Member Reviews
Tilly is going to spend 3 months as an intern, travelling across Europe with her sister's start-up. She wants this to be an opportunity to grow and figure what her next step is now that she has graduated. Oliver is attending university in the fall and is doing an internship in graphic design at the same start-up. Tilly brings a lot of chaos to Oliver's structured life, but they begin to discover their neurodiverse connection seems to bring out the best in each other.
I thought the voice in this book was great and the author did a great job making the characters seem like realistic teens. Mazey Eddings does such a good job writing inner dialogue and capturing the thoughts of neurodiverse individuals.
I loved reading about Tilly and Oliver's adventures through Europe. Even more I liked to see Tilly become more comfortable with herself, and develop a more positive relationship with her sister. I also loved to see how Tilly tried to connect with her parents and struggled so much, but she kept persisting in her own way.
The autistic and ADHD representation in this book was spot on. I loved so much of Oliver and Tilly and the way their minds worked. Mazey Eddings does an excellent job talking about the constant pressure of neurodiverse individuals to change to meet "the norm" rather than their brains and voices being important and valued. Even more, she speaks of the importance of neurodiverse voices being the focal point, rather than that of parents of neurodiverse individuals. I thought the conversations between Tilly and Oliver were so authentic, especially when they spoke of how their brains worked and the things they needed.
I am the parent of a neurodiverse child and saw so much of Oliver and Tilly in my son and absolutely loved how the author educated us on autism, ADHD and belonging without sounding preachy. There were so many quotes I read out to my son and he 100% agreed with. This was such a wonderful book and would be great for all young adults to pick up and read! Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% mine.
3 stars to this very sweet and necesary read for young adults!
I've loved Mazey Eddings ever since I read The Plus One. She has an incredible ability to write about serious topics that other authors just...can't do as well. She has so much understanding, compassion, and sensitivity in her writing and I'm really excited that she wrote one for young adults.
I think Tilly and Oliver's stories are incredibly neccesary and important. Their relationship was very sweet. My 3 stars is more factored in with the ending, as well as the fact that it felt like this wasn't for me. The ending felt rushed to say the least. I was a bit surprised by it. And while I have no doubt that this will be a great read for those in this age group, as well as fellow neurodivergent individuals, I think I'm more on the level of reading Edding's adult romance novels like The Plus One. So please take this 3 stars as more of a, this was not my favorite story of all time but I still think the story is wonderful and Mazey Edding's has something in her that other authors simply do not have and can't replicate as authentically, compassionately, and lovingly as well as she does.
Thank you to St Martin's Press and Wednesday Books for the chance to review this! Very excited to read more of Edding's work in the future!
Quite literally Mazey’s best work yet !!!! Absolutely adored Tilly & Oliver and saw so much of myself in them. Mazey has become one of my favorite authors this year and the stories she creates are so special
Tilly is a recent high school graduate who knows what she wants from the future but her parents are constantly trying to convince her that a college education and a stable job are the next steps. A summer abroad interning for her sister's successful company is supposed to help Tilly see what she could gain from a proper education, but her handsome airplane seatmate may just give her the courage to pursue her actual dreams.
Tilly in Technicolor sold me on the cover, yet I was a bit hesitant to let myself love the writing inside at first. As the story went on I got swept in and I didn't want to put it down. Tilly, Oliver, Mona, and Amina's adventures across Europe are truly the perfect for anyone's summer reading list. There is also great ADHD and autism representation. I loved a lot of the conversations between Tilly and Oliver, the characters were so funny. The pop culture references were subtle and well done, which is something I appreciated. Unfortunately, there were some cheesy moments, the ending was too quickly wrapped up for my taste, and some things were left a little unresolved (perhaps, like her adult novels, there will be stories for the side characters?), but overall it was a solid read.
