Cover Image: Another Us

Another Us

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Member Reviews

When her youngest son is diagnosed with Asperger’s, Emma’s world began to change dramatically. As a mom of two kids with autism, Emma’s character was very relatable to me. She is trying to adjust to her new life as a full-time mom with three kids and trying to save her marriage at the same time.
A very relatable and heartwarming story you cannot miss!

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This is an easy to read and cheerful novel although it touches serious issues like autism, parenting, relationships. I can relate to most of the story, as I have a son who might have high functioning autism and it was refreshing to read a story so close to home, but less stressful than reality. and overall positive What changes if you have or not have a diagnosis, a label? How does that affect the way you interact with other people, the way they see you? Should you work full time if you have a child with special needs? There are no deep answers here, but the book raises some good questions. The writing style and the pace are good, I recommend it to those who want a light read with some interesting topics.

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Thank you NetGalley and Canelo for the advanced copy of this book.

All I can say is wow. What a brilliant, touching read. Another Us really opens your eyes as to what a life with a child with Asperger's may be like. Its beautiful written, incredibly moving and I loved every second of it. A fantastic debut from Kirsten Hesketh

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When I requested this book, I was intrigued because the description talked about a couple receiving their son's autism spectrum diagnosis, marital trouble , and accidental job resignation. All of that tangled in a comedy. It sounded a bit complex. I've been reading books approaching the autism spectrum lately and this one was to be my next one.
I was captivated by Emma's character right from the beginning. Even if at some times I would have shaken her to make her reconsider some of her decisions.
We live in a world full of pressure and distraction, and it gets hard to stop and appreciate the gifts we received. It gets thought to accomplish some things if we're not playing together with the ones that care for us. For certain people that simple attitude is hard to manage. The autism spectrum is a serious matter. It hits families right in the core and the redirection is not always satisfactory. It takes two to make a couple but it takes more than two for it to survive. I like to think people and good intentions are always helpful. But we need more to succeed. I've found some examples of that in this book. And I truly appreciate it.
I loved this book, and I'll absolutely recommend it.

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I really enjoyed this book. Kirsten Hesketh has created a believable protagonist (Emma), and I found myself caught up in the twists and turns of her story. Hesketh paints a realistic picture of the chaos of family life, along with the highs and lows of her relationships with her husband, wider family and friends. Each of Emma's children have their own particular struggles, and although Emma doesn't always get it right as a parent, I found the passages where she was empathising with her children's problems particularly moving. A good read, with a satisfying ending.

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I found this to be a bit underwhelming and not particularly memorable. I appreciate the topics the author tried to present, but I just could not develop any kind of attachment to the main character.

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I thoroughly enjoyed this debut novel. It is a tale of family and the bonds that tie us and how those bonds can stretch past what we imagine to be breaking point. The author has written an insightful story that explores the roles of motherhood and marriage, particularly when they clash with the expectations and desires we have for ourselves. Her voice is both honest and witty throughout as she comes to realise far more truth about herself than she had anticipated. Highly recommended.

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Emma and Daniel have just received a diagnosis of Aspergers for their son Jack. It is new, uncharted territory for them as parents, as a couple. When Daniel mentions a statistic of how many couples divorce when their child has autism, it’s all Emma can think about.

I liked how the book tied together at the end, but I didn’t find myself rooting for Emma throughout the book. For me, she was not likable. I could relate to her as a busy mom of three, but Emma’s character frustrated me at times.

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Hard to believe this is a debut book. It's a warm lovely story that brought me to tears in places. Kirsten is definitely an author to watch out for and I'm already looking forward to her next book.

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I thoroughly enjoyed this debut book, in fact if I hadn't read somewhere that it was a debut, I wouldn't have known.

A family waiting for an Aspergers diagnosis and what happened to them all afterwards.

I laughed out loud several times whilst reading and found myself with a lump in my throat and a couple of head shake too.

The writing just flowed really well and it's a very easy book to read, considering how busy I am I just wanted to see how the family fared.

Highly recommended.

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I was rooting for Emma all the way - she's such a brilliant character! A super funny comedy of manners with loads of twists and heart searching - with added Asperger's.

