I absolutely adored this book. It follows Clara - a sixteen year old girl struggling to come to terms with her disordered eating - as well as her brother Alistair, who is on the Autism spectrum. Clara has Orthorexia, a common eating disorder that is often overlooked in fiction. She is sent to Paris for the summer to spend time with her dad, his girlfriend and their son (Alistair). With Alistair's help, Clara is able to come to terms with her Orthorexia and realize that she too, is on a spectrum - the eating disorder spectrum. This book meant so much to me and I can not wait to get my hands on a completed copy when it comes out!

I liked the relationship that formed between Clara and her stepbrother, Alastair. I would have liked it if the author had shown more of Alastair's autistic traits as I feel that aspect wasn't explored as much as Clara's eating disorder despite both being compared as 'on the spectrum' in each of their disorders. Also, I felt the romance was added as an after thought and could have done without. On the whole, though, I liked the character development and sibling relationship that happened throughout the story arc.

This was a harmless stroll through Paris in the summer. Unfortunately, it is one of those 'problem' books I have so many issues with. When the problem, in this case eating disorders and autism, become the focus of the book and not the plot or the characters, then things become boring very quickly. You get textbook definitions and examples of the characters' psychological issues, but hardly any emotional depth. Attempts at moving the plot forward turn out to be rather staged drama instead of compelling storytelling. What I'd also heavily criticise is the author's idea of Europe that is full of clichés. It's not so much Paris you get in this book, but an American fantasy version of it. If there is one thing I liked, it was Clara's relationship with her younger brother and the growing bond between them. You get a little bit of romance too, which makes the book Eat, Pray, Love for teens, without the pray part. I think younger teens will like the book, but that hardly anyone will be over the moon about it.

Clara is like the typical teenagers who wants to be in, who hopes to be accepted for who she is and have an eating disorder. I pitied her and at the same time, I'm mad with her mother. However, I couldn't blame Catherine because she was trying to be a good mom to Clara.

I love Alastair. I like how smart he is, how he looks and view the world and my heart really goes to him. He is being bullied and yet, he wants to change the perception of people to him.

I'm touched and cried with Clara and Alastair. Knowing, coping and understanding each other have been difficult with them, but the love, care and support that they have established is admirable. Clara's being protective with Alastair, reminds me of myself when my siblings were still young.

Clara has an eating disorder, but her relationship with food and family is a complex one. It is only when she goes to spend the summer in France with her father that she starts to address some of her issues. Some rather obvious things, but her relationship with her half-brother was wonderful to watch.

Such a beautifully written book. This is a great summer read that delves into issues of eating disorders and bonding with a new family. It is inspiring, fun, and just a great book overall.

I really wanted to love this book. I was so excited because one of the characters was...on the spectrum, and I work with kids with autism so I was looking forward to reading this! the story itself was acceptable, but I really wasn't in to any of the characters. There was a lot of stereotypical "autistic" behavior, which I expected, and I appreciated the growth of the sibling relationship, but unfortunately this book didn't quite hit the mark for me.

thanks Netgalley for the ARC!

On the Spectrum is a book about family, our own personal struggles, and the importance of support. Among my tops for this book were Clara’s family, her half-brother Alastair, and the descriptions of food.

Straight from the gates, you are struck with Clara’s orthorexia and the causes of it. Making clear the connection between mother and daughter, Gold illustrates how we can inherit the problems of our parents. A mixture of culture and profession, Clara’s mother merely passes on the tendencies and obsessions she has to her own daughter. This results in Clara’s diagnosis which catapults them both into a cycle of recovery as they take a closer look at their relationship to food.

Enter onto the stage, Clara’s family in Paris. They are a bundle of wonderful characters beginning with her half-brother Alastair, who is on the Autistic spectrum. Alastair may be my favorite character because he is tender, innocent, and wise. The whole book I wanted to wrap him in my arms. Clara’s step-mother, Mags, is also an interesting character because she is concerned with her weight, a Norse mythology professor, and complex. Their relationship is one of the most rewarding ones to witness, behind Alastair and the relationship Clara has with her mother.