It was admittedly nicer when Mazey Eddings took a step back from explaining Tilly's ADHD and Oliver's autism and let the readers see what life with ADHD/autism is like through the lens of her characters. Of course, it was important that Eddings mentioned their diagnoses and gave those very specific explanations for readers, but it was cool in those moments where ADHD or autism weren't even mentioned but you could still see it shining through the characters. I really did like the characters being open about their struggles even if it was just in their head while we were reading from their POV. It is so important to have books like this out in the world.
There were so many moments that I have highlighted in my little eARC where I was like "aha! that's how my brain works," and Tilly and Oliver's story really gave me a sense of hope and inspiration. I felt so comforted by this novel and I am a woman in my twenties, I can only imagine what it will be like for teenagers who pick this one up. (Side note: When I finished it, I started bursting into song, creating a Tilly and Oliver playlist in my head instead of putting one on, like, Spotify. They are truly inspiring characters haha.)
Tilly, who has ADHD, and Oliver, who is autistic are both interns for the summer for Tilly's older sister Mona. Tilly is running away from her parent's ideas and future plans for her and trying to find out who she really is. Tilly is a beautiful writer who finds a renewed love for writing again.
Oliver knows everything there is to know about colours and working as Mona's social media intern.
Tilly and Oliver find themselves in some funny predicaments and have to get past some issues.
I enjoyed reading this book because of the ADHD rep. I felt a lot of the feelings in this book and it opened my eyes to a few things.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc
Tilly, who is neurodivergent, is headed on a European trip with her sister's company as an intern. On the way, she meets Oliver, another neurodivergent teen. They connect over their travels though the two of them feel like they might not be alike initially.
As someone with ADHD and having a child with ADD, this was so wonderful to read. I could really identify with Tilly and everything she struggles with. It was hard to read how her parents seem to want to just kind of ignore that she has struggles and they want to treat her just like her sister. I try so hard to make sure my child has the best setup to be their own true self.
Mazey Eddings does a wonderful job with the characters. Tilly and Oliver were alive through the pages. This book was a fantastic read!
Thanks to NetGalley, St Martins Press, and Mazey Eddings for the e-ARC. This review is my own opinion.
From the beginning, I knew I was going to love this book.
Tilly In Technicolor opens with Tilly packing for her trip out of the country and (more importantly) away from her parents. She’s stressed by her parents’ ambitions for her as well as the way they treat her ADHD and is in desperate need of a break.
Unfortunately, things go wrong almost immediately on her trip when she finds out she doesn’t have the window seat. Then, she tries to talk to the cute boy next to her, only for him to ignore her. And then she spills ketchup on her shirt. Then she throws up. Then–
Okay, you get it.
I was in love with the writing style of this book immediately. The author does a perfect job of making these characters sound like realistic teens while also making them highly relatable. I think a lot of readers are going to see themselves in at least one character, and for me in particular, that was Tilly. We had a lot of the same views of the world and how we want to exist in it, and I absolutely loved her from the moment I met her.
I also loved the way Tilly and Oliver, the boy she meets on the plane, understood each other so intrinsically and connected through their neurodiversity. Similar to how I enjoyed seeing myself in Tilly, I enjoyed how she got to connect with someone who understood her and felt supported throughout this book.
The character development in this book and relationships between the characters were really nice to read as well! Tilly’s relationship with her parents and her older sister grows throughout this story as they begin understanding each other, which was something I was really hoping to see when I saw how harmful their treatment of each other was in the beginning. As well, Oliver’s friendships with his sister and his best friend brought a lot of levity to this book, making for some of my favorite scenes.
However, I will say that this book felt slow and sluggish at times. There were multiple points where I felt like I had been reading for hours, only to find out I hadn’t even passed 100 pages!
Still, I really enjoyed this book, and I highly recommend that everyone picks it up and reads it for themselves!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ <b>TILLY IN TECHNICOLOR</b> by Mazey Eddings
<b><i>Perfect for Fans of:</i></b>
❤️ First Love
🚅 European Travels
🛴 Coming of Age
🛏️ Only One Bed
🧠 Neurodiversity Rep (ADHD & Autism)
I can't imagine anyone is going to surpass Mazey Eddings in sheer amount of books I've absolutely loved this year. Spoiler Alert: I've loved everything she's put out so far. She's now an auto-buy for me. This is her first YA offering and it does not disappoint.
