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Afrotistic
'Engaging and empathetic story for adolescents everywhere'
-The Oxford Business Review
Noa Ohunene Jenkins doesn't feel Black enough. Or autistic enough. Or cool enough.
In her new town, the fifteen-year-old strives to make Dean's Merit Society, an elite honor society that she sees as her ticket to success. To make the society, she needs leadership experience, but there's one Noa struggles to socialize appropriately.
Desperate to make it in the society, she creates her own group consisting of autistic students from her school district and names it the "Roaring Pebbles".
With the assistance of the Roaring Pebbles, a robot toy invention, her nonspeaking brother, and a bit of classical Mozart along the way, Noa clings to her chance to make the society. And to one day, finally feel enough.
-The Oxford Business Review
Noa Ohunene Jenkins doesn't feel Black enough. Or autistic enough. Or cool enough.
In her new town, the fifteen-year-old strives to make Dean's Merit Society, an elite honor society that she sees as her ticket to success. To make the society, she needs leadership experience, but there's one Noa struggles to socialize appropriately.
Desperate to make it in the society, she creates her own group consisting of autistic students from her school district and names it the "Roaring Pebbles".
With the assistance of the Roaring Pebbles, a robot toy invention, her nonspeaking brother, and a bit of classical Mozart along the way, Noa clings to her chance to make the society. And to one day, finally feel enough.
252 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 2, 2022
17 people are currently reading
1157 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
March 19, 2022
I am so honoured that I got to be a part of this book while Kala was still writing it. From my first time reading it, this book made me cry both happy and sad tears, and then to see it become even more incredible was truly an amazing experience to be a part of. When I was younger, I never read any books with characters who were like me, and to have a book about a female autistic character written by an #actuallyautistic author was the first time I ever felt truly seen. Everyone in the world just read this book whether they are neurodivergent or neurotypical because this book has the capability to change the world. Thank you Kala for letting me be a part of your writing journey.
April 16, 2022
Many thanks to the author for an ARC of this book!
Afrotistic is a nuanced and moving story centred around the complex, lovable, unique and inspirational lead character, Noa. The novel delicately, and with touches of humour, explores how race, gender and disability intersect in the life of this special autistic black teen girl.
Through each chapter we journey with Noa, as she navigates life in a new high school, judgment from teachers, awkward social moments with peers and are ultimately left inspired by her determination to be seen as her total and true self; not solely ‘black’, ‘autistic’ or ‘othered’.
Using the power of her lived experience, artificial intelligence and YouTube, Noa creates a movement to show all proudly socially awkward, neurodiverse black teens know that they are not alone. Through her writing, debut author Kala expertly conveys these sensitive issues in a way that is easy to follow, funny and moving!
Afrotistic is a nuanced and moving story centred around the complex, lovable, unique and inspirational lead character, Noa. The novel delicately, and with touches of humour, explores how race, gender and disability intersect in the life of this special autistic black teen girl.
Through each chapter we journey with Noa, as she navigates life in a new high school, judgment from teachers, awkward social moments with peers and are ultimately left inspired by her determination to be seen as her total and true self; not solely ‘black’, ‘autistic’ or ‘othered’.
Using the power of her lived experience, artificial intelligence and YouTube, Noa creates a movement to show all proudly socially awkward, neurodiverse black teens know that they are not alone. Through her writing, debut author Kala expertly conveys these sensitive issues in a way that is easy to follow, funny and moving!
July 18, 2022
I love love this book!! It is a heartwarming story that follows the life of Noa Jenkins, a black autistic teenage girl, as she navigates coming of age and life as a high schooler. I love when voices as marginalized as Noa’s, are spotlighted the way the author did. I learned a lot about autism as a subject and the lives of people living with autism and other neurodiverse conditions like ADHD. I’m glad to have read this.
May 22, 2023
This was such a great read!! I ended the book with tears and a big smile. There's so much to this story that shows the depth, diversity, and relatability of autism. It's also clear that this was written by an autistic woman. Kala Allen Omeiza is a wonderful writer and included such nuanced pieces that validate the experiences of autistic teens, and especially Black autistic/Afrotistic girls! Highly recommend for readers, young and less young! :)
November 30, 2022
A book about a Black autistic girl written by a Black autistic woman. It's a story where everything ends up going well, including how the conflict and resolution of conflict is handled. It's a vision of inclusivity and hope.