Clara’s journey is one of denial, admittance, and steps towards recovery. There is no quick answer and I enjoyed that her ‘love interest’ was not the cure for her relationship to food. Both she and Alastair deal with their ‘disorders on the spectrum’ (a synopsis from one of their conversations about her eating disorder and his Autism) throughout the book in a supportive way. Clara tries to teach Alastair about the balance between fitting in and standing out, while Alastair, in his own way, gives Clara the support and facts. This is an important theme throughout the book, to celebrate your difference and acknowledge that it’s okay to want to fit in as well.

One of the things I had mixed feelings about was Michel, her love interest. You can tell from miles away, even in New York, that there was going to be one. On the one hand, I love Michel’s genuine appreciation for food and the pleasure of eating. On the other hand, I felt like Michel pushes Clara. I do not only mean to try to eat food, but from the very get go he says things along the lines of, “I’ll help you” before he even really knows what’s wrong. However, my personality, is just not one of those for summer flings. I am hard wired to not be able to handle them personally, so this aspect is one of the lesser ones in my opinion. Despite this, it’s not the main focus of the novel, so it didn’t detract in a major way from my enjoyment.

Speaking of food though, the food described here is fascinating because it oscillates from food as the enemy, to food as pleasure. The descriptions, even for Clara alone, were interesting to read as her relationship to the actual food changes throughout the book. Additionally, getting to ‘see’ parts of Paris and use my elementary French was an added treat.

On the whole, what makes this book so precious is not only Clara’s own personal struggle, but her transformation of her relationships with her family. It is, even though it doesn’t seem that way from the synopsis, a family ‘drama’ novel. They learn together all sorts of lessons from Mags, to Clara’s mother and the ending is a satisfyingly open one. This is a book where we must accept our own weaknesses, take a closer look at our family support, and realize that recovery is a journey. This book celebrates that love of all forms serves as a beacon of hope and that while we can try to recover on our own, it is okay to ask and accept help.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this e-galley for review!

On the Spectrum is a tough book for me to review. I really did enjoy it. It's hard to dislike a book set in Paris, but it didn't meet all my expectations.

The first 20% of this was definitely a let-down. It was very slow, and random things that didn't really contribute much to the story later on happened. The "twitter-war" she experienced was really just added for dramatic effect and didn't do much to progress the narrative. I found myself wishing Clara would just get to Paris already.

Once she actually arrived, the book definitely started to pick up. I must admit, Gold's writing style is addictive and once I opened the book, I didn't want to stop reading. Throughout the book, Clara is exploring France with her half-brother Alastair, whom I absolutely adored.

Alastair is on the autism spectrum, hence the title. I can't speak about the representation of autism in this book, but from the reviews I've seen, the book has good rep. Watching Clara's relationship with him develop was beautiful and probably my favorite aspect of the story, so yippee for sibling love. She really starts to care for Alastair the longer she's in Paris and he learns to trust her more and more.

Unfortunately, I didn't understand Clara's parents. They wanted her to get better, to overcome her orthorexia, an extreme obsession with healthy eating and exercise, but really didn't do anything to help the situation besides sending her to Paris. It seemed unrealistic for both of her parents to be so hands-off about this. Her father is a former doctor and still doesn't make much of an effort to help Clara.

Speaking of Clara's eating disorder, I have mixed feelings about it. From what I can see, the rep was good - Clara didn't get better overnight, each meal was another hurdle to jump, and she had good as well as bad days, and love did not "fix" her. However, she didn't really address that she had orthorexia until the end of the book, which I do understand in a way, considering the fact that her denial is part of the story. But she never actually went to a doctor to get properly diagnosed, instead going off the advice of a social worker she spoke to for five minutes.