I should mention before anyone picks this up and expects it to be just like her adult offerings, it's not. It has the things I love about Eddings books- excellent writing, rich description, emotional complexity, wit, lovable characters - but it's very YA. This novel is extremely character driven and has a lot more inner monologue than her other books do. You are definitely going to realize very quickly that you're in the brains of two teenagers. Eddings has an uncanny way of transporting you there fully. (For better or worse because yes, sometimes reading teenagers as an adult can be quite frustrating.)
Traipsing through Europe with this band of characters was quite the ride. (The band names had me cracking up.) I loved many of the side characters and the setting was perfection. All around entertaining read. I'd definitely shelf this for older YA. Maybe grades 10 and up? There is some mild cursing and closed-door sex scenes, but it's definitely kept to the YA level.
"You’ll always be the place that feels most like home.”
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with the ARC! Mazey is one of those authors whose work I trust completely, and Tilly in Technicolor did not disappoint. It is an exceptionally beautiful love story, especially for a young adult novel. Although it doesn't contain any explicitly "sexy" scenes, the build-up is there, and the book does discuss the importance of safe sex. With Mazey's incredible wit and banter, she creates a love story that resonates with teenagers who want to feel seen and understood.
The two main characters, Tilly (FMC) and Ollie (MMC), are incredibly relatable, and it's refreshing to see neurodivergent characters portrayed in a story without making it the central focus. Mazey writes both characters so beautifully that they grow and thrive independently. Tilly especially shines as her neurodivergent brain is portrayed in her blog posts, which is a great representation of ADHD from someone who has it. From the first chapter, the book had me hooked, and I found myself laughing and holding my heart until the very end. Throughout the story, I felt a strong desire to give Tilly a bear hug and let her know that she is seen and understood, which is precisely what Ollie does.
Side note: I hope Cubby gets her own story because she was definitely one of the best side characters I’ve read in a while.
I’ve read all of Mazey Eddings adult romance novels and enjoyed them all so when I saw she had a YA novel coming out I thought I would check it out and I’m glad to say that I enjoyed it.
This book tackles themes often found in YA stories about finding your path but also had commentary and perspective regarding neurodivergence as the the main characters have ADHD and autism. I personally found the themes relating to neurodivergence more interesting to read about as an adult reader and liked reading about this perspective from an author with both ADHD and autism.
As for the main romance, I found it very endearing and sweet to read about two main characters who at first don’t quite mesh but then find facets of one another they can relate to.
I would say what mostly took away from the book for me was that I am an adult reading a YA novel. Some YA books have a lot appeal for multiple age demographics, I would not say this is once of those books. This was very clearly YA and had themes that are prevalent in the YA genre that I wasn’t particularly interested in reading about. So it was more of a me problem than the actual book.
This was something I think those who like reading about Mental Health would enjoy and also for people who want a simple YA to read.
This book was an absolute DELIGHT to read. As a neurodiverse person myself, the way Tilly was written was so realistic and, at times, the language used to describe her brain was the exact verbiage I use to describe myself. AND THE NEURODIVERGENT JOY - the feelings of sharing such huge parts of yourself with others who truly get it is such an incredible experience and this was written so true to what it feels like. “Couples that stim together stay together” - I CAN’T! This story truly felt like being seen and made me remember how truly unique that feeling of belonging is when you first meet others who understand. It was a joy and I will be sharing with my ND friend group as soon as it’s released!
loved this romance and her trying to find love and finding herself. loved the friends and and the romance. I would read this author again. I really enjoyed the pacing and how the story and the character worked things out.
Once again, I am in love with a Mazey Eddings book! I have been here since the beginning with Brush With Love, Lizzes Blake's Best Mistake, and The Plus One. I became so excited when I saw I had the opportunity to read an arc of Tilly In Techincolor. I didn't even read the synopsis; Mazey Edding is on the short list of authors I will read - no question! I am not a typical YA reader, but I am so glad I read this book.