April 2, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed this book - it's fascinating to get such an honest and witty look inside Noa's head as she navigates all the challenges she faces. It's realistic to see how keenly she feels her insecurities, and wonderful to see how she battles them throughout the novel. It's inspiring to see how step by step she mobilises the people around her to create something truly great.
Noa taught me a lot; especially about living with autism, something that I didn't know very much about. One of the best things about this book is the way it emphasises and demonstrates that no two autistic people are the same, and the representation in this story of different autistic people is abundant; this a book to teach young people about the actual reality!
Throughout the novel while reading I was highlighting lines that were especially meaningful and poignant to me - the amount of heartfelt yet subtle one liners was great, and it felt with each one as though things were falling into place. It felt throughout the book as though everything was becoming how it was meant to be for Noa.
The book is so intensely introspective and you feel Noa's perspective so keenly that when we get to see through the point of view of another character, it's very refreshing and feels significant to see Noa through another's eyes. This is a really effective technique that really helps us see Noa as she really is.
The writing sparkles; Noa is a great protagonist and she's very likeable. The prose is witty, keeping you engaged, and wanting more. It's easy to read, and it's never boring.
It's wonderful to watch Noa blossom, and she inspired me to try and accomplish the same in my own life, in my own circumstances, and with the people around me. I'm trying to think of other young people in my life whom I could give a copy of this book to!
Thank you Kala!
Noa taught me a lot; especially about living with autism, something that I didn't know very much about. One of the best things about this book is the way it emphasises and demonstrates that no two autistic people are the same, and the representation in this story of different autistic people is abundant; this a book to teach young people about the actual reality!
Throughout the novel while reading I was highlighting lines that were especially meaningful and poignant to me - the amount of heartfelt yet subtle one liners was great, and it felt with each one as though things were falling into place. It felt throughout the book as though everything was becoming how it was meant to be for Noa.
The book is so intensely introspective and you feel Noa's perspective so keenly that when we get to see through the point of view of another character, it's very refreshing and feels significant to see Noa through another's eyes. This is a really effective technique that really helps us see Noa as she really is.
The writing sparkles; Noa is a great protagonist and she's very likeable. The prose is witty, keeping you engaged, and wanting more. It's easy to read, and it's never boring.
It's wonderful to watch Noa blossom, and she inspired me to try and accomplish the same in my own life, in my own circumstances, and with the people around me. I'm trying to think of other young people in my life whom I could give a copy of this book to!
Thank you Kala!
August 10, 2024
3.75 stars! I was hesitant about the first half of this book. I think the writing style will turn a lot of people off: it’s often simplistic(sometimes overly so), and has a ton of run-on sentences, especially when talking about Noa’s aiSenses. At least with the latter thing, I could excuse it because it very much sounded like autistic ramblings, which is in character for Noa. (Her special interest is clearly AI tech/toys.) But other than that, a couple of character introductions were really awkward to read, and some of the messaging was ramble-y or preachy.
But once I got past that, I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would? The Roaring Pebbles group showcased a lot of different kinds of autism, while also managing to highlight the different kinds of intersectional identities autistic kids might have, and keeping distinctive voices for all the group members. One of these methods of doing so was through showcased essays made by the members, some of which remaining anonymous and others not. That’s a lot more interesting than it sounds, I promise!: each essay followed a different (but still related) topic, they were never very long, and it was pretty obvious from the kinds of writing that each kid had a different grasp on their emotions, different upbringings, etc.
Of course, the novel still stays focused on our protagonist, Noa. I liked how her different cultures and intersections were talked about in relation to her autism! Also, because some of the quirks of the writing style actually worked in favor of showing the mindset of an autistic character(see: the rambling, but also some of it was pretty direct?), it felt like you were inside her thoughts for a lot of the book. That counts for both her passions and her most stressful moments. (And sidenote: I really liked how when she heard something ableist, even if it was from another neurodivergent person, she didn’t even attempt to laugh at it and stayed straight-faced lol.) And overall I found her to be a lovable protagonist. Her letters to B when he was in the depression trenches made me tear up.