I really wanted to love Clara, but she couldn't win me over. She was a very judgmental person and constantly commented on people'e weight negatively. I do understand the reason for this, because of her orthorexia, but she frustrated me in other ways as well, especially before she left for Paris. I will say that her personality improved as the book progressed.

Now onto the romance. I must say, I was a sucker for it! Was it strictly "necessary"? No, not really, but I still enjoyed it quite. Especially because Michel, her love interest, is actual biracial. His mom was French but his father was Nigerian. The book actually discusses Clara and Michel's interracial relationship, and the racism that still plagued France. It was a small point, but very important to me, and I'm really glad that Gold included it.

Michel was incredibly dreamy and seeing the scenes where him, Clara, and Alastair all baked together made my heart warm. However, Michel wasn't without his flaws. He thought that he could cure Clara all by himself and grew frustrated when she didn't get better. But, he does learn and get better about it.

Overall, I enjoyed On the Spectrum. It's not a new favorite, but it was a sweet, quick contemporary that I would recommend to anyone that loves France, bakers, or brother-sister love!

There is really no better setting to me than Paris, especially in a YA contemporary. I fell in love with the MC, Clara, and loved watching her grow as a character despite her many difficulties including an eating disorder. Having a secondary character like Alastair, Clara's little brother, was refreshing. Little kids often get overlooked in YA but I find they bring an aspect of innocence and understanding that you just can't find anywhere else. This book was very cute and a great coming-of-age story.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It covered so many pertinent issues for teenagers - self image, difference, need to fit in, families breakups and step families, eating disorders and autism. I did not expect to see how well the 16 year old and 6 year old related and how trust was developed. The impact of autism on the individual and the family were well drawn and very realistic. The atmosphere of Paris was beautifully evoked.

A lovely read - thank you.

Very vivid writing that pulls the reader into the events that unfold. The imagery can be difficult at times but it is ultimately a worthy read.

A young teenage girl with an eating disorder spends the summer in Paris getting to know her autistic half brother. I loved watching the characters' relationship grow as she learns how to confront her problems and he learns how to make connections to a new person. Unfortunately, I felt the way "authorities" get involved seemed overly contrived. I also had a problem with how fast the mother was willing to adapt to a new life and accept her own eating disorder. I know nothing about people in this situation, but it seemed to me that a lifelong eating disorder would not be so easily capitulated.

~Disclaimer~
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Clara is a 16 year old living in New York City. Ever since she can was a small child she can remember her ballerina mother telling her to not eat certain foods. This has led her to developing an obsession with only eating 'healthy' food and doing a lot of exercise. She is told by her school counsellor that she has Orthorexia, obsessive behaviour in pursuit of a healthy diet that hinders everyday activities. After hearing this her mother begins to regret the unhealthy eating habits that she exposed to Clara growing up.
After being embarrassed online by a boy that she meets at a party Clara decides to spend the summer with her father in Paris. Her mother thinks that it will be good for Clara to spend some time with her father and get to know her little brother. Clara's brother Alastair has Autism Spectrum Disorder and she's only met him a few times. Clara doesn't know if she will be able to connect with hime because of it. Will Clara enjoy her time in Paris? Will she finally be able to admit that she has an eating disorder? The only thing that she can think of is "What will I eat?"

I thought that this book touches upon many different things.
1. Clara has an eating disorder.
2. She was raised not really knowing her father or his new family.
3. Her brother is on the spectrum of autism.
I feel that this book did a good job introducing these topics and making them relatable and realistic. It was interesting to hear Claras' inner dialogue when she thought about food and her body. It really shows what someone with an eating disorder goes through every time they eat or look in the mirror. This book also gives you a little insight into Autism and how someone with Autism relates to the world. I recommend this book to anyone. Everyone could do with learning about people that are different and hopefully having some compassion for them.