Tilly and Oliver meet on a plan; it's not the best meet cute by any means. Tilly has just graduated from high school and is spending the summer as an intern for her "overachieving" and perfect sister. Tilly was diagnosed with ADHD, and it hasn't been easy for her mother to accept it. Learning the 'typical" way doesn't work for Tilly, so the thought of attending college is just out of the question - but her parents insist she enrolls at college but to first use her time with her sister and an opportunity to figure out her life. An awful lot of pressure for any 18-year-old, but to someone with ADHD, it's oppressive.
Oliver is returning to England for an internship and then heading to university. He's autistic, and flying on a plane isn't an ideal scenario for him. Being sat next to Tilly could be the worse possible scenario of all. Oliver is so put together, and Tilly is a bit "fly by the seat of my pants" kind of girl!
Of course, these two are forced together because they are interning at Tilly's sister Mona's company!
There is a little enemies-to-lovers vibe with these two but even more than that is watching these two neurodiverse people find a way to learn about each other and co-exist with each other, and the friendship that begins is beautiful to watch.
Even the other characters in the book are lovely. Mazey Eddings shows diversity in so many ways!
Except for the other 3 Mazey Eddings books, I have only had a few opportunities to learn about neurodiversity. Mazey Eddings shows us another view of the world with grace, love, and respect.
I have a child (young adult) who has ADHD, and I learned how she might be experiencing life, and it was eye-opening. Thank you, Mazey Eddings
This is one of my all-time favorite YA books, up there with Slammed and Hopeless by Colleen Hoover!
Mazey Eddings has done it again. Her YA debut takes the same level of heart, care, and craft as Eddings' previous books and translates that into a fresh, honest, and heartwarming YA love story. From the start, so much of neurodivergent main characters Tilly and Oliver are shared in relatable and honest fashion. I loved this book from start to finish and couldn't be happier to have read it. I wish I'd had this book when I was a teen, and I'm so grateful it exists today.
Mazey Eddings can do no wrong! Tilly and Oliver are adorable, and I appreciate how Eddings always includes a mental health element into her books. It brings the characters to life, and makes reading less fictional
This book is an exquisite portrayal of Tilly and Ollie's heartwarming journey. Tilly, a young woman with a clear vision for her future, faces the pressure of her parents' expectations, particularly her older sister, Mona, who is a college graduate and a successful business owner. Seeking an escape from her critical mother, Tilly eagerly joins Mona's nail polish company tour, serving as a hand model. However, Tilly's journey is further complicated by her struggle with ADHD, a condition her mother often overlooks while pushing Tilly to make life-altering decisions.
During the flight to London, where Tilly is set to meet her sister, she finds herself seated next to Oliver, a fellow employee working for Mona. Their initial interactions are rocky, but as time goes on, their paths intertwine in unexpected ways. Oliver, who is on the autism spectrum, feels a magnetic pull towards Tilly, even though he struggles to comprehend it. As Tilly models nail polish for Mona's company, she and Oliver develop their own unique means of communication, with Oliver capturing her beauty through his photography.
The book artfully alternates between Tilly and Oliver's perspectives, offering readers a glimpse into their intricate neurodivergent minds as they navigate moments of confusion, brilliance, stagnation, and triumph. Oliver's adoration for Tilly, even before fully understanding his feelings, is nothing short of heart-melting. His love for her radiates throughout the pages, making it one of the sweetest aspects of the story. Tilly, on the other hand, evokes a strong desire to embrace her tightly and assure her of her immeasurable worth. There's a particular moment when Oliver expresses this sentiment to Tilly, encapsulating the essence of their connection in the most endearing way.
This book masterfully captures the beauty of love, self-discovery, and personal growth. It provides a poignant exploration of communication and connection between individuals with neurodivergent experiences. Readers will find themselves captivated by the characters' journey, feeling a genuine desire to see them flourish and find happiness. Overall, this heart-melting tale will leave a lasting impression, and readers will be left yearning for more moments with these endearing characters.
