Loved Jessie's character and inner monologue so much, she was a great main character! However, I did not like either of the love interests, nor did I like any of the girls in her friend group (except maybe Mel). I also found it a little strange that all her friends had been in relationships with older guys (kind of sad). More on the romance theme of this book, it felt like that was also the only thing her friends talked about (which I get, as someone in their age range, but it did feel a little bit too much). Plus the amount of cheating also felt unnecessary(?)
I would have loved to see even more of Jessie's family, because those scenes were great.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. (less)

Really liked this book a lot, it was a bit a younger read for me that took the rating a bit down, but further than that it's really good

It was cute! The standout of the book is for sure the characters— they live and breathe and are incredibly well developed. Jessie was fantastically realistic and the perfect narrator, I really loved seeing her grow and develop. The plot however, sometimes lost my attention, and I felt the third act lasted much longer than it actually did. I also wish we got to see a little more development between Jessie and Griffin, I feel there was more telling about them studying or hanging out together without detail. I wanted to see more cute moments that would make me root for them harder. I was definitely rooting for them, but the spell of Levi was intoxicating even as a reader. One minute I’d hate him, and then I’d like him again but still hate him at the same time. Additionally, reading about Jessie and how she (and her family) grappled with her autism diagnosis was conveyed in a moving and insightful way. This was such a cute and impactful tale.

this was super cute!
i loved the musical references and little shop of horrors <3

im rating this 4 stars because her high school experience just felt a little too unrealistic to me?
i love the characters so much and i'm so happy with the ending and who she ended up with (to avoid spoiling anything, i did not like or see appeal with the other guy)

overall super heartwarming and engaging, loved this so much!!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Hashtag Press for approving this eARC in exchange for an honest review!!

As an autistic reader (who was diagnosed in their final year of high school), this book is an absolute gem!!

I absolutely adored Jessie, and seeing her grow to love and accept herself, along the way finding people who love and respect her!!

My heart feels so full upon finishing this book, it is so wonderful seeing a story that emphasises that our strongest relationships, must have a foundation of trust and mutual respect, because without those you cannot form truly meaningful bonds.

I cannot recommend this wonderful book enough - so please, do yourself a favour and pick it up, you wont regret it!

What an excellent heartwarming coming-of-age book about Jessie who has autism and doesn’t want anyone to know so she won’t be treated differently during her first year of high school. Griffin and Jessie strike up a friendship, but it’s Levi whom Jessie has a crush on. While hoping Levi will kiss her, Jessie is navigating the ups and downs of her friendship with three girls. When Levi and Jessie spend more time with each other, Levi tells her he doesn’t want to go public. Jessie feels he’s embarrassed to be seen with her. Jessie tells Griffin you see the real me. Jessie is gaining confidence and realizing it feels good to step outside her comfort zone. Does Jessie end up with either boy?

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the UK arc of this one.

DNF at 15%. Unfortunately this one didn’t hit right for me. The beginning section was a bit triggering for me as a mom of a child with autism. When the dad said her autism was a “phase” and she would “learn to act like everyone else,” I felt physically pained. I am sure that the author is going to educate the parents by the end of the book, but this just wasn’t what I wanted to read for the moment.

And when she started school, the book really felt like it had no plot. I was kind of just reading a girl go to school. It was so… sequential and oddly disjointed. Like I couldn’t focus on the characters at all because I couldn’t figure out what I was supposed to be taking away from the story. Usually books have more focus than this, especially YA books. But it seems like the main plot is just her diagnosis plus her ogling guys? She wanted to be that chewed up pencil. Ew. 😬 I could not relate; that made me gag.

I think this book has a place in the literary world and I hope that people will be able to pick this up and relate to the MC but this one just wasn’t for me.

This was a really adorable coming-of-age YA romance story. It was a quick and engaging read- very authentic and heartfelt as you get to see Jessie navigate high school and try to find her place. I thought that the love triangle part was drawn out too much when the choice was clearly obvious. Wished we would have gotten more scenes with Jessie and Griffin- they’re adorable! Overall, a pleasant and heartwarming read.

Jessie is autistic and was recently diagnosed. She’s been wrapping her brain around it, while also being a little nervous to go to high school. She starts writing down goals in a notebook, and she even has her first high school crush on the cute boy from class, Levi! She’s also nervous about making friends, and does her best to put herself out there.

Things I loved about this book:
First of all, it’s so well written! I loved how we got Jessie’s perspective on everything and her fears, struggles, wins, and love were so involved. I felt very emotional reading this one.
I liked how mom Jessie made friends and learned how to be in a friend group.
Loved the evolving relationships with her siblings.
Griffin was just the cutest!!! (I was definitely rooting for him from the start)
How romantic was that first kiss with Levi though?
I loved how Jessie came to terms with her feelings for each boy!
The friendships that grew with the girls!
That sweet as heck ending!!

I’m very excited to read, review, and acquire this book for YA readers. It is so nice to be inclusive and show teens that you can deal with issues and different things being thrown at you in life but you can and should pursue and follow your dreams anyway. A great message and one I hope inspires many.