Representation: First Australian character and another character with autism
Trigger warnings: Blood, grief and loss depiction, ableism, bullying, racism, sexist slur, death of a boyfriend and other relatives in the past, drug abuse
Score: Seven points out of ten.
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One year ago, I read a book where the protagonist has autism, Peta Lyre's Rating Normal. Unfortunately, that underwhelmed me, so one year later, I tried another novel with a neurodivergent character, Please Don't Hug Me. When I picked that up, it looked promising, and when I was done, it was a pleasant and enjoyable read.

It starts with the first character I see, Erin, whose last name remains undisclosed, recording her uneventful life thus far in letters. Did I mention Please Don't Hug Me is an epistolary novel? It also has engaging pacing, even with a slow beginning. I wonder what the recipient would say after receiving Erin's letters. Life has been on a downward spiral for Erin after she was fired and then failed her driving test. I understand that life can be so much harder for people who have autism like Erin than neurotypical people, but at least she can move forward from that and not live in the past, which I liked. Even Schoolies, an end of year event, is a struggle for Erin. I'm surprised there's no conversations about masking, or someone acting neurotypical when they're not, only to fit in with society, which worsens their mental health. At least Erin has a support system consisting of one person: her mother.

Toward the latter half of Please Don't Hug Me, Erin questions where her boyfriend is, but unfortunately, she discovers that he died, much to her dismay. The conclusion is bittersweet, as it has some touching and heartwarming moments, but not free from melancholy undertones. To summarise, Please Don't Hug Me is an epistolary novel about a person with autism, but the heavy themes are not for everyone, and it's a more saddening read than I expected. ( )

Content in the book is: (Autism is a huge theme by the way)
Grief & loss depiction
Death of a sibling
Drowning

"I've got rocks in my stomach and I'm only half-tuned in all the time. Things seem to be happening behind a pan of glass, so I can see them but I can't reach out and touch them."

The writing was so raw, realistic and amazing. The main character Erin, is an autistic girl and how its portrayed is not insensitive whatsoever, it's an own voices story as the author herself is autistic. It's set in Australia and covers so many aspects of autism. If more people read this, there'd be fewer misconceptions of autism. You can relate to Erin on different things, for example, grieving someone, thats something I could relate to.
The writing style is somewhat unique, the whole story is covered through letters Erin writes to Rudy, her brother.

"A label is fine in the hands of the person wearing it, it's when someone else takes it and uses it without understanding what it actually means I wonder if it's really so good at all."
( )

I loved this book. Erin is a beautiful character and her story is such a glimps into the life of a student finishing High School who just wants to be like everyone else but needs that little bit more guidance, suport and patience. ( )

This is the third book I have read recently where the main character is a girl with autism. In this one, Erin starts writing letters to her brother Rudy which help her to sort out what is happening in her life. She has the support of childhood friend Dee but she feels she is slipping away from her. Erin is worried about schoolies coming up, wary of the way her boyfriend is treating her, settling into a new job with a lovely older aborigianl woman called Abby and also making sense of her strange family. As the letters go on, we eventually become privy to what has happened recently in Erin's life and how her autism has influenced the way she has seen the world.
Written by an author with autism, it provides a very good insight i believe into how autistic people see the world and how the smallest changes can effect them in large ways.
For mature readers due to under-age alcohol, sex and drugs and strong language which is all in context with the story. ( )