Kids Like Us

by Hilary Reyl

Overview

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

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250180698
Publisher:	Square Fish
Publication date:	11/13/2018
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 8.10(h) x 0.90(d)
Lexile:	700L (what's this?)
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

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.

Editorial Reviews

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

From the Publisher

★ 10/02/2017
The original narrative voice of 16-year-old Martin drives adult author Reyl’s insightful and multilayered first book for teens, which brims with nostalgia, romance, complex supporting characters, and fascinating introspection. While on location in France at his mother’s latest film project, Martin, a handsome American student with autism who “could almost pass for nothing more than quirky,” experiences life through his “affinity” with Proust’s In Search of Lost Time (Martin simply calls it Search), which “has filled me up like an empty glass for years.” As Martin experiments with attending a general education summer school, he struggles to distinguish between events in Search and in his own life, as well as between “moths”—people drawn to him because of his mother’s celebrity—and real friends. Martin’s childhood memories, such as his parents’ early distress at his diagnosis (“We thought he was so cute, and he’s actually Rain Man”), blend seamlessly into the narrative, while Martin’s reflections on “the neurodiversity movement,” and efforts to “cure” autism raise thought-provoking ethical questions. Ages 12–up. Agent: Stéphanie Abou, Massie & McQuilkin. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

10/01/2017
Gr 7–10—For the first time in his life, Martin Dubois, a 16-year-old with autism, has an opportunity to interact with and befriend neurotypical peers. He's attending a general education school in rural France while his film- director mother shoots a movie there, and the experience for him is confusing and frustrating, but also exhilarating. It is there that he first meets Simon, his school guide, and Alice, a girl who reminds him of Gilberte from In Search of Lost Time, a classic French novel he always keeps close by. Martin's eager and endearing attempts to fit in teach him new things about relationships, including the uncomfortable revelation that other people aren't always genuine. Reyl presents Martin as having high-functioning autism with mentions of echolalia, lack of eye contact, literal thinking, and rocking and moaning as a stress response. Martin is also physically attractive, which some characters explain is why others treat him in certain ways, such as mistaking him for neurotypical. Reyl tries to present Martin's atypical mannerisms authentically through first-person narration, which results in the text consisting of short, straightforward sentences. The lens of his social and emotional intelligence also results in secondary characters that lack depth, despite the author's attempts to hint at further development beyond Martin's perspective. In addition, Martin makes mistakes with using the wrong pronouns when stressed, which is not explained to readers until much later. These confusing details, as well as the somewhat improbable and unrelatable setting, may present barriers to some. VERDICT This overall sweet but challening story is an additional purchase.—Alea Perez, Westmont Public Library, IL

School Library Journal

2017-08-02
Sixteen-year-old Martin Dubois navigates family, friendships, and neurotypical attitudes in Reyl's teen romance. Spending the first half of the summer in France on location with his filmmaker mother and Stanford-bound sister is as thrilling as it is terrifying for Martin. The white, autistic teen's near fluency in French, his penchant for classic French cookery, and his complex affinity for Proust's In Search of Lost Time (or Search, as he calls it) ought to make the trip an exciting immersion. But they are not enough to drown out Martin's anxiety about attending a general education French high school (lycée), where his ways of interpreting and interacting with the physical and social worlds are sure to clash with others'. To his surprise, however, he makes friends with a few students rather quickly and finds referential roles for all of them in Search, including the potential for romance. But when it becomes clear that the other teens have only befriended him for his proximity to Hollywood stars, Martin begins to consider all the relationships in his life and what they mean to and for him. 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. (Fiction. 13-17)

Kirkus Reviews