What a fantastic book about brotherhood, social justice, football, and yes, autism. Brandon is a senior and plays football and is hoping his younger, Aiden, who’s autistic, can play as well. (loved the notes/thoughts that Aiden shares about autism throughout the book)

All the Noise at Once deserves a place on every classroom and library shelf; it's a beautifully written story that tackles difficult issues of systemic racism and inequity while also spotlighting nuanced and joyful depictions of childhood. The characters are crafted so lovingly; Aiden wants to play football, and is good at it, but because he is Autistic, some of his teammates are not welcoming. When his brother defends him and is unfairly arrested, Aiden works to keep everything together and clear Brandon's good name as the trial approaches. This is a book that will sit with you for a long time after you read it; it is a must read for teens--it's voicey, with a cast of complex characters to root for, and it strikes exactly the right tone for its age group---but also for teachers, librarians, and any adult who wants to understand children better and to advocate for the needs of all children in the classroom and on athletic teams. Davis is an autobuy author and I cannot wait to see what she writes next.

Thank you to DeAndra Davis, Atheneum, and NetGalley for a copy of this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

If I could give this 6 stars, I would. 6 stars for me involves hard subjects which include emotion, anger, sadness, and stress. This story was very reminiscent of Small Great Things mixed with Remember The Titans. Emotional, Raw and Real. I love that Aiden, Brandon’s little brother is autistic and he defies the odds that his peers put onto him. I love how the story incorporating mind notes from Aiden. The brother connection was so spot on and heartwarming. Brandon, the star athlete, the role model, the protector loses everything over protecting his little brother from cops. I was sick to my stomach when the cops were pushing the brothers to the ground when they were complying. How can a 17 year old get tried as an adult? That’s absurd, This is more than about two brothers that protect each other. This is about race, identity, the unfair system, police brutality, and cultural divide. This was a powerful read. The first ARC that I preordered.
I love the character Isabella even more so. The sweetness that Isabella has on Aiden was one of my favorite parts.

Wow. What a journey this book took me on. The message was so relevant and moving.

First off, the representation was captured so well. The author not only depicted young black males in a way that was easy to connect to, but the autism rep was done so well. The author humanized the character with autism in a way that was educational and realistic. It was spot on and this is coming from someone who has worked with individuals with autism. I felt so connected to the story from beginning to the end.

This novel hits on so many different important topics like brotherhood, social justice, and white fragility just to name a few. I can’t wait to recommend this book to everyone when it released!

side note: I loved Isabella so much she was such a gem. And Aiden has my heart

Thank you netgalley for this e-ARC
Pub date: 4/15/25

Whew….what a powerful, relevant YA novel! I felt myself so emotionally connected to the characters, especially Aiden. DeAndra Davis writes him so well as a Black male with autism that I truly felt his emotions while reading. My heart broke time and time again for him as well as for his brother Brandon. Without giving too much away, I can tell you that I was happy with the ending even though a couple parts felt a bit rushed. Overall, I feel that this is a necessary read in today’s society.

What a fantastic book about brotherhood, social justice, football, and yes, autism. Brandon is a senior and plays football and is hoping his younger, Aiden, who’s autistic, can play as well. (loved the notes/thoughts that Aiden shares about autism throughout the book). When Carter, another footballer, thinks Aiden pushed him when they were all out celebrating, Aiden pushes him back and then Brandon gets involved. Cops arrive and Brandon is blamed for assaulting a cop and is arrested. Aiden has to find out what really happened even though he was there he didn’t see anything. Brandon gets a court date and is suspended from the team. Aiden wonders if Brandon was arrested because of him. With the help of a friend, Aiden hopes to find out what really happened. Does he?
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

This story has much to recommend-sports, family, social justice, a little bit of romance, and an autistic main character. Not since A Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time have I felt that an author really portrayed a neurodivergent character so well. The heart of the story is really the fact that a set of brothers want to be able to play football together, and even though most of the kids have grown up with Aiden, many are not interested in him being on the team. When Aiden’s brother, Brandon ends up arrested after Aiden has an episode, Aiden races to try to help his brother and figure out what happened that night. The conversations and relationship between the two are authentic-shining light on the challenges for the families of children who are autistic and Black. This is a quick read with some great football and interesting characters. Highly recommend.

This book was the perfect first read for my February TBR. Thank you Simon Teen for sending me a copy, I am highly recommending everyone to read it. Books like ‘All the noise at once’ are so important to read even if it doesn’t feel like it 100% relates to you.

This book will tug on your heart strings, especially as we follow the our MC Aiden who is an autistic Black teenage boy. All he is trying to do is navigate high school and join the football team. He is lucky to have his older brother Brandon to help him along the way. There are moments where I cheered these boys on, questioned what they were doing and cried for them. I felt every emotion while reading this book. The love these boys share is honorable, it made my heart want to explode.

I can’t even cover all the important topics that were mentioned through out the book. We see a lot into racism in high school, even how adults treat black teens. We cover corrupt law enforcements, how teenage girls tears can change lives… not in a good way. It really shows the difference power and privilege plays in our lives. How race and gender can change things. Then when you add neurodivergence to all of it.

I repeat, EVERYONE should read this book.

I sobbed through a majority of this book.

As an older sister to a Black autistic brother this story hit a little different.

