Reseña: "A Kind of Spark" by Elle McNicoll

A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll

 
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Reto Popsugar #29: Un libro con un personaje neurodivergente.

Adeline is 11 years old and autistic. She lives in Juniper, a small Scottish town whose inhabitants feel as if they are from Edinburgh itself.

Addie is starting a new school year, but her longtime friend has left her behind for the mean, rich girl. And her teacher clearly doesn't want her in her class. Her biggest supporter is her older sister Kadeen who is in college, and who is also autistic although her personality is very different from Addie's (who prefers to read about sharks and take refuge in eating her lunch at library). But one of those educational outings that schools are so fond of leads her to realize the history of the women who were executed for being 'witches' in her village. She feels impacted by the story and decides to do something so that they are never forgotten.

This is a 'middle-grade' book, for ages between 9 and 12. The author is also autistic, and it is clearly an educational book, where Addie feels this way and that way, to shed light on certain common beliefs about autistic people and discard certain falsehoods. Btw, they made a TV series based on the book, I watch the first episode and I loved it.

The book highlights the love between sisters, and their interaction with their sister Nina who is neurotypical and the twin of Kaedee. And the difficulties that happen daily among neurotypicals, pretending to be like them, copying them.

[Kaedie] "They don’t get it, Addie.”
I slowly sit down beside her. “Get what?”
“What it’s like. To have to hide every day. To pretend.”
“I know.” I press my arm against hers. “If the witches didn’t pretend well enough, they were found out. And punished.”
“You know why Bonnie’s gone away, don’t you, Addie?”
“Because she couldn’t mask anymore.”

Several things are typical of simple teenage stories, but it taught me a couple of things that I didn't know or maybe didn't understand.

------------------
(Esta vez en castellano)

Adeline tiene 11 años y es autista. Vive en Juniper, un pequeño pueblo escocés cuyos habitantes se sienten como si fueran del mismísimo Edimburgo.

Addie está comenzando un nuevo año escolar, pero su amiga de toda la vida la dejó atrás por la chica rica y mala. Y su maestra claramente no la quiere en su clase. Su mayor apoyo es su hermana mayor Kadeen, quien está en la universidad y que también es autista aunque su personalidad es muy diferente a la de Addie (que prefiere leer sobre tiburones y refugiarse a almorzar en la biblioteca). Pero una de esas salidas educativas que tanto gustan a los colegios la lleva a darse cuenta de la historia de las mujeres que fueron ejecutadas por ser 'brujas' en su villa. Ella se siente impactada por la historia y decide hacer algo para que nunca sean olvidadas.

Este es un libro para edades entre 9 y 12 años. La autora también es autista, y es claramente un libro educativo, donde Addie se siente así y asá, para arrojar luz sobre ciertas creencias comunes sobre las personas autistas. y descartar ciertas falsedades. Por cierto, hicieron una serie de televisión basada en el libro, vi el primer episodio y me encantó.

El libro destaca el amor entre hermanas y su interacción con su hermana Nina, que es neurotípica y gemela de Kaedee. Y las dificultades que pasan a diario entre los neurotípicos, aparentando ser como ellos, copiándolos.

Varias cosas son típicas de historias sencillas de adolescentes, pero me enseñó un par de cosas que no sabía o tal vez no entendía.

View all my reviews