Anything But Typical

Nora Raleigh Baskin — 2009

Jason Blake is an autistic 12-year-old living in a neurotypical world. Most days it's just a matter of time before something goes wrong. But Jason finds a glimmer of understanding when he comes across PhoenixBird, who posts stories to the same online site as he does. Jason can be himself when he writes and he thinks that PhoneixBird-her name is Rebecca-could be his first real friend. But as desperate as Jason is to met her, he's terrified that if they do meet, Rebecca wil only see his autism and not who Jason really is. By acclaimed writer Nora Raleigh Baskin, this is the breathtaking depiction of an autistic boy's struggles-and a story for anyone who has ever worried about fitting in.

Reviews

Jeannette Ordas@kickpleat

Jan 5, 2023

James is anything but typical - he's a 12 year old autistic boy who loves to write stories and lives with his family who tries to cope. He's excited about his first crush, a girl he meets online and when they actually meet in real life it's handled very realistically. A well-told story and a quick read, but maybe it's missing that emotional grab (I guess it fits with the story) that I love.

hana darley @hanadarley

Aug 12, 2022

I was hoping to enjoy this way more than I actually did. While this was what I would say a quick, and wholesome read, it felt like an extremely neurotypical take on a child who is anything but. This novel honestly didn't hold much of an impact to me, and I would suggest reading The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, or Rules, if you're looking for a similar themed story.