But seriously though, I loved the group: The different parts of the autism spectrum on full display, how there was just enough time shown for each meeting to make the group’s different goals obvious and their development as a friend group a little more real, and also, there was room for typical teenage shenanigans! There was a kind of stupid love triangle with one of the side characters! Some of the kids are working through their own issues of if they want to stay in their own city or figure out a way to get outside it! I love that for neurodivergent, specifically autistic, protagonists, because of how frequently autistic people can be infantilized.
(It’s also worth noting that there were a couple of awkward moments or conflicts with the Roaring Pebbles. Not anything that wasn’t resolved, though.)
Closing thoughts: 1) I can’t quite grasp the aiSenses. I have tried to. I think the picture book subplot helped me understand them better but I am still confused? 2) Yes, the ending was wish-fulfillment. And yes, it happened pretty quickly. I care a bit about that, especially because Noa could be a liiittle cringe, but overall, this was an optimistic book I was glad to read.
God I would’ve loved to have a group like the Pebbles at my highschool lol
*********
pre-review:
Noa I love love your ambition but u cannot cure racism even in just two concentrated populations of people lol
But once I got past that, I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would? The Roaring Pebbles group showcased a lot of different kinds of autism, while also managing to highlight the different kinds of intersectional identities autistic kids might have, and keeping distinctive voices for all the group members. One of these methods of doing so was through showcased essays made by the members, some of which remaining anonymous and others not. That’s a lot more interesting than it sounds, I promise!: each essay followed a different (but still related) topic, they were never very long, and it was pretty obvious from the kinds of writing that each kid had a different grasp on their emotions, different upbringings, etc.
Of course, the novel still stays focused on our protagonist, Noa. I liked how her different cultures and intersections were talked about in relation to her autism! Also, because some of the quirks of the writing style actually worked in favor of showing the mindset of an autistic character(see: the rambling, but also some of it was pretty direct?), it felt like you were inside her thoughts for a lot of the book. That counts for both her passions and her most stressful moments. (And sidenote: I really liked how when she heard something ableist, even if it was from another neurodivergent person, she didn’t even attempt to laugh at it and stayed straight-faced lol.) And overall I found her to be a lovable protagonist. Her letters to B when he was in the depression trenches made me tear up.
But seriously though, I loved the group: The different parts of the autism spectrum on full display, how there was just enough time shown for each meeting to make the group’s different goals obvious and their development as a friend group a little more real, and also, there was room for typical teenage shenanigans! There was a kind of stupid love triangle with one of the side characters! Some of the kids are working through their own issues of if they want to stay in their own city or figure out a way to get outside it! I love that for neurodivergent, specifically autistic, protagonists, because of how frequently autistic people can be infantilized.
(It’s also worth noting that there were a couple of awkward moments or conflicts with the Roaring Pebbles. Not anything that wasn’t resolved, though.)
Closing thoughts: 1) I can’t quite grasp the aiSenses. I have tried to. I think the picture book subplot helped me understand them better but I am still confused? 2) Yes, the ending was wish-fulfillment. And yes, it happened pretty quickly. I care a bit about that, especially because Noa could be a liiittle cringe, but overall, this was an optimistic book I was glad to read.
God I would’ve loved to have a group like the Pebbles at my highschool lol
*********
pre-review:
Noa I love love your ambition but u cannot cure racism even in just two concentrated populations of people lol
April 27, 2022
This was a refreshing read about a teenager (Noa Jenkins) with the typical struggles: making friends, doing well in school, and contemplating hairstyles. She also happens to be on the autism spectrum. Kala Allen Omeiza does an incredible job of weaving in the reality of sensory sensitivities and social anxiety that so often accompany those on the spectrum into the fabric of Noa's life as a neurotypical presenting young woman.
