This book bucks the trend among even good media about autistic people to hash out the 101-level stuff. The basic things about finding out you’re autistic, learning how to deal with society, finding balance and learning self advocacy.

I love all of that and it’s important to have many versions of those 101 stories because that’s where most of us are and where the vast majority of society in general surely is.

When you’ve read many of those yourself though, you’ll crave more. You’ll crave the wisdom of autistics who’ve known for a while who they are and how they related to this world. That’s exactly the feeling I get from this book “Social Queue” by Kay Kerr.

What’s startling is that Zoe, the main character who’s autistic, didn’t reach this level of enlightenment at the age of 30 or 40. She’s an 18 year old girl working at her first real job who recognizes herself and her actions. Who sees other people and is comfortable enough in her skin to write things like “There obviously isn’t much point trying to think my way out of a feeling” and “Aiden…made me feel like having a disability was something that made weird or open to mockery. It hadn’t occurred to me to feel that way before then. And it has only occurred to me that I don’t have to feel that way since I stopped being around him and others like him.”

There’s a power there, of an autistic comfortable in herself and her life. Struggling, but with inner knowledge. Who’s already been through burnout but has bounced back before she’s even old enough for it affect her first job. The sheer power of understanding that the world is different for her and how it is so she can do something about it.

I’ve not finished the book yet but I’m in awe of Zoe and Kay Kerr and everything that I’m seeing here.

A disability story of a struggling but powerful autistic girl. I love it.

P.S - I’ve since finished the book and absolutely love it.