I liked the message behind this graphic novel, but I wasn't a big fan of the artwork. I also thought that some parts were pretty cliched in a book like this with the bullying and the characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me access to the free advanced digital copy of this book.

This was FANTASTIC. I loved not only the representation, but also the way they worked through serious issues like identity and feeling comfortable in your body and who you are. As well as bullying! It was fantastic.

I adored this. Such a great autism representation with a wonderful message of learning to advocate for yourself even when you need to do so with your own family. This will be great for this summer's theme of Find Your Voice.

This was such a great middle great book with autism representation. Loved the message about being true to yourself and who you are.
Mia is bullied at school for her autism. She turns to music as her way to be creative and has become an online star though she has kept her identity secret. The lyrics are beautiful.
The illustrations are beautiful and I love the colors.
This is such a great graphic novel for middle grade readers.

This was such a great middle grade novel about how we all have different strengths and when we be ourselves we can shine in this world despite what some people may think!

Thank you to Netgalley for the review copy of Speak Up! by Rebecca Burgess. This was a sweet graphic novel about Mia, who is trying to navigate the halls of middle school with autism. What her classmates don't know is that she is ALSO Elle-Q, the singing sensation taking the internet by storm (with the help of her friend Charlie). This is a sweet graphic novel about discovering your identity in a world where you don't know how to fit in. The art is beautifully rendered and the story is hopeful.

A solid story here about being true to yourself while also caring about others. It's about finding true friends, like a lot of middle grade fiction, but more about using your voice for positive change. A bit idealized but ultimately solid reading for the middle grade set.

A wonderfully illustrated graphic novel that manages to be heartfelt, well-paced, and emotive. This was a real winner for me.

I read one chapter and immediately knew this was a book we had to have in our library. This graphic novel highlights the life of a girl on the autism spectrum who is relentlessly bullied at school and has a hidden life as a viral pop star. Her courage in her art enables to grow braver "IRL." This kind of story may seem trite, but the details of our main characters' specific autistic experience, how stimming brings her joy but also ridicule from peers, for example, make the work absolutely shine. A must-have graphic novel.

I knew as soon as I looked at the illustrations of this graphic novel that our BSC, Click, and similar GN fans would be eager to read this one as well. With a strong portrayal of diverse characters (autism, nonbinary) and the travails of middle school friendship, it is real and honest to the lives of my students -- while also teaching compassion and celebration of difference. We have 2 copies and they've both been flying off the shelf.

Speak Up! follows Mia as she handles being autistic in a world that doesn't understand her experiences and perspectives. She relies frequently on her love of music to get her through her days. Her on-screen alter ego is gaining a lot of recognition from the very same peers who are not kind to her at school and she is forced to make some decisions about where her priorities will be.

I really enjoyed everything about this graphic novel- beautiful illustrations with a beautiful story. Autism is represented too infrequently in writing and stories like this one are vital to increasing understanding in those who will never know what it is like.

We meet an autistic girl named Mia who finds herself ostracized by her peers at school. She channels her feelings into writing songs with her friend Charlie and also sings their songs in costume. They gain a lot of popularity and soon Charlie wants them to perform in a talent show together. I was impressed by how the author wrote the story about a girl trying to navigate the world. I was cheering for Mia and feel that many readers who pick up this book will too!

An adorable little graphic novel about a middle-schooler with autism who moonlights as a popular online singer with the help of her LGBT friend Charlie. It's an honest look at what a kid with autism can face in a school that doesn't know how to help them and a parent who thinks they need to be "fixed" and shows that people are just fine exactly the way they are.

I got an ARC of this book.

I read this one night when my insomnia was winning. So I can't promise that my memories of the book are complete.

I am autistic and ace just like the author. So I got excited. I didn't love the author's other work, but I wanted to try again. This was a much better read for me. It had more heart and I could relate so much more than I could before.

My biggest issue is the bullying around being autistic is never really addressed. The kids are pretty much told they are bullies and that it isn't ok. The mom is never addressed to the degree that her bullying is shown. The mom is the biggest bully in the whole story. The ending has her finally supporting the MC, but it feels like too little too late considering the bullying appears to have been YEARS of bullying. It was very ABA/Autism Speaks stuff. It was gross and it wasn't addressed enough for me to rate this higher than three stars. If this had been addressed more then I could rate this four stars. It would show that bullies are bullies, no matter who they are. It would have been so powerful.

I did like that the friendships that the MC had were complicated. That she had a rich social life, despite the stereotypes of autistic people. It felt freeing. I loved how the talent show was down to do accommodations without hesitation. It really showed that not all people are awful. That when barriers are dropped people can do more. It shows just how important supporting people and making things actually inclusive means.

I did have an issue with the way that the music was seen as the best thing ever. Huge fan base (at least within the school). It felt disingenuous. Middle school kids aren't musical geniuses generally. Middle school concerts and talent shows are often painful to sit through. So having this be a huge "I AM IN CONCERT" moment just felt fake and brought me out of the story. If there had been some stumbles like a missed note drawn in or something to show that her heart made it powerful instead of magical musical powers it would have been so great. The way it stood felt to magical to be real. I didn't take any points off, because this is such a normal trope in middle grade books, but it is one that always annoys me. People who are not perfect are amazing too. If you love something you should do it, even if you aren't the best. If you love it, you are truly the best. Keep going. Those are the sorts of messages I want in middle grade novels, its more realistic and it hits home more for the kids who struggle.

I loved the art. It was cute and really fit the story perfectly. That is one of the reasons I had to try Burgess again.

Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC!
I struggled with this book. The portrayal of the main character was extremely relatable and realistic. However, despite how great of a job Burgess does in depicting the harsher sides of Autism/ASD, the ending felt a little too rushed, especially with the subplots.

It's about time where we see a main character that doesn't fit the mold! Mia has a secret identity and talent that has gone viral struggles with the idea of going public. In the real world she is bullied and struggle with socializing with her peers. Mia's friend encourages her to perform at the school talent show, but the idea is so overwhelming it almost ruins their friendship. Mia's parents aren't much help either. Their hearts are in the right place, but they just don't understand. Will Mia and Charlie's friendship survive? Will her parents ever just chill? What will the other kids think?

Thank you NetGalley and Quill Tree Book for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I really enjoyed this book! I’ll definitely have to check out the authors other books!

This was a really great graphic novel about Mia, a young autistic girl, and her best friend Charlie. They create an online alter ego for Mia to express herself and how she feels about her autism. What she doesn’t realize is how viral Elle-Q is going to go! Soon enough Elle-Q is the talk of Mias school. Will she reveal who she is to the school? Or keep it between Charlie and herself?

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

A really moving and wonderful graphic novel about a young autistic girl who is heavily bullied in class and is being raised by her Mom who is overprotective and a worrier. But the girl has a secret life in which she and her friend record music and videos in which she sings about her autism and her feelings and dons a superhero suit to protect her identity. The girl and boy are getting ready for a talent show and I don't want to divulge too much of the plot here. But I will say that the story was very moving, very well done, and I say this as a 70 year old Dad of three grown children. This is a fantastic graphic novel and completely delivers. Highly recommended!

This was a great read about a girl who has been limiting herself due to her autism. Her mom is perhaps holding her back as well. I love that she has an alter-ego and she's able to communicate with a could-be friend as "Elle-Q". Great messages about friendship, taking risks, and being kind even when it's hard.