Member Reviews
Like with most anthologies, you're always going to like some contributors more than others. I liked a bunch of them, but some had art styles I didn't connect with, and some I skipped completely because the style was too heavy on my senses.
I did feel like I was among friends while reading this; I felt understood. Things like autistic burnout and the various misunderstandings we experience when trying to communicate with neurotypicals was relatable.
Overall, I'm a bit disappointed by how I felt about it, but I think I'm one of the few people who didn't love this, so that may just be a me-problem. 😅
This was such a good and quick read! I loved seeing different perspectives from different autistic creators, and they were very insightful!
Throughout the whole book you definitely see how autism is experienced differently by each and every person.
I really liked most of the art styles, but there were a few I wasn't the biggest fan of.
4/5 stars
This book is about life as a person in the spectrum, is an antology with a bunch of different stories written by different people.
As a person that is not in the spectrum I didn't like this book. I was intrigued that the stories were told by people on the spectrum and not family members or non-neurodivergent experts. I was expecting to find something informative that could help me understand a little more about how is to live as an autistic person, but a lot of them didn't help at all. Some of them were really good, but if you want to know a little more about autism, I don't think this book would help, at least it didn't help me.
A nice variety. Really does show you that it is a SPECTRUM and not every person is going to have the same experience. Love hearing about different people's experiences
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Overall, I did like Sensory and I think books/comics like these are really important to write and have as there isn't much out there from the perspectives of autistic people. Some of the themes and ideas in the book are helpful and informative, and overall an easy read.
Although, the concept of this being an anthology is a great idea, I wasn't particularly impressed with how it turned out, there were definitely some comics/art styles I preferred over others (art is obviously subjective) but really found that it wasn't cohesive with how it moved around from comic to comic. I know there was a contents page at the start but I think each new comic should have been introduced (e.g. title, author/artist and maybe a little line). I think it was somewhat grouped in relevant areas, but still I think it could be more refined.
4 stars - It was really good
This was a great anthology of comics about autism. There are over 30 autistic artists that participated in this anthology and each presented an emotional and impactful comic. I loved the variety of artistic styles presented in this collection.
*ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review.*
This is a lovely anthology by 40 people who are autistic who share their thoughts and feelings about being neuro-divergent. Some are stories about their childhoods, others are how they discovered they are autistic. There are tons of tips on how to help yourself if you think you may be autistic and how to handle sensory overload. The art varies wildly, but they all feel authentic, as each person expresses themselves and tried to communicate their message.
This graphic novel anthology gave me many mixed feelings. I find the book incredibly important and most of the stories were thoughtful and I learned a lot. However, some of the stories were repetitive. In fact, quite a few of them were. You can’t explain that everyone’s experience is different and then write a bunch of stories that mirror each other.
Sensory: Life on the Spectrum is an anthology of comics created by people with autism to help people understand and learn what autism is and how it effects people who have it.
Most of the stories were interesting and I enjoyed educating myself on what autism is and what it may be to each individual. Most of the artwork was beautiful, its obvious this group of creators are very talented. I find that I enjoy books that teach me about other people, and this was a very unique and inventive way to learn.
Thank you to Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for an advance copy of this anthology.
This is a really beautiful collection of comics by various autistic artists and as an allistic ally I deeply appreciate the care and openness that shine through the pages. I really loved some comics and others left me unfazed, this is the nature of a collection like this; I have some criticism about how the order of the comics was apparently random (I would have loved if similar comics were grouped in sections) and it’s apparent that the storytelling and artistic skills of some of the artists needed maybe some polish if compared to other ones. I still enjoyed the read and I think it’s very important to keep publishing own voices book like this one.
Thank you to Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for an advance copy of the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
This anthology takes you into the perspective of autistic people and I found it very useful even for those who, like me, are not part of this world.
Thanks to it, now I know how to approach an autistic person without making them feel uncomfortable.
It explains the aspects of autism told by more than 40 different artists, also including tips on how to deal with certain situations!
They did a really great job and I found the graphic novel very accurate!
I liked some art styles more than others but anyway you can see that everyone has put a part of them and their heart into this project!
Absolutely recommended!
I loved this book so much! As the parent of an autistic child who struggles to express herself, this gave me a better insight into her mind and emotions. The art is beautiful and the information is useful! I will be recommending this to all my friends and family members!
Comic anthologies have been hitting it out of the park lately. This collection was no different. Inclusive, educational, supportive. It's a gift of that so many of us need and another tool to understanding ourselves and others. Whether you're neurodivergent or know someone who is, this is an important look into the daily lives and realities that a huge number of people face. I highly recommend this book and hope to see more works like it in the future.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.
