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Review #4329427
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by A Guest Visitor
Review of Autistic Autumn  
Review by Jay O'Toole
In affiliation with  
Rated: 13+ | (4.5)
Access:  Public | Hide Review (?)
Thank you for the privilege of reviewing your story, Naveedsk.

*ButtonV*Overall Impression: The story began in an educational way, but the end of the story took such a twist that it nearly took my breath away. I could relate to many of the issues that Autumn felt and experienced in the story because social understanding to me has consistently been a foreign language during much of my life. I'm not sure if I could ever be labeled, "autistic," but "Asperger's Syndrome" is very close to life as I understand it. I am truly grateful that much of the abuse I experienced as a youth was that of being ignored, not physically harmed to the degree your story described.

*Pencil*Suggestions: I am not sure how to change the cadence of the story, but I think maybe there is a need for more hints and build-up touch-points that clue the reader into the fact that this story is a tragedy rather merely an account of life through an autistic person's eyes.

For instance, the sentence, "Ironic, isn’t it, that I was named after the season when everything beautiful starts going down-hill" could be a key theme throughout the entire story. I think it is already a key theme, but maybe, if we refer to this sentence like a chorus throughout the story in some way, it will help the reader to know, "This is not going to end well."

However, if your purpose is to shock the reader at the end without much warning, then you have accomplished your purpose with great skill. The ending of the story left me feeling very unsettled, since the only reason I might have guessed that this story had a negative element to it was the "13+" rating. People outside of W.Com would not have the benefit of our rating system, I don't think.

*Apple*Punctuation/Spelling/Grammar: There were no concerns for me in this area of your writing, Naveedsk.

*Heart*What I Like: I like the fact that you are accurate as to an autistic person's lack of comprehension of social mores and nonverbal communication. You show with great skill the fact that autistic people do not understand many expressions that have social connotations, like "I love you!" and "You're beautiful!" Autistic people may not understand how to properly use medicine, especially if they have not been alerted to the harm related to inaccurate dosages.

The world needs to know that there is a great deal of love in the autistic heart and that social mores can be learned by autistic people, just as we learn Math, Science, English and History. But social mores are a terrible bludgeon, when they are left in the realm of the unspoken. Your story has accurately described this consequence. Thank you for doing this so clearly.

*StarB* A Rising Star Member to Member review.

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