Kids Like Us

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.