Autism representation in a way I haven't seen before.

So I have read plenty of books with Autism representation and enjoyed most of them. One issue that I have with some though is that my Autism is usually a bit more disabling than most characters in books. In my experience most books have Autistic characters showing level 1 Autism. In the Netherlands we don't use levels so personally I'm not diagnosed with a level, but with me living in a 24/7 care institute for managing my Autism I would say I'm somewhere around level 2. I haven't found any kind of person like me on that regard in books before. Most Autistic protagonists live on their own if they're adults and manage their daily life without needing to speak social workers daily. They don't have meltdowns that need professional intervention else they don't go away. And that's okay, those Autistic people definitely exist and deserve their representation too. But representation with someone like me I haven't seen before I read this book.

This book, is one big exception and made me feel incredibility seen. The main character of this book has self destructive stims. Stims they can't hold back even if they try. And I don't do those myself anymore, I very much used to in my childhood. Seeing that on page, humanized in a way that makes it just a part of Autism and not something infantalizing, made me feel at home in this book from the start.
One thing in the Autism representation that also really stood out to me is that you can read the character getting stuck on mental things. I struggle with this the most myself in my daily life, that I just don't understand things, even with multiple explanations by brain can't grasp it. But also getting stuck on thoughts and spiraling from there was something that very much happened in the book. These scenes were both beautiful and painful to read. It was like a big mirror in front of me that made me understand myself better from an outward perspective which was nice, but also a big confrontation with my own limits. It was good, but definitely hard as well.

Outside of the Autism representation the book is very much about moving on from a relationship that ended. I read a lot of romance books where the whole plot is basically the opposite, so for a change seeing the aftermath when things don't work out was beautiful in it's own way. Breaking up with your partner is messy and can leave you unmoored for a long while and this book showed all sides of that struggle. The main character was living his own life but kept relating everything back to their partner and just wasn't able to mentally move on. Seeing him slowly work through his feelings made me look back on my own breakups and how I might not have handled those all the best. And to be honest in the book it also isn't handled the best, this stuff is messy. But following this journey was an amazing read.

Concluding this book was a refreshing read with Autism representation in a way I really needed.

It’s been a while since I’ve read something like the Sounds of yesterday. It was nice seeing the Rob and Ana’s relationship and the hardships of being neurodivergent. It’s about loss, grief after a break up.
I enjoyed being able to have some kind of insight of what it’s like being neurodivergent.

This was a solid read for me! It is definitely more contemporary romance in the sense that it isn't fluffy or fast paced. I love a story that isn't told in chronological order! This kept me entertained the entire time and I loved the way that this story was told. It did feel a bit flat at some points but overall it was enjoyable and I am happy that it exists!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review.

This novel is written by a neurodivergent man and gives a lot of insight into the minds of neurodivergent people. The reader comes to understand the obsession with experiences that the character cannot let go. After a five-year relationship with a girlfriend ends, Rob is unable to let it go and move forward. This novel is his remembrance of every moment ( it seems) of their time together and his insecurity in assessing responsibility and reasons for its failure. It could have been much shorter.

There is really minimal to no plot in this book. I'd rate it a 2.5 star read. Basically the book is just a lot of the main character's thinking. It was interesting in what it showed of an autistic person's though processes but the book just really wasn't for me.

This is the first time I have read anything from this author, and I was not disappointed. This was a very good book with an interesting point of view on how someone sees the would through autism. It also explores how relationships are when someone is dealing with being on the spectrum. I enjoyed this book, and I felt that it was very eye opening. I recommend it to others. I can't wait for more from this author to see what they will come up with next.

Thank you Net Galley ARC and Celestial Seaside Publishing

This year, I got my diagnosis, and it opened a new world for me. This book is raw. This story is every neurodiversity one. It is about love, and acceptance and how we process everything so differently and so deep.
Thank you.

This was such a lovely story with amazing representation. As a special education teacher I love getting to read books with characters that have similar challenges in life as my students and this book did not disappoint.

This is a really interesting book - and I've really struggled at trying to figure out how to rate it. I've also struggled with what to say.

I can say that without a doubt, I am beyond glad and grateful that this book exists. It made me think in a way that most books do not, and it gave me a different perspective on a lot of things in my own life.

The back and forth between yesterday and today initially felt a bit odd, but as the chapters filled with memories, combined with the present day continued to pass I found myself really resonating with how the book was written. The language is a bit monotone, but I think that it was meant to be that way - it makes the reading a bit moodier, and realistic. I love the insight into the neurodivergent mind - the accumulation and buildup of the love, the longing, the heartbreak, and life - it all flows into that, it's just a story about life.

I loved the use of music within this story - the comfort that brought to me was rather startling but it worked out so very well. I also adore the playlist at the end!

I'm really grateful for this one - and I am truly grateful for Jacob Hubbard and his beautiful writing and impressive debut novel.

Thank you to NetGalley, Jacob Hubbard, and Celestial Seaside Publishing for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

I think the concept of this book had a good premise, it was just needing perhaps one more round of edits to help the writing really flow. I found my attention wavering, but appreciated the focus on neurodiversity.

Thank you for the copy of this book from the publishers who sent me it through Net Galley to read and review. I found Rob to be a mixture of likeable and not at times. But that has more to do with me relating to him with my own autism than anything. I related to a lot of how he saw and dealt with the world. This was refreshing to read such a relatable book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. But my heart broke for Rob at times too. He deserved way better than what he got through relationships.