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Not only is this book a compelling, funny and moving read but I think Another Us also gives valuable (and much needed) insight into family life where a child has been diagnosed with autism.
While I have friends who have children on the spectrum - and I listen and try and understand what life can be like for them - Kirsten Hesketh’s book sets it out in high definition.
It feels authentic because the author has dealt with some (thankfully not all) of the issues mentioned in her debut herself – and that certainly adds power to her words.
It took me a while to warm to Emma but I think that’s actually really cleverly done (without giving anything away, all becomes clear later in the book).
There are some nice jumps back in time, which really help pace the story. Without them I think my head might have exploded with all the drama.
This is a lively, well-written tale which still manages to bring home an important message about the need for tolerance and compassion to for fellow human beings (and maybe to ourselves too?).

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Surviving Family Upheaval
I was interested in this book because my middle son was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome and I am very aware of how that affects a family. The book started out very slowly and I almost quit reading it. I also was getting really fed up with how the mother was handling everything. I was so glad that I continued on with the book. I was very happy with the ending. The author does an amazing job of taking the reader through all of the heroine's angst. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

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This was a lovely story about how a mother deals with her son's Asperger's diagnosis and how the son's difficulties impact the whole family. It was heartbreaking to read how society deals with people who aren't neurotypical and how harshly mothers are judged for how they deal with parenting challenges. (As if none of us has ever wanted to scream at our children!) The pettiness of parents on the playground is very familiar as well.

I really wanted to like this book, but I couldn't connect with the main character at all. I didn't find her likeable nor could I understand any of her actions. It does become clear at the end of the book why the main character is the way she is, but by then I didn't really care anymore. It's hard to read 80% of a book with an unlikeable character who judges those around her harsher than she is judged and whose choices make no sense. I really wanted to like Emma, but I couldn't. And yes, the ending does redeem the story a little bit, but for me, it didn't really make up for the irritation of the rest of the book.

The book was very well-written though and if you don't mind reading about an unlikeable main character, you'll probably love this book. It tackles real issues which need to be written about more often.

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Loved this book!

It tells the story of Emma and her family. Her son has just been diagnosed with autism, she loses her job and becomes a stay at home Mum, as she learns to deal with her son’s condition, but she also has two other children and her husband who takes a job in America, so she basically is a single mother dealing with various escapades. The book is very funny which I was not expecting as I thought it would deal with the subject matter of autism in a serious way which it does in places but the book was a delight.

I would like to thank Net Galley for the chance to review this book in advance., my review is my honest opinion.

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As a debut novel, I was looking forward to reading this title.

While I did enjoy reading it overall, I would rate it 3.5 stars - It felt choppy and a bit drawn out to me, but I think most of it came from not relating to Emma the main character very well. I constantly felt like as a character she was very negative to herself and those around her, and I didn't particularly enjoy reading about it - especially when she kept doing the wrong things or adding more confusion.

The family dynamic, as a family with a child with Aspergers kept me wanting to finish the story. How Emma as a mother divided her time between each child, her husband, work and those around her was the most interesting part of the story. Some funny bits, and a great way of incorporating what I'm sure is true for families dealing with everyday trauma and the hardships a diagnosis may be.

Thank you to Netgalley, Kirsten Hesketh and Canelo for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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Good read, was nice to switch off and escape with this one. I have liked the story and the characters.
I have read this in just one sitting and although a new author for me, I do look forward to future reads,

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I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book, I really enjoyed this book which tells the story of a family who have three children and their middle child has recently been diagnosed with Asperger's, it made me laugh out loud at some points and moved me to tears at others.

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This was a really sweet story about life and family. At parts I laughed and others brought me to tears. I definitely recommend it. I’m sure everyone can relate to this book in the sense that things happen in our lives unexpectedly and how we respond effects those around

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I was given the opportunity to read this book through netgalley.
It started off quite slowly for me but this isn't to say that I didn't enjoy it. I did. I liked some of the characters more than others and I found the story was different to what I was expecting. I like the cover but I'm unsure whether the title represents the story.
All in all I did enjoy the book.
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publishers for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review

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