Kids Like Us - by Hilary Reyl (Paperback)

About the Book

A tender, smart, and romantic YA novel about a teenage boy on the autism spectrum who learns he is capable of love.

Book Synopsis

A tender, smart, and romantic YA novel from debut author Hilary Reyl, about an autistic boy who falls in love

Martin is an American teen on the autism spectrum living in France with his mom and sister for the summer. He falls for a French girl who he thinks is a real-life incarnation of a character in his favorite book. Over time Martin comes to realize she is a real person and not a character in a novel while at the same time learning that love is not out of his reach.

Praise for Kids Like Us:

"The most original voice since The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime tells the most radiantly human love story since Eleanor & Park. Reyl's extraordinary YA debut isn't just a book you read; this is one of those rare books that reaches in deep and writes you back." --Margaret Stolh, co-author of the #1 New York Timesand international bestseller Beautiful Creatures

"Martin's childhood memories, such as his parents' early distress at his diagnosis. . . blend seamlessly into the narrative, while Martin's reflections on 'the neurodiversity movement, ' and efforts to 'cure' autism raise thought-provoking ethical questions." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Reyl movingly captures the point of view of a person who sees the world in a completely different way. Her writing is lucid and luminous, and the first-person narrative has a cinematic quality as Martin processes the world around him. Charming, thoughtful Martin is easy to root for, and readers will cheer as he triumphs over obstacles." --Booklist, starred review

"Martin's been deeply loved if not always understood, and his memories, thought processes, and discussions inspire the kinds of productive reimagining that makes calls for inclusive neurocosmopolitanism more than wishful thinking; the book's indebtedness to Proust goes beyond lyrical phrases to a thematic embrace of the slow savoring of the richness of human experience. In the end, however, it is Martin's ability to move beyond "things past" to the possibilities that open up when you accept yourself and others that gives this wise story its resonance." --The Bulletin, starred review

Review Quotes

Praise for Kids Like Us:

"The most original voice since The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime tells the most radiantly human love story since Eleanor & Park. Reyl's extraordinary YA debut isn't just a book you read; this is one of those rare books that reaches in deep and writes you back." --Margaret Stolh, co-author of the #1 New York Timesand international bestseller Beautiful Creatures

"There has never been a romantic hero like Martin, but there has also never been a living, breathing, heartbreaking teen not like him . . . weaves together a truly atypical love story--from pound cake and Proust, from autism and family dysfunction--but always with the rare, luminous humanity that makes a true teen anthem." --Melissa de la Cruz, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Blue Bloods and Witches of East End

"Martin's childhood memories, such as his parents' early distress at his diagnosis. . . blend seamlessly into the narrative, while Martin's reflections on 'the neurodiversity movement, ' and efforts to 'cure' autism raise thought-provoking ethical questions." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Reyl movingly captures the point of view of a person who sees the world in a completely different way. Her writing is lucid and luminous, and the first-person narrative has a cinematic quality as Martin processes the world around him. Charming, thoughtful Martin is easy to root for, and readers will cheer as he triumphs over obstacles." --Booklist, starred review

"Martin's been deeply loved if not always understood, and his memories, thought processes, and discussions inspire the kinds of productive reimagining that makes calls for inclusive neurocosmopolitanism more than wishful thinking; the book's indebtedness to Proust goes beyond lyrical phrases to a thematic embrace of the slow savoring of the richness of human experience. In the end, however, it is Martin's ability to move beyond "things past" to the possibilities that open up when you accept yourself and others that gives this wise story its resonance." --The Bulletin, starred review

"While Reyl hasn't broken the mold of autistic teen protagonists, Martin is a credit to the growing corpus, with multimodal idiosyncrasies that he builds on rather than buries and a validating first-person narrative and first romance. A charming teen debut." --Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Hilary Reyl has a PhD in French Literature from NYU and has spent several years working and studying in France. She is the author of Lessons in French and Kids Like Us. She lives in New York City with her husband and three daughters.