Maybe She Will

Authors, take note: this is how you write a story.

This is how you write a story about an autistic child. Jackson is not precocious. His special interest is not something he will info-dump about; it's tracing people's hands. He is not hyper-verbal; he's mostly non-verbal, with most verbalizing being a form of echolalia. When he melts down, he melts down in a big way (a throwing-cartons-of-yogurt, often hurting himself kind of way). And yet he is treated with such compassion, such warmth, by the characters in the story and by the author herself. Jax was easily my favorite part of this book because he is portrayed as a kid. A wonderful, music-loving kid.

This is how you write a story about a teenager. Kayla is moody, rebellious, sensitive, and scared. She both wants to talk about colleges non-stop and is afraid to start the conversation. She wants her mom to have a life, but not in that way. She lives life with the knowledge that she will be her brother's caretaker one day, and that terrifies her. She too is treated with compassion and understanding of the difficulties of being young and having a disabled sibling.

This is how you write a closed-door romance. The forbidden aspect is addressed in full, never swept under the rug. The age gap is not a cute trope; it is something the characters work through. The slow burn is worth it as the characters fall in love with each other, and the third-act break-up is not contrived. It is raw and emotional. Though the story centers on Josephine and her experiences as a mother of an autistic child, Gavin is given his own chance for growth as he grapples with what it means to have purpose. He finds his purpose in Jo, Kayla, and Jackson. Jo is the center of the story. Gina Andrew puts so much of her experience into Jo, and the dedication shows. The IEP meetings, the fears, the joys. All written with sensitivity and kindness.

This is how you write a story. It was a privilege to read it, and I am very grateful to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.