What is truly admirable about this novel is that it never shies away from the fact that Noa has to navigate life in the intersection of being African-American, female, autistic, and young. And she does so with grace and dignity while staying true to her individual, specific needs and desires. This is not a small feat, yet it's one that happens every day in this society that goes largely unnoticed by the general public. Noa strives to change that in her world as she seeks to bring a broader light to those on the spectrum. One way she does this is to form a group in her school called the Roaring Pebbles, which is created for students on the spectrum to have community and build relationships. It's a much needed concept which I personally hope will take root outside of this book.
This well written novel is an important piece of literature on so many levels, particularly in giving a voice to a protagonist who deserves to be heard. Hopefully, we will hear more about Noa and her endeavors in future works from Ms. Omeiza.
What is truly admirable about this novel is that it never shies away from the fact that Noa has to navigate life in the intersection of being African-American, female, autistic, and young. And she does so with grace and dignity while staying true to her individual, specific needs and desires. This is not a small feat, yet it's one that happens every day in this society that goes largely unnoticed by the general public. Noa strives to change that in her world as she seeks to bring a broader light to those on the spectrum. One way she does this is to form a group in her school called the Roaring Pebbles, which is created for students on the spectrum to have community and build relationships. It's a much needed concept which I personally hope will take root outside of this book.
This well written novel is an important piece of literature on so many levels, particularly in giving a voice to a protagonist who deserves to be heard. Hopefully, we will hear more about Noa and her endeavors in future works from Ms. Omeiza.
April 3, 2023
This book was AMAZING! I love how much the author explored Noa’s identity as a Black autistic woman. There was wonderful representation of the diversity of autistic experiences across characters, and I really appreciate how the author made each person’s needs clear in a nonjudgmental way. Great read, especially for autism acceptance month!
July 23, 2022
Thanks to the author for my copy! Afrotistic was a lovely read and it definitely helped shed some light on what members of the autistic community go through. I loved the friendships and various personalities that were developed throughout the book as well.
July 3, 2023
We need more books like this.
The plot itself drew me in because the main character had a goal and was determined to succeed. What was even better was seeing so many teen characters come together to achieve goals and build meaningful connections while finding a place to belong.
The plot itself drew me in because the main character had a goal and was determined to succeed. What was even better was seeing so many teen characters come together to achieve goals and build meaningful connections while finding a place to belong.
April 17, 2023
magnificent
While we are in the midst of Autism Acceptance month I did some digging. I wanted to intentionally seek out books by Black Autistic women, because I believe it’s so unbelievably important to get perspective of arguably the most underrepresented folx on the spectrum. As sweet Noa mentions, diagnostic criteria simply does not take into account symptoms noticed in cultures other than that of middle class white boys.
This book was magnificent— it showcased a multitude of different presentations of Autism in children, teens, and adults. It showcased a multitude of support needs, it challenges internalized ableism took us through the lens of hyperfocus on specific goals, special interests galore, and even dove into feeling like the “weird girl” first instead of feeling like a Black girl. Noa and the Pebbles were all such well written, wonderful, touching characters. It was. So truly incredible and I cannot recommend it enough 🥺
While we are in the midst of Autism Acceptance month I did some digging. I wanted to intentionally seek out books by Black Autistic women, because I believe it’s so unbelievably important to get perspective of arguably the most underrepresented folx on the spectrum. As sweet Noa mentions, diagnostic criteria simply does not take into account symptoms noticed in cultures other than that of middle class white boys.
This book was magnificent— it showcased a multitude of different presentations of Autism in children, teens, and adults. It showcased a multitude of support needs, it challenges internalized ableism took us through the lens of hyperfocus on specific goals, special interests galore, and even dove into feeling like the “weird girl” first instead of feeling like a Black girl. Noa and the Pebbles were all such well written, wonderful, touching characters. It was. So truly incredible and I cannot recommend it enough 🥺
April 24, 2023
Thank you
Thank you to the author for her vulnerability and allowing others insight on autism. I believe this should be a recommended read for all.
Thank you to the author for her vulnerability and allowing others insight on autism. I believe this should be a recommended read for all.
March 5, 2024
I love how this book shows a variety of autistic characters with different experiences
April 24, 2024
Also my Amazon review <3 this was so so good:
This book needs to be in the hands of everyone, everywhere (especially in middle school & high school classroom shelves for independent reading & beyond). A rare 5* book review from me (and also a pretty rare Amazon product review rating in general!)
