Sarah Goodman

This book made me so angry I wanted to forcefully throw it at the wall and then into the trash, but I am a librarian not in charge of what graphic novels are bought so I have to shelve it. I hope I never see it get checked out and never recommended as a book for parents of kids with autism. The ableism, sexism, narcissism, even fat shaming in this book, I cannot believe it was published, or approved by anyone, I am totally shocked. This book is about a selfish "all women think I'm hot" dad who, instead of learning to understand his "autistic son" and follow the recommendations of his therapists and teachers, thinks he can "cure" his son by forcing things like disrupting routines, forcing eye contact, and exposure therapy, somewhat of behavior modification therapy, I mean every single thing you can do wrong with a child with autism, this dad does it and brags about it. Not even once were the good things about his son praised, the good things about having autism, etc. This was not heart-warming or honest, kind or caring. This does not celebrate neurodiversity, or support a parent seeking guidance or to be heard as a parent of a child with autism. I am a single parent of a child with autism and just have had the complete opposite of this dad's experience. The part where he forced his child to get used to eye contact as a toddler by playing a "game" with him was just disgusting. I just am totally floored that this has gotten any praise, was published, was approved, like, I just cannot. I cannot as a parent, as a librarian, as a neurodiverse person, as a single parent, as an educator, find any praise for this book whatsoever. And as an avid reader of graphic novels, the art was utterly boring.