Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3--7--Keedie Darrow has never had a problem with being different; being autistic, she was told, makes her stand out. However, middle school for Keedie and her twin sister Nina may change that. While Nina desperately wants to change and have a "normal" family, Keedie wants nothing to do with that. When school starts, Keedie starts a campaign for anti-bullying through confronting bullies; however, when good intentions turn sour, she has to navigate the line between standing up for herself and becoming a bully in her own way. Set in Scotland, this novel depicts life for a kid who just wants to do right and be herself, while navigating struggles that not everyone understands. With rich characters and an even-paced plot, McNicoll brings Keedie's world to life through a wonderful, sparkling lens that readers will not only enjoy, but will also connect them to an understanding of how differences should be positive. VERDICT McNicoll has crafted another wonderful story representing tween neurodivergence. Teachers and librarians who want to showcase neurodivergence at an individual and family level will want this on shelves.--BreAnn Weeks
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Almost-fourteen-year-old Keedie, an autistic girl, is loyal, creative, funny, rebellious, arrogant, a passionate defender of the underdog, and her own worst enemy, equal parts clear-eyed and totally misguided. In this prequel to the well-received A Kind of Spark (rev. 11/21), McNicoll loops back for another perspective on Keedie and her small-town Scottish family: parents; twin sister Nina; and younger sister Addie (the first book's protagonist). Keedie and Nina have hit adolescence, and their former close relationship has frayed. Their parents are kind but distracted. Teachers just don't understand her. Social life is a minefield of mysterious unwritten rules and cues, alliances, and cruelties. In an attempt to root out bullying at school, Keedie sets up a business, charging victims a fee to confront their tormenters, a plot strand that is both uncomfortable and hilarious as we readers thrill to the frisson of revenge even as we know its inevitable pitfalls. Keedie is highly articulate, and she has a lot to say, resulting in a talky novel that veers toward a nonfiction introduction to autism spectrum disorder. But its strength lies in that very voice. Keedie is not a generic example of neurodivergence but rather a convincingly real and individual character, negotiating the challenges of growing up in her own off-center and slyly charming way. Sarah EllisNovember/December 2025 p.73 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
An autistic teen starts an anti-bullying agency. Thirteen-year-old Keedie, who lives in the small Scottish town of Juniper, attends a school with a zero-tolerance bullying policy. But as she knows from observing her neurotypical twin sister Nina's popular friends, bullies are rarely punished for their actions. Keedie agrees to intervene with one classmate's bully for a fee, eventually leveraging her growing reputation into a successful business. Compelling subplots include Keedie's mentorship of her undiagnosed autistic younger sister, Addie--the protagonist of McNicoll'sA Kind of Spark (2021)--and Nina's new boyfriend Hugh's fascination with the nonconformist Keedie. Taking money for bullying bullies is ethically dubious, but McNicoll navigates this arc effectively with the reveal of a selfless reason for Keedie's fundraising. Some descriptions of Keedie's experience with autism feel a bit stilted, perhaps intended to educate neurotypical readers rather than provide a mirror for autistic ones. Overall, though, Keedie's a well-realized character, opinionated and willing to stand up for those in need. With a handful of exceptions, adults are portrayed as nuanced, flawed individuals who try to do their best by the book's children but often fail them. Keedie alludes to her queerness, though it isn't fully explored. Characters read as white. A neurodivergent protagonist whom middle-grade readers will root for.(Fiction. 10-14) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
