her internship.
This is a pretty minor thing, tbh, but yeah. IDK. I liked it a lot! And I liked the Brisbane setting. But I was left with the lingering feeling that not enough time had passed since high school for me to buy some of this? IDK IDK.
November 10, 2021
"There are so many things about me that make me wonder if they're actually parts of my personality, or just things I think other people would like to see in me. I have so much anxiety over getting things 'wrong'. All in the quest to blend in."
If you love a good YA contemporary romance book that'll also make you sit up and think, then add. this. to. your. TBR.
I adored this book - its was a bookclub pick for work, and I am SO glad that the other contender ended up falling through because of stock issues (even though it was my preference), because THIS BOOK WAS SO MUCH BETTER!
It's soft, and hard hitting at the same time. It's cute and confronting simultaneously. It's relatable, insightful, funny, heartwarming, and just a joy.
The conclusion was a tad fast, but it works nonetheless and it is so adorable to watch unfold. My heart is FULL.
5 stars
If you love a good YA contemporary romance book that'll also make you sit up and think, then add. this. to. your. TBR.
I adored this book - its was a bookclub pick for work, and I am SO glad that the other contender ended up falling through because of stock issues (even though it was my preference), because THIS BOOK WAS SO MUCH BETTER!
It's soft, and hard hitting at the same time. It's cute and confronting simultaneously. It's relatable, insightful, funny, heartwarming, and just a joy.
The conclusion was a tad fast, but it works nonetheless and it is so adorable to watch unfold. My heart is FULL.
5 stars
August 29, 2023
Okay not the best YA i've ever read- I sort of felt something was missing, but maybe that's because the plot was so explicit from the beginning-- perhaps that was the point ? Maybe closer to a 2 and a half :( loved the rep and having a book that fell outside of high school though :)
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