4/5 ⭐

This was a sweet little frolic through Paris! I was pretty keen to try this because I have a small need to go to Paris someday (living vicariously) and I'm always keen to find books that understand and well represent individuals on the Autism spectrum. And this book was wonderful for both these aspects! The only downside was that I felt the plot was a bit predictable and the summery-fling romance was underdeveloped.

Clara's little 6 year old brother, Alistair, is on the Autism spectrum and he was SO well represented! Autism runs in my family and my ASD 6yo nephew was so incredibly much like Alistair it was uncanny. I love reading a book where you can tell it's thoughtfully and lovingly researched. My only disagreeable moment came with how often they clarified that Alistair was "on the spectrum" but "Not Autistic". Erm, you either are ASD or you're not. And it's disparaging to continually put down the word like it's bad. I heartily wish the book had NOT done that.

I also loved seeing Paris! Touristy-centric books can get a little dull, but this kept all the outings exciting and interesting, while developing the complexity of Alistair and Clara's personalities and relationship! I really felt like I got to "see" Paris, which was nice. And it kept the book character-focused. Watching Clara interact with her brother and try new things and work towards admitting that she has an eating disorder and needs help, was all really particularly excellently written. Clara was a fabulous protagonist!

I wasn't sold, however, on the romance. Summer romances never seem particularly deep to me, and while I thought Michel was lovely (with his adoration of food and baking!) I felt he took it upon himself to "cure" Clara of her eating disorder. That's not his job. He should've loved her for who she was, but he made it clear that she'd need to fix herself before that could happen. Definitely not shipping this.

On The Spectrum was equal parts cute and heartfelt, and I enjoyed that it dealt with deeper and serious topics like eating disorders and broken families and learning to be yourself.

For some reason the synopsis doesn't say that much about the book I mean it was enough to get me interested in it but it's missing one important detail. In the beginning of the book Clara is diagnosed with orthorexia, throughout the book her family whom she doesn't know well, and boyfriend help her to come to terms with this. Clara has only seen her father a few times in her whole life, but not because he's a bad guy, he's not in it much and maybe not enough you don't get to know him well and it doesn't feel like Clara does either. There is some romance in this as usual I had problems with it but not for the usual reasons the love interest Michael aggravated me because he seemed to think he could cure Clara's eating disorder and kept trying to get her to eat foods she found repulsive. This isn't a story of love curing mental illness however the message that it doesn't work that way wasn't as strong as it should have been.

I think this could help people to understand orthorexia and autism spectrum disorder better but the representation is definitely did not seem perfect, I'm not an expert though. I think the main problem is the characters are two dimensional, it's partly because the book is so short, and this resulted in a few moments where Alastair felt like a bunch of symptoms instead of a fully developed character. I'm certain there's books with much better representation of ASD however I had never read a book before with a character who has orthorexia (or any eating disorder) and this is the only book I know of that features it. I appreciate that it teaches people about something that they might not have even heard of before I'm just not sure how well executed it was.

The center of the story is Clara getting to know her half brother Alastair, Alastair is a very sweet kid and my favorite character that's not saying much though I didn't particularly like or dislike any of the characters they are all underdeveloped. Alastair and Clara have a lovely well developed relationship much of the book is them exploring Paris these scenes were enjoyable but not as charming as I wanted them to be. The whole book wasn't as charming as I wanted it to be I wasn't expecting it to be amazing just a quick heartwarming read but it ended up being a just okay book for me, I liked the sweet moments between Clara and Alastair but everything else fell flat. Even though it's not a terrible book, it had it's good moments, but I don't think I'll be reading anything else by the author.

On the Spectrum follows 16-year-old, Clara to Paris where she meets her 6-year-old brother, Alastair. Alastair is on the autism spectrum. Clara has an obsession with healthy eating. Throughout this book, Clara and Alastair help each other in ways never thought possible.