This book needs to be in the hands of everyone, everywhere (especially in middle school & high school classroom shelves for independent reading & beyond). A rare 5* book review from me (and also a pretty rare Amazon product review rating in general!)
March 17, 2022
I'll tell you one thing for free: this book is amazing and filled with gems!
15-year old Noa will take you through her journey without letting you miss the book's main points.
It highlights the main issues that teenagers face and how society responds to them. I haven't read a book that demystified autism, body image, AI, and other social and mental concepts like this one — language use is also quite easy to understand.
I think more young people need to read this because it shows that anything is possible. Parents with no idea how to help their teenage children will also benefit from the lessons in this book, The Noa that we met on the first page of the book grew immensely and became a better version of herself on the last page, and this was exciting to see.
I'm looking forward to more books from Kala Allen Omeiza.
15-year old Noa will take you through her journey without letting you miss the book's main points.
It highlights the main issues that teenagers face and how society responds to them. I haven't read a book that demystified autism, body image, AI, and other social and mental concepts like this one — language use is also quite easy to understand.
I think more young people need to read this because it shows that anything is possible. Parents with no idea how to help their teenage children will also benefit from the lessons in this book, The Noa that we met on the first page of the book grew immensely and became a better version of herself on the last page, and this was exciting to see.
I'm looking forward to more books from Kala Allen Omeiza.
August 17, 2022
Afrotistic is my 45th read of the year. This book was recommended by BookedwithAmba. She has pretty good recommendations except which took me off my game for while. I had PTSD from that book. Struck down but not destroyed decided to pick up this one .
Afrotistic is centered on Noa a neurodivergent black girl diagnosed of autism who dreaded the life in a new school and how she will never fit in.
I love how the author carefully but magnificently spotlighted the concept of neurodiversity and it’s interplay with neurotypicals.
I had to confirm a number of times if this book was actually a novel or a memoir because The Author did an excellent job on the subject matter.
Ratings : 5/5
Afrotistic is centered on Noa a neurodivergent black girl diagnosed of autism who dreaded the life in a new school and how she will never fit in.
I love how the author carefully but magnificently spotlighted the concept of neurodiversity and it’s interplay with neurotypicals.
I had to confirm a number of times if this book was actually a novel or a memoir because The Author did an excellent job on the subject matter.
Ratings : 5/5
April 9, 2022
A fresh take on a coming of age story and a celebration of finding ones unique identity.
Throughout this book, we follow main character Noa on her quest to make Dean’s Merit Society. Along they way, she discovers the power of friendship and community, and most importantly, her inner strength and voice.
Throughout this book, we follow main character Noa on her quest to make Dean’s Merit Society. Along they way, she discovers the power of friendship and community, and most importantly, her inner strength and voice.
June 26, 2022
This book educates while it entertains as we see how Now navigates a new high school, autism and adolescence. What a great way to talk about kids that have so many differences coming together and overcoming challenges. As an adult, I cried at the end. Would recommend for the YA crowd but also adults. We need more books that tell the stories of all different types of people.
September 14, 2022
I love the blend of different cultures in the novel and the way the writer discussed sensitive social issues in a humorous manner.
This novel is a wonderful work from an intelligent and talented writer .
This novel is a wonderful work from an intelligent and talented writer .
May 2, 2024
Such an amazing novel! Reading the way Noa progressed from the start of the book to the end was so awe inspiring! I loved all of the characters and the diversity amongst all of them!
A must-read for all!!
A must-read for all!!
March 17, 2022
I like how the author carefully touched on such sensitive topics as race, disability with a great sense of humour. Highly recommend!
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March 23, 2022My favourite part of this book is how it is easy to follow. Noa's story is unique, but at the same time, it is a simple story and journey to embark on. This is a great read.
July 1, 2023
We need more books like this.
July 12, 2024
3.5 stars. I really liked this book, but maybe the fact that it was YA was getting to me? I think Noa's voice is strong, I think that autism was very well-represented - including in contradicting ways, since autism can manifest so differently in different people! I think it was a really good exploration of it, as well as the intersectionality of neurodivergency and race. It's definitely a worthwhile read for that alone, I believe, and it's not very long.
