December 2, 2023
This colorful smorgasbord of 53 short comics allows glimpses of how varied life experiences can be for people identifying as autistic. The 40 contributors all stress that many autistic individuals can live happy, healthy lives when they learn what they need to thrive, and when people learn more about them. For example, repetitive self-stimulation ("stimming"), intense focus on a special interest like maps or trains, communication issues, sensitivity to stimuli, and mood variations can often be understood and accommodated in the non-autistic world. Certainly, life can be difficult for autistic people but also joyous. Of course, people vary widely, and each autistic person lives with an individual makeup and must find their own best self-care. Editor Ollerton (contributor, Fantastic Frights anthology) has pulled together selections as varied as those identifying as autistic, including comics with flow-chart analysis, faces and bodies overwhelmed by thrashing chromatic shapes, and different animals symbolizing shifting mental states. Drawing styles range widely, from realistic to cartoony through childlike. All contributors are themselves autistic. VERDICT Ollerton's engaging collection makes a wide-ranging and emotionally rich introduction to the circumstances of people with autism. Useful for high schoolers as well as adults.
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