This book taught me a lot about autism and being on the spectrum of autism that I didn't know. For instance, I didn't know there was such thing as on the spectrum which may be naive but that's why it's so important that we all read diverse books and that they get the publicity they deserve so everyone can be enlightened.

The way that Gold portrays Paris made me feel like I was actually there - tasting the food, looking at the scenery, smelling the scents around me. The world she has described is one of my favourite parts of the book.

This book about love, family bonds and being different will make your heart burst with happiness and hurt all at once.

**TW: Eating disorders**

I really enjoyed the premise of On the Spectrum and I loved the characters, but I felt like the plot lagged in the beginning and absolutely sped through the most important parts of Clara’s character development. After about 30 minutes of reading, I was wondering if I was reading a different book than the synopsis had promised when I requested it on NetGalley – and that’s never a good feeling.

Had everything felt more balanced, I would’ve rated this much higher. I loved the adventures of Alistair and Clara, and I thought the romance was appropriate and perfect – it didn’t distract from the sibling bonding that was far more important.



The writing

Nothing about Jennifer Gold’s writing did or did not stand out in On the Spectrum – not much to say here. I do love that she didn’t try to insert French into every single opportunity, only when it felt organic and natural. So many authors, when using multiple languages or sending characters to far-off countries, love to just throw in a few phrases here and there to remind everyone, “Hey, they’re in Spain!” and I’ve always found it obnoxious. I can’t keep up with it.

The characters

Clara is a 16 year old girl struggling with a dangerous and unhealthy obsession with eating healthy. It is haunting to hear some of the things she says and thinks, but I thought Gold painted her and her eating disorder with a realistic, albeit horrifying, brush. I’m thankful that Clara has a temper and loses her patience with Alistair, that she doesn’t fall madly in love with Michel but instead just acts on her feelings for him and lets that grow over time and that she doesn’t outright hate her father, just doesn’t know him. I think there was the opportunity for a lot of melodrama in Clara’s character. Minus a few parts of the plot, that wasn’t the case.

And Alistair is pretty amazing for a 6-year-old kid. Alistair is high functioning and is on the spectrum, and he is bullied in school for being different. But he loves food and loves to cook, and he wants very badly to be brave. I love watching him build a relationship with Clara. And I love when Clara apologizes and Alistair responds, “Why? You didn’t do anything.” He doesn’t realize that he is everything Clara needed that summer in Paris, but he really put her pieces back together.

The plot

This is what got me. Enough to go from a solid four-star read to two stars.

I blew through On the Spectrum in about two and a half hours, split between two plane rides, but I feel like I spent most of that time reading about Clara in New York with her mother and not in Paris with Alistair and her dad, where most of the actual plot development and character development happens. It takes forever, so it feels, to get Clara to Paris.

I’m not wild about the moment that pushes Clara to decide to up and leave New York, either. She kisses a boy at a party and he ends up being an aspiring investigative reporter and tweets about kissing her and then tweets the shitty things she said about her mother’s friend? I don’t know. Obviously, nothing like this has ever happened to me, so I can’t relate… but I would’ve been more likely to buy this plot point if Jacques had been pissed at Clara or if her mother had. It just didn’t feel right to me that she’d leave her life in New York over something like this.

And once Clara is in Paris, everything moves so quickly. It’s lovely to watch Clara and Alistair become close and to see Alistair start to trust his sister, but I had less than 30 minutes left in the book (thanks for that, Kindle!) when she blows up on Michel at a fancy dinner he arranged for her, learns that her mother broke her hip, admits out loud that she has an eating disorder, gives Alistair a nut-infested cookie, sends Alistair to the ER and reunites with Michel. Are you tired? I was.

In conclusion…

I loved this sweet, sweet story about Clara learning to love herself and learning to love Alistair all at once. It really was an enjoyable read, not at all miserable – I just needed more from the plot than the quick minute lap around Paris that I got.

It was such a unique book, I hadn't read anything like it before.