That being said, I think the plot is where it lacks. The ending is very abrupt, and while I liked the emotion of it, it kind of came out of nowhere, and there was little to move the plot along. I wish there had been more to it in that regard, but I did love this book!!
That being said, I think the plot is where it lacks. The ending is very abrupt, and while I liked the emotion of it, it kind of came out of nowhere, and there was little to move the plot along. I wish there had been more to it in that regard, but I did love this book!!
August 5, 2025
This book is an important own voice story. While I appreciate the story and the need for Black autistic women to tell their own story, this book was not for me. First of all, the fact that it is a Christian book really threw me. If it had said anywhere (on the back of the book or here on GoodReads) that it is a Christian book, I would neither have purchased nor read it. "The only real happiness is in Christ," (pg 70). I almost stopped reading. I don't want to read a Christian book, I am not interested in Christian books. It comes up quite a few more times and each time, I considered giving up. Other than that, lots of times things didn't make sense to me. Chapter Thirty-Five felt like a wedged in non-sequitur.
July 2, 2024
This was such an awesome read. It took inclusivity to another level. Following Noa's story through a new school and navigating how to deal with being different while finding her identity was so inspiring. Afrotistic touched on multiple ethnicities, disabilities, and the wide variety of ways that autism manifests in the individual person. Everyone should give this book a try.
January 13, 2024
I really enjoyed this but I did find a few aspects of the ending () a bit too fantasy-like. Not everything was picture-perfect though, which made it feel more real and impactful.
March 24, 2024
There aren't enough Black autistic stories out there and this is underrated. This is a quiet story of a young lady struggling against imposter syndrome and finding friends she can jibe with and trust. Any teen can relate to that without murder and high school/party shenanigans.
I preferred A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll, but that is white, and narratives are usually controlled by whites. I hope Ms. Omeiza and others like her get more exposure.
I preferred A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll, but that is white, and narratives are usually controlled by whites. I hope Ms. Omeiza and others like her get more exposure.
April 6, 2023
My Rating:
Writing: 2 Stars
Characters: 2 Stars
Plot: 1 Star
Originality: 5 Stars
My Personal Enjoyment: 3 Stars
(All Out of 5 Stars)
Total: 2.6 Stars
The Storyline:
Noa is an afrotistically autistic black girl who is moving from a suburb from Florida to a new suburb in New York. She hates this new place but overall it doesn’t affect her much because in her mind all she needs is to win the Dean Merit Society Award and finish her AI Robot and she will be out of this place for good. Only everything changes when she meets another autistic kid her age named Samuel who inspires her to start a club deemed The Roaring Pebbles.
My Review: (Warning!!! May Contain Spoilers)
I normally don’t write reviews with spoilers as I feel it defeats the point of a review but with this book I made an exception. I loved the Roaring Pebbles, watching the dynamics of the characters shift as the book progressed was my favorite part of the whole story. Showing the contrast between their needs to be normal teens with normal teen drama and their conflicts due to their autism really made the story come to life. I loved that the Roaring Pebbles ended up having such a strong sense of community in the end. Before Afrotistic I had never seen a book with an autistic main character, so Noa really piqued my interest. I will admit I don’t know too much about autism and I did learn a thing or two from her. I really like the detail that the book itself was supposed to have seemed like it was written by her; it was a cute detail that really brought the whole story together.
“Just write. Write your story. Write what’s most meaningful to you. Don’t worry about the score, your’e not a cookie, so don’t try to fit in a cookie-cutter.”
I will say that as much as I loved the Roaring Pebbles itself the characters within the Roaring Pebbles felt a bit flat. Even Noa, who is the main heroine of our tale didn’t have much going for her other than her AI senses and perhaps her YouTube channel. She changed the most out of the characters but characters like, B, Samuel, and Mia didn’t have much personality to them other than being autistic. I would have liked to see more diversity within the diversity. The romance in the book felt extremely forced and I wish there was not one at all. When Noa got with B I was audibly confused. Their relationship felt very platonic and shoving them together at the end did nothing for the story as a whole. It was just there to be there. Afrotistic also had some crazy religious undertones which I personally did not enjoy. It’s not my cup of tea but if you want your main character at church then this is the book for you. Watching a main character go through a youth group and a sermon was not an ideal read for me. Though the most disappointing part of this whole story was the ending. It was not satisfying, perhaps this was because the plot was so hard to find in the first place but it didn’t feel like an ending more like a sudden stop.
