I shall be honest to say that at first, i was very VERY unsure i`d even like this book. It sounded interesting by the blurb, but i wasn`t sure it was something i`d like anyhow. Boy was i wrong, i was so moved it hurt. I felt so many emotions through the book, with Charity. I smiled, i cried, i felt an ache in my chest and stomach for the unfairness and how Charity struggled...but i also felt so much joy when she was heard and seen as a real person not as an object, a thing and a word i really really hate: retard. She grew, found her voice and found friends who supported her and loved her for who she was. I also adored how her parents never gave up on her, that was really beautiful.

#Real #NetGalley

This book was so tender and touching, based on a true story. Charity is thirteen years old, but she isn't a typical teenager, she can't talk and her body doesn't always do what she wants it to. Charity is autistic, she has thoughts and feelings, just like everyone one else. She can't tell her parents how she is treated by teachers at the school she goes to, a school she has been at for three years. Then circumstances change, and Charity is given a chance to go to a regular junior high school , a school with teachers that care and understand her. But will she lose her chances because of things her body can't control? This book needs to be read and shared far and wide.

Imagine if your body does not cooperate and your mouth cannot speak? How do you communicate? Based on a real story, Real is quite possibly the best book I've read this fall. This story just kept breaking my heart, but Charity prevails.

I’m not sure I’ll be able to write an actual review of this book without it turning into a gush fest. I loved everything about this book. It is SO good. It does an amazing job of getting the reader into the head of a non-verbal autistic teenage girl and helps you really feel along with her. This is due to the fact that this is inspired by the life of one of the co-authors. It is both heart-wrenching and triumphant with a unique and distinct voice and a message of paramount importance. I will gladly recommend this to any and all.

"Real" was a beautiful, moving book.

When I first read the first lines of the summary, it strongly reminded me of one of my very favourite books, "Out of my mind", where the main character is tetraplegic due to a neurological disease. Here, our heroine has low-functioning autism, which is very different but similar in the way that it causes her to not be able to use her body in a way she would like, and therefore not be able to communicate... Because of this, she is taken advantage of by unscrupulous people and dismissed by members of her own family. Both situation are extremely sad and inexcusable, but it makes us understand better why some people react as they do with disabled people, and how one can complete misunderstand someone who is not able to communicate. I think this book teaches us first and foremost to be open-minded, not to jump to any conclusion about other people, and to be patient with differently-abled people, who can be just as kind, smart, funny as any other person if we take time to discover their personality.

Charity is a bright kid with likes and dislikes, the desire to be included, have friends, be understood and spoken to directly...like any other person. But she cannot control her body enough to communicate for the first thirteen years of her life - except to a certain extent with her wonderful parents who understand her quite well. Image being caged in your own body!

When Charity finds a way to communicate, with a special keyboard, her whole world changes, and she is at last considered as a "full" person in the eyes of her community. It was very moving to see how such a small thing: a keyboard, and someone who help her type, could change her life so throughly. Like Charity, we can only hope that all those unable to communicate will meet people kind and patient enough to find a way to let them hear their voice.

Would absolutely recommend this wonderful book (inspired by a true story) to anyone and everyone!

Real should be required reading for teachers, teachers in training, students, parents...basically everyone. This book opened my eyes and taught me so much about others and about myself. I cried, I laughed, I cringed, I cursed. What a beautiful testament to the human spirit.

This was a fascinating story with a look at autism and other handicaps through the eyes of the autistic person. My heart rose and fell along with Charity. There were some characters I actually wanted to slap in the face. It's rare a story can really make me feel that so strongly.

This story has a happier ending than many. When a person can't communicate, other people often assume they don't understand what's going on around them. That's not always true—and this story was a great way to show how it could be. I could tell it was well researched. The writing was excellent.

Recommend it to older middle grade through adult readers.

Wow. I’m actually speechless. Wow.

It’s rare that you find a book that treats autistic kids (especially nonverbal autistic kids) like people. This book excels in that category 100%.

I loved that it was inside Charity’s head and that we got to see her thought processes and I truly loved this book.

Absolutely one of my favorite reads of 2020.

Perfect for fans of R.J. Palacio’s WONDER and Wesley King’s SARA AND THE SEARCH FOR NORMAL.

#netgalley #real

This book shows the Real feelings from an autistic point of view. It's eye opening and a game changer for how we can start to understand how autistic children feel. The mystery will always be there, but this helps to bridge the gap.

I just finished reading Real by Carol Cujec and Peyton Goddard. This book is authentic, honest and based on the life experiences of Peyton Goddard who has been diagnosed with nonverbal Autism. This book exudes passion, brutal honesty and let's the reader experience the obstacles Charity must face for acceptance in the real world. Diagnosed as Autistic, Charity is nonverbal and has no motor control over her body. She has been placed in an "Academy" for low functioning individuals. However, though Charity can't communicate verbally, she is extremely bright and the reader experiences her frustration as she witnesses the world from a different perspective. Much like Sharon Draper's Out of My Mind, the reader journeys with Charity and roots for her to be accepted and acknowledged as a contributing member of society.
This book is perfect for today and teaches diversity, acceptance, self -love and determination. The authors write honestly and vividly. Middle grade readers will learn about acceptance as well as the characters struggle with autism. A must have for any library or classroom collection!

This book was so sad and hopeful. It talks about a girl with autism and how she lives with her daily struggles while facing hate from the people around her. We learn how hard it can be if you have autism and how one day can feel like one big struggle. I definitely recommend this book to you. It's a good read for people ages 11-14.