There is so much I want to say about this book,Tilly in Technicolor—I don’t know where to start. Author Maxey Eddings has given us two extraordinary characters, Tilly and Oliver. Both of them are neurodivergent, and their first meeting isn’t cute at all—it’s an absolute disaster. But meeting them this way, and getting a true glimpse into them was a gift—because by the end not only did they understand each other, but I understood them better, too. Seeing the world through their eyes and through their feelings was hard sometimes, but also joyous! Tilly radiates and shines, from her head to her toes, and watching Oliver slowly and even reluctantly get drawn into her orbit was remarkable. Their emotions are so incredibly complicated, their ways of living and loving and seeing the world were exuberant and jubilant but at the same time they were baffling and agonizing. Tilly is a marvel, and I feel privileged to have gotten to truly know her. I recommend that EVERYONE read this book, from preteens to seasoned adults, to gain sympathy, understanding and compassion for those whose brains work differently from ours. Many readers may see themselves in these characters, too—teenagers who might identify with Tilly and Oliver, and adults who may see themselves as Tilly’s mom. So I thank the author for writing these characters and their stories—they were entertaining and endearing, and I felt honored to spend time with them. The author dedicated this book to “neurodivine” individuals. I’m not even sure that’s a real world but it’s my new favorite word. What a better world this would be if we saw these wonderful people as a gift to us all!
4⭐️ – this is Mazey’s debut into the YOUNG ADULT world, and I really liked it! I am familiar and LOVE her writing style, so I knew she’d deliver on:
• Dual POV
• 10/10 banter
• Sweet and kind and honest MCs
• The best supporting characters
• Neurodivergent rep
• LGBTQIA+ rep
Tilly and Oliver have the most hilarious meet-cute, and thought they’d never see each other again… until they find out they’re spending ALL summer together! Tilly and Ollie were just the most wonderful post-secondary kiddos EVER! I wanted to hug them, hang out with them and laugh with them. Mazey gave us honest, vulnerable, and thoughtful characters and I just loved the storyline!
At times I felt like there was more telling than showing, and I wish there were more on Mona and Amina, and Cubby, and the other supporting characters. But I do realize this was a journey for T+O, and the journey into finding people who love them for who they are.
Wow what an incredibly inspiring, heartwarming book.
This is by far my favourite Mazie Eddings book by far.
First off thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this arc. I love it so so much!
Now I know our author Mazie here is neurodivergent having both Autism and ADHD. And in this novel she hits a lot of points through out. Educating people about stimming, and how different people function with these diagnosis.
Our main characters Oliver and Tilly are so awkwardly loveable, clumsy, hilariously honest people. Who come together once they realize they’re a lot similar than they originally thought. They spend all summer together interning and Tilly ends up learning so much and becoming the person she’s meant to be.
Mending relationships with her mom, her sister and even with her own self and becoming more self confident. This book made me smile and laugh so much, it’s just the cutest writing and how could you not fall in love with this book.
This was such a fun dual POV YA read.
The story centers around Tilly. She’s a disorganized but lovable ball of energy and emotion, with a heart of gold. Tilly has ADHD and is trying to find her place in the world and figure out what to do with herself now high school is done.
Her overbearing parents send her to Europe to intern at her older sister’s nail polish start up. On the plane she meets Oliver. He’s orderly, neat, and an emotionally closed book—her exact opposite. Turns out, he’s also a summer intern at her sister’s company and her traveling room mate for the summer. Despite their differences, she’s drawn to him and soon discovers that he has autism.
The pair are a perfect compliment and so sweet and understanding with each other. Their relationship development was beautifully written and a delight to read. It was equally lovely to see Tilly find her groove career wise—sharing her inner thoughts on a social media blog, writing for magazines, and helping out her sister’s company with hand modeling and more.
As for the side characters, they were all so memorable, multi-dimensional, and fun and really added to the story.
Highly recommend! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.