I loved how it talked about how much having a sibling who is autistic is like. Like you can’t take up too much space because they need the space.

Black. Autism. And cops don’t mix too well. And in this case, it left Brandon carrying the weight of it all. I loved how patient Brandon was. How understanding and observant he was to Aiden.

But I also loved how Aiden gave Brandon space to feel. Even if those feelings may have stung a bit.

This book feels like the perfect mix of Tiffany D. Jackson, Angie Thomas, and Nic Stone! I absolutely loved everything about it.

First, the structure is brilliant. The chapters unfold in a compelling way, counting down the days, hours, and minutes before the incident, followed by the incident itself and the aftermath. It immediately reminded me of how Tiffany D. Jackson structures her books—especially Monday’s Not Coming—and it kept me completely hooked.

Second, this book tackles real and complex issues, including the experience of being an affluent African-American person while still being seen, at the end of the day, as a… well, I won’t say it, but it starts with an “N” .The way this theme is explored is both honest and thought-provoking.

Third, this story beautifully humanizes people with disabilities, more specifically autistism, giving readers a deeper understanding of their perspectives and challenges—ones we often don’t fully realize or acknowledge. Aiden is such a beautiful soul, and I loved his humor, voice, and the nuances of his character.

This book delivers all the emotions—suspense, sorrow, enlightenment, hope, and so many relatable moments. It’s outstanding, and I’ve already pre-ordered copies for my classroom library.

Highly recommend!

Fantastic debut that will change (or save) lives. Written with heart, realism, and honesty, Davis depicts a beautiful brotherly relationship and the reality of living with autism effortlessly. Characters are fully fleshed out and realized, and Aiden is a wonderful protagonist. The "Notes" were a unique and clever addition, showing Aiden's humor and intelligence.

Such a Necessary Story

This book really tugged at my heartstrings. Aiden and Brandon were such lovable characters both individually and collectively. I wanted to protect them from this big bad world. I loved getting Aiden’s inner thoughts. He made autism feel a lot less foreign to me. His commentary on always being excluded made me so sad for him. I was just as sad for Brandon and the unfair treatment that he received. It was so special how they leaned on each other to get through it all. Their parents were amazing. They were patient and incredibly bright. There were a lot of special characters in this story. Aiden’s potential love story was super sweet.

With all of the love poured into this story, there were still a lot of tough issues to tackle. Racism and classism were front and center. It led the way for a portrait of how police brutality is covered up, celebrated, and encouraged. The fallout of what happens when white girl tears are weaponized was addressed as well. All of it made me so angry. This book truly made me feel all of the feels. I appreciated the suspense of waiting to see how it would all work out.

I’m excited about this story being shared with the world. I’m already planning to gift this book to a few friends. I want them to experience the range of emotions that I did. Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and DeAndra Davis for this advanced copy for me to review. #AllTheNoiseAtOnce #NetGalley

Thank you @simonandschuster @simonteen for the digital copy!

In this compelling, moving story about brotherhood, identity, and social justice, a Black, autistic teen tries to figure out what happened the night his older brother was unjustly arrested.

^from the publisher!

This truly is a perfect book. It starts off with a great hook of two brothers trying out for football, and Brandon (the older brother) taking care of Aiden (the younger brother) when he has an episode related to his autism during tryouts. My heart squeezed for these two.

I absolutely loved the framing of this story told as before and after the incident. Being in Aiden’s head was so incredibly interesting and I loved his thought process. He and Brandon had such a deep love and respect for each other and it is evident throughout.

When Aiden gets on the team, some players aren’t happy and a fight breaks out leading to his brother being arrested and Aiden left feeling incredibly guilty that it was his fault. I felt all of the emotions with him. My heart!! How the story moves on from there left me breathless and turning the pages. I was so sure I knew the ending.

I also really loved the family dynamics, Aiden figuring himself out, Isabella, and the autism portrayal being displayed with such care and compassion. The final few chapters really had me reeling.

In conclusion, it’s a yes from me. Everyone should read this book.

Aiden is an autistic black teen who dreams of playing football like his brother, Brandon. While Aiden experienes a meltdown during his tryouts, he still ends up making the team. He's happy to finally live his dream of being a football player, but finds himself stigmatized by the other players. Things escalate between the brothers and the team, and Brandon is wrongfully arrested for assaulting a police officer. Throughout Brandon's trial, Aiden grapples with his intersecting identities, finding support along the way.
This book explores the intersection of race and disability in a way that is nuanced yet realistic. This book exlores very real themes, ones that are often bleak, while showing the importance of friends and family in a compelling manner. I am excited to recommend this book to my teen patrons.

Absolutely phenomenal debut. This book is going to stay with me for YEARS. I really can't wait to see where Davis's career takes her, because this is an utterly stunning start.

Hi! I am the author and am mostly just submitting a review so that I don't mess up my Netgalley ratio. Requested to help boost numbers. :)

This is one of those books that leaves an impact and stays with you. It will likely be one of the most important reads of my life, and I look forward to purchasing the physical book once it's released.

It is hard to put my emotions into words with this book, as it touches on such a sensitive topic. I was extremely grateful to see Autism Spectrum Disorder represented so well.

I'll be talking about and thinking about this book for a very long time. The cover is beautiful too.

Thank you to Net Galley for allowing me to receive a free ARC of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily and this is my honest opinion.