Readers who appreciate nuanced explorations of love, loss, and self-discovery, particularly those interested in stories that delve into the complexities of the autism spectrum and the human experience, will find a rich and stimulating companion.

Sounds of Yesterday
by Jacob Hubbard
Pub Date: Nov 19 2024

Sounds of Yesterday is very unique and different than what I normally read. With that being said the book is about a post break up. It goes over loss and grief after a break up, the aftermath of a love story. It revolves around Rob and Ana’s relationship over the course of five years. I was shocked at the ending and a little confused. I do recommend this book as it is a good story.

Many thanks to #SoundsofYesterday #NetGalley and #CelestialSeasidePublishing for providing me with an E-ARC of this book.

I am quite conflicted by this book and very happy that it exists. While I enjoyed the way the story was told, the plot was monotonous and I kept waiting for some dramatic climax that never happened. But by the end of it I realised that what the book captured so well is, well, life. There's not always some big dramatic reveal and plot twist (like Ana being an international super-spy, as I initially thought), catharsis and closure isn't always accompanied by fireworks and absolute life-changing epiphanies, and there is no such thing as the right time or the wrong time.
I struggled with the non-linear structure of the book at first, but then easily fell into subsequent chapters with harp sounds ringing in my ears. I enjoyed the way Rob envisioned his internal struggle - it made me think of, was it a Shakespeare quote? "The world is a stage and I am but an actor in it." (Do fact check me!) - and it gave me greater insight into how different everyone's internal dialogue must be! I was definitely challenged by some characters and their behaviours and views, but I identified with Ana quite strongly, and I think there is a lot to learn about people in this book.
It was an interesting read, to say the least, and I hope we get to see what more Jacob Hubbard has to offer.
Thank you very much to Jacob Hubbard and Celestial Seaside Publishing for this ARC for my honest review!

2 1/2 rounded up to 3 stars.
I wanted to love this book, but I only liked it. Why? It was hard to read; the writing style, the various time settings going back and forth, and the plot moved slowly.
However, I love the idea of a neurodivergent main character, Rob, and how he approaches life. The author left many notes for the reader to keep in mind as reading, and that was appreciated. It definitely is not a romance, more of a life telling narrative. Reading from the perspective of Rob was unique and eye-opening to me. I just wanted to like it more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celestial Seaside Publishing for this ARC.

This book is a bit unique, and therefore may be difficult for the reader to get into without some background. Sounds of Yesterday is not a typical Romance - in a couple of ways.
First of all, and most important, the main character is a neurodivergent young man, who also serves as narrator. In this light, this is a brilliant insight into the neurodivergent mind - how they perceive and process their world. By reading this book, I feel I have better insight and understanding of this population. Even knowing this going in, I was sometimes distracted by what comes across as choppy writing. Stick with it; you'll get used to it the more you become invested in the story. In fact, I came to see that the writing style was very well done. The author himself explains that his purpose is to "amplify neurodivergent voices". For this, I am grateful. Isn't this why we read? To expand our horizons, and to understand other lives beyond ourselves?
Secondly, this is not the formulaic love story we usually read. It is the aftermath of a breakup. The author helps us to deeply feel the loss and the grief our main character is feeling as he is trying to process the breakup as best he can.
One heartwarming message that stood out to me was the community and support system surrounding the main character, and how he benefits from this. This is something we all desire - to have "our people" to lift us up.
I would be remiss if I did not mention how much I enjoyed the many musical references the author adds - songs which brought our main character calm and comfort. The author even includes a Playlist for us at the end. (Thanks for that!)
Kudos to author Jacob Hubbard for this important read. I am grateful to NetGalley for the advance read.

This book offers a beautifully crafted glimpse into neurodivergence and life. I commend Jacob for this honest, raw novel. I look forward to seeing more of his work in the future.

I was fascinated and drawn in by the characters in this book, mostly Rob. I'm the parent of a son who skims along the side of the spectrum, and I can see some of the thinking reflect things he might do. On the other hand, my cousin once said, "Aren't we all autistic?", and I know we have all had the same doubts about ourselves and relationships as Rob does. I wanted to be very purposeful in my review, because it goes to another website as well, and so I read the opinions of other people before writing. I still don't understand how lowly this book is scored! It is simple in it's language, but it reveals very complex feelings. I did not have a problem with the shifts in timeline, they were after all carefully indicated. I would also like to "know what happened", but often times in a relationship you never find out why someone left it. Sometimes the other person doesn't know! All in all, I liked it .

I got about 50% through this book and decided to DNF it. I really appreciate the neurodivergent representation, but I couldn't get through how poorly written this book is. The book starts out with the main character, Rob, getting broken up with by his girlfriend Ana. The storyline follows Rob reflecting on his relationship with Ana and trying to figure out where things went wrong. Though the premise sounds interesting, it was extremely confusing for me to follow. I also think there were comments made by the side characters that just gave me the ick in how they were written, so I didn't love it. Couldn't finish it.

I looked forward to this due to the autistic representation in the main character. I think the author was accurate in a number of ways. However, there was too much telling vs. showing, which made it hard to stay engaged. It could've benefitted from a tighter edit. For instance, there are too many exclamation points and repetition. This reads more like a young adult book than general fiction/adult. Also, I don't know that labeling this as a romance is the best option.