4.5 stars rounded up! Thank you Netgalley for this e-ARC in exchange for honest feedback.
I have never read a graphic novel/nonfiction comic anthology before, but this was an incredible option to be my first. The spectrum (no pun intended) of perspectives, emotions, advice, and stories that make up all the different life experiences of these 40 Autistic creators was truly remarkable.
Let's talk about the artwork first, I've never seen so many different styles in one collection before. I found some art styles that blew me away and had stunning graphics/coloring, while others weren't my cup of tea but were still accompanied by unique and important stories. I was compelled from start to finish by the bite-sized narratives presented by each artist. I was reassured to know that I was already aware of many things that are significant to the Autistic community, but I was also pleased to learn about more areas with which I was less familiar.
That being said, let's discuss the representation next. All I want to do is send wild applause and hugs (if so desired) to each contributor, but especially Bex Ollerton (or @SCHNUMN). I am not Autistic myself, but I do have ADHD and Trichotillomania. Those disorders will never qualify me to speak on behalf of another community or to assume I fully understand the full scope of what an Autistic person may go through on a daily basis. Even so, there were still several comics throughout this anthology that directly aligned with my own experiences which made me feel both seen and comforted.
I was also pleasantly surprised by the range of emotion and viewpoints represented. There were plenty of comics dedicated to the struggles that come with navigating the social world as an Autistic person, but some of my favorites were ones that highlighted more than just the hard parts. "Tips For Autistic Adult Life" by T Catt and "Autistic Joy" by Taylor Reynolds stood out among the rest for me. The artwork combined with the positivity + practical advice in those two left a strong impact on me.
I would highly recommend this graphic novel, especially to teachers, healthcare workers, mental health practitioners, and anyone who is a member of the Autistic community.
Note: The 2 reasons I didn't rate this the full 5 stars: 1) there were some comics with artwork very much outside of my preference, which is to be expected and not at all shocking with 40 different styles present, and 2) reading this as an e-arc was very difficult due to some font sizes, a physical would've been much better for this medium. I will be looking to add a physical copy to my classroom library when this comes out!
This is a comic anthology written by autistic artists depicting various aspects of autistic life such as being diagnosed (including self-diagnosis), meltdowns, masking, autistic joy, and so on. I really appreciated all the different art styles and getting a peek into what being autistic is like. I thought this was formatted well and, although the comics were different, they flowed well together. I highly recommend to autistics and allistics alike!
This anthology of brief graphic vignettes of what these autistic graphic artists have learned about their autism is a delight. The art is delightfully varied while the message is uniformly self-affirming. Many of the contributions pounded on the same themes of self-acceptance and self-care but this is exactly what autistic people need to hear, over and over again, after enduring a lifetime of harmful messages.
I believe this upbeat graphic-novel anthology will help anyone who is coming to terms with their own autism. It's full of heart, and help. 100% endorse.
Thank you to Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for an advance copy of this anthology.
As an autistic person I had high hopes before reading this anthology and it exceeded my expectations. The contrast between the 40 different autistic comic artists is amazing. I really enjoyed the different POVs, I went through a whirlwind of emotions; I laughed, I smiled, I cried. I would definitely recommend this book to autistic and allistic people. I will be purchasing a copy for myself and for anyone I think that would benefit from reading it in my life.
great collections of comics. learned a lot about autism. i am disabled myself so I know how hard it could be for people like us so reading about people who accepted themselves and managing their lives and mental health with happiness was satisfying to read. it will always be hard but atleast we can make peace with ourselves.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy.
Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for an advance review copy of this graphic novel. It was quite the overwhelming read at times.
I am an autistic adult, self-diagnosed as of yet, and parent to a diagnosed autistic child. Some of these comics spoke to me and I'm really hoping some speak to my child. I'm hoping that they speak to other autistic people and help them feel understood. That, I find, is very key to understanding and accepting yourself as an autistic person. All the doctors and family members talking at you or seemingly so is different than feeling like someone else gets it in a experienced kind of way.
I loved this anthology and collaboration of comics by artists with autism. It not only is a collection to teach and inform, but also to evoke many emotions. As a lover of art and graphics, the variety of artists featured are very talented in their artistic abilities, but also in their raw storytelling.
This is such a fantastic book. I immediately shared it with a few friends and would love to purchase a hard copy. I highly recommend this book to everyone - whether you are living with autism or not.