“As for the rest of us, I hope we all find a guardian angel in our lives, one that will understand that we have empathy. That we love. That we hope. That we feel.”
So overall I give Afrotistic by Kala Allen Omeiza a 2.6 stars out of 5. While the concept was unique and the story included some good representation, the hard to follow plot, forced storypoints, and bad ending left a bad taste in my mouth.
“I still didn’t understand these rules completely, and I’m sure I broke them this time, but I finally didn’t care. I was authentically me.”
Who would I recommend this book to? Probably most teens… I learned a lot about autism from this book and was even encouraged to do some research of my own on the topic. Putting an autistic character in a familiar setting for teenagers is a fun way to grow understanding of this group of people.
Writing: 2 Stars
Characters: 2 Stars
Plot: 1 Star
Originality: 5 Stars
My Personal Enjoyment: 3 Stars
(All Out of 5 Stars)
Total: 2.6 Stars
The Storyline:
Noa is an afrotistically autistic black girl who is moving from a suburb from Florida to a new suburb in New York. She hates this new place but overall it doesn’t affect her much because in her mind all she needs is to win the Dean Merit Society Award and finish her AI Robot and she will be out of this place for good. Only everything changes when she meets another autistic kid her age named Samuel who inspires her to start a club deemed The Roaring Pebbles.
My Review: (Warning!!! May Contain Spoilers)
I normally don’t write reviews with spoilers as I feel it defeats the point of a review but with this book I made an exception. I loved the Roaring Pebbles, watching the dynamics of the characters shift as the book progressed was my favorite part of the whole story. Showing the contrast between their needs to be normal teens with normal teen drama and their conflicts due to their autism really made the story come to life. I loved that the Roaring Pebbles ended up having such a strong sense of community in the end. Before Afrotistic I had never seen a book with an autistic main character, so Noa really piqued my interest. I will admit I don’t know too much about autism and I did learn a thing or two from her. I really like the detail that the book itself was supposed to have seemed like it was written by her; it was a cute detail that really brought the whole story together.
“Just write. Write your story. Write what’s most meaningful to you. Don’t worry about the score, your’e not a cookie, so don’t try to fit in a cookie-cutter.”
I will say that as much as I loved the Roaring Pebbles itself the characters within the Roaring Pebbles felt a bit flat. Even Noa, who is the main heroine of our tale didn’t have much going for her other than her AI senses and perhaps her YouTube channel. She changed the most out of the characters but characters like, B, Samuel, and Mia didn’t have much personality to them other than being autistic. I would have liked to see more diversity within the diversity. The romance in the book felt extremely forced and I wish there was not one at all. When Noa got with B I was audibly confused. Their relationship felt very platonic and shoving them together at the end did nothing for the story as a whole. It was just there to be there. Afrotistic also had some crazy religious undertones which I personally did not enjoy. It’s not my cup of tea but if you want your main character at church then this is the book for you. Watching a main character go through a youth group and a sermon was not an ideal read for me. Though the most disappointing part of this whole story was the ending. It was not satisfying, perhaps this was because the plot was so hard to find in the first place but it didn’t feel like an ending more like a sudden stop.
“As for the rest of us, I hope we all find a guardian angel in our lives, one that will understand that we have empathy. That we love. That we hope. That we feel.”
So overall I give Afrotistic by Kala Allen Omeiza a 2.6 stars out of 5. While the concept was unique and the story included some good representation, the hard to follow plot, forced storypoints, and bad ending left a bad taste in my mouth.
“I still didn’t understand these rules completely, and I’m sure I broke them this time, but I finally didn’t care. I was authentically me.”
Who would I recommend this book to? Probably most teens… I learned a lot about autism from this book and was even encouraged to do some research of my own on the topic. Putting an autistic character in a familiar setting for teenagers is a fun way to grow understanding of this group of people.
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