This book was good... Quite frankly though, I read it two months ago, so do I remember what happened? NO. I'm just going to put together a short list of my thoughts.

- Chloe had great development... (I think??)

- Ivy was super sweet, as was Ethan.

- David was an asshole but I liked him a lot.

- It was fun and funny and had good banter?? I think? (lol I really don't remember this book very well)

- AUTISM REP, which I can't speak on personally, but from reading other reviews, I believe it was good rep.

- The plot twist was really obvious... I totally predicted it... It also felt a little sudden, but I think that was only because we were reading from Chloe's perspective, not Ivy's. But while that specific part might have worked much better from Ivy's perceptive, I really loved reading from Chloe's perspective for the most part, and she WAS the right narrator for this story.

- Also can I just say the plot twist was actually amazing, even if it was obvious. I swear it went like this:
Chloe: Is super heteronormative and annoying.

Me: Oh come ON! This book is sooooo heteronormative. I just LOVE how she just ASSUMES Ivy is straight. Dumb book. *facepalm*

Ivy: I'm gay.

Chloe: Whoops, maybe shouldn't have assumed!

Me: THIS BOOK IS AMAZING!

Overall? Not the most memorable book I've ever read, but it was sweet and fun, and I WOULD recommend it for sure!

***Initial Reaction, September 24, 2018***

This was so sweet and lovely! And I adored these characters! RTC. ( )

In the last month I have read 3 books which have a main character with Autism Spectrum Disorder! In this novel, it is Ivy, the sister of the main character Chloe who has ASD and is just discovering the world of dating. Chloe thinks she is being noble setting up Ivy with a boy called Evan from her special school. But on the first date Chloe discovers that Ethan is the older brother of her arch nemesis David from school. What will they talk about for the 60 minutes while the two ASD people enjoy their date? How much they loathe and despise each other.
A nice match-making story with a few twists and turns. An authentic story of what it is like to have someone with ASD in your family and the challenges they bring to those who love them. ( )

If it hadn't been for Chloe I would have liked the book a lot more, but she was so annoying that ruined it for me. ( )

Claire LaZebnik has created an incredibly important story here, giving representation to a population that isn't often represented in YA fiction. Though stories that deal with this many challenges might become bogged down by the negative aspects of the situation, this story still remains funny, endearing, and hopeful, making it even more true to life. This book definitely deserves more hype than it originally got--and I hope more people are able to discover it. Read my full review at Between-the-Shelves! ( )

“It’s like people have a place in their brain f0r normal, and they have a place in their brain for something obviously wrong, but they can’t deal with something a just a little bit different. And that makes them uncomfortable.”

[b:Things I Should Have Known|30971706|Things I Should Have Known|Claire LaZebnik|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1475306545s/30971706.jpg|49254616] is a story that showcases sibling relationships and the struggles of being different. We follow Chloe and David, classmates who are not friends, as they begin to connect through their autistic siblings.

Things I Liked:
The highlight of the book for me was the sibling relationships. I loved getting to see siblings who are each other’s champions, while also realistically being annoyed at them. Chloe and Ivy’s relationship and Ethan and David’s are both unique and universal. Chloe and David face challenges their classmates and friends don’t because of their autistic siblings. While they may get frustrated with each other, as all siblings do, they love, encourage, and support their siblings.

I really loved Chloe and David’s personality. She was very sarcastic and witty. David was too, just in a less tactful way. Both characters were really easy to connect with through their humor. They also had really heartfelt moments that showed they weren’t one-note jokesters.

I really loved the inclusion of autism in the story. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book with autistic characters before, so it was nice to see them represented. The story did a really great job of showing how autistic people process thoughts, and react to everyday conversation and stimuli differently.

Things I Didn’t Like:
All of the parents in this story were pretty awful. Sure, there were a few good moments, but largely the parents were judgmental, absent, or apathetic.

I could have done without the romance that developed between Chloe and David. They had nice banter, and I understand how their friendship developed, but the romance was a little weak for me.

This was a great story that really highlighted family, growth, and understanding. It was super easy to read, and was engaging throughout the entire story. This is a very human story that feels easily accessible and relatable.

I received a copy of the book from HMH Teen via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ( )