Episode 34: Neurodivergence
Summary: Happy National Autism Awareness Month! Today, Holly and Devin discuss books with neurodivergent protagonists. They agree that all kinds of diversity in books are not only important but provide a helpful and enjoyable window into the lives of folkx with whom you haven’t interacted (yet). Holly shared some key things to look out for in neurodivergent writing - avoiding stereotypes, ensuring there’s diversity of gender, sexuality and race, avoiding infantilizing neurodivergent characters, and being especially cautious in sci-fi with aliens who are just caricatures of people on the autism spectrum. (Credit to a BookRiot article by Susie Rodarme and a Medium article by Cassie Josephs)
Topics Discussed:
The Heart (3:49): Devin discussed The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang, a steamy gender-bent play on tropes found in Pretty Woman. Stella Lane is a rock star data scientist with a career she loves. On the autism spectrum, she has always thought of kissing as “a shark getting its teeth cleaned by a pilot fish,” but she is looking for love and marriage. Her solution? Hire an escort to teach her everything she needs to know for her future husband. Devin’s key takeaways were:
Helen Hoang self-diagnosed being on the autism spectrum through research and working with a therapist in 2016. While Stella is also on the spectrum and it is a big driver of the premise, Hoang ensures that Stella isn’t mocked, belittled, etc. at any point because of her autism, nor is it used as a reason for conflict in the book.
Michael Phan, the escort that Stella hires, has his own motivations for agreeing to work with Stella longer term; his mother is battling cancer and the bills are piling up. While Stella sees Michael as the powerful one in their dynamic for already being great at sex, Michael respects Stella’s career, her stability and her attitude toward life’s challenges and ultimately no one character is seeking the upper hand - a refreshing, balanced take on classic tropes
Because Stella is hypersensitive and often struggles to be touched, the book focuses a lot around consent. Michael respects her boundaries and waits until she’s ready for every single step they take physically, but he’s also verbally describing his intent and what he’s going to do nonstop. This beautiful show of consistent requesting of consent adds an extra spicy layer of dirty talk that readers will love.
The Dagger (17:11): Holly discussed The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth, a mystery-thriller published in 2020 by the Australian author. The book follows fraternal twins Fern and Rose who are very close but very, very different. Fern hasn’t been formally diagnosed but has sensory issues and a very literal interpretation of the world around her. Rose is an interior designer who has been trying to get pregnant to no avail. Rose takes care of Fern in many ways, but how close are they really? Holly’s key takeaways were:
Through her research, Holly found that the representation of someone on the autism spectrum is quite great. Hepworth has shared that she has neurodiversity in her family including autism, ADHD, and sensory processing disorder. The diversity of symptoms and experiences is key in the novel and deftly handled.
All of the characters, especially Fern, are incredibly real-feeling and round. It doesn’t take long to get deeply invested as we learn that Rose and Fern’s mother was very narcissistic and they suffered from homelessness and some abuse; this culminates in a traumatic event the sisters experienced at age 12 that impacted the rest of their lives.
This book explores the power and danger of vulnerability and kindness. Fern’s literal interpretation of the world sets her on a path to get pregnant herself; since Rose is struggling and they are twins, she figures she can just get pregnant on her own and hand the baby off to Rose as a gift. What ensues demonstrations Hepworth’s ability to balance tense and unsettling relationships with the beauty and power of deep bonds.
Hot On the Shelf (32:23):
What’s Making Our Hearts Race (36:50):
Devin: Detroiters on Paramount+
Holly: Derry Girls on Netflix
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