I was lucky enough to get an ARC of Something to be Proud of by Anna Zoe Quirke and I absolutely LOVED IT!!!

It's such a heartwarming read that really makes you think about how different people experience the world.

I LOVED all of the characters so much and am so happy I read this book, I would absolutely recommend this book!!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.75/5

I had to take a legit break after finishing this because I was sobbing. I didn't know how to articulate exactly what I was feeling or thinking in that moment.

As a bisexual, disabled woman, this story became so personal and I felt to unbelievably seen. Both our narrators were more relatable for me than I was willing to admit at times, and their growth was amazing.

This is a story I wish I could have read as a teenager instead of a 33 year old woman. This book feels like it's going to be so important for queer and disabled kids for many, many years to come. I would put it up there with Juno Dawson's This Book is Gay in importance for understanding yourself and being brave.

One of my favourite things about the story was the diversity and the representation. It was such a relief to read a story and see everyone there, no matter their race, sexuality (or lack there of), gender (or lack their of), disability, etc. This is so important, especially in a world we are made to feel like more of an inconvenience than actual people.

Something to be Proud Of was a momentous success in portraying the LGBTQ+ community, activism, and fighting for what's right.

This book made me proud.

This book was truly remarkable. There are so many aspects to praise, it's hard to know where to begin. It was effortlessly readable, and I found myself breezing through it, partly due to its clarity and partly because it brought me sheer joy. I grew fond of all the characters, especially the core group, and witnessing their stories unfold brought me immense happiness.

I must admit, tears welled up in my eyes for a good portion of the book—tears of joy, almost continuously. This is a rare occurrence for me, but reading this book felt incredibly special because I felt profoundly understood. As a queer, autistic sixteen-year-old with a strong sense of justice that often feels at odds with the world, seeing Imogen's growth was nothing short of healing. A narrative about individuals striving for something they believe in and growing closer as a result resonates deeply with me, and every aspect of it left me emotionally moved.

Quirke handles the novel's challenging themes with remarkable sensitivity and depth. The emotions portrayed felt incredibly authentic, drawing me in completely. Overall, I adored every moment of this book.

This was an absolutely amazing book. It's difficult to know where to sing its praises first - it was easy to read and I absolutely breezed through it, in part because of how clear it was and in part because it was an utter joy. I adored all the characters, especially the core cast, and it made me so happy to see their stories unfold.

I'll admit I was in tears for a decent chunk of the book; tears of joy, almost the whole time. That's super rare for me, but reading this book felt really special because I felt immensely seen. I've been that queer, autistic sixteen year old with a sense of justice that doesn't seem compatible with the rest of the world, and seeing Imogen grow was an experience I can only describe as healing. A book about people who want something and fight for it and get closer together because of it just feels so profoundly hopeful to me, and every aspect of that had me in pieces.

Quirke handles every difficult topic in the novel with so much sensitivity and meaning - the emotions felt incredibly real and really brought me along for the ride. In all, I utterly adored this book. An easy 5/5.

"Why does all your music sound like angry women having breakdowns?" he asks.

"Because that's what the inside of my head feels like, except now it has killer beats."


Lovers of Heartbreak High and Heartstopper, get ready for genuinely funny, heartfelt, and hopeful book about activism and the power of friends. This will have you feeling a wonderful mix of rage and feel good vibes, and I cannot wait to add this to my classroom shelf for students to discover as well.

Friendships should not make you feel uncomfortable, should not be toxic, should not lead to negative thinking - rather, they should be Something to Be Proud Of. Thankfully, this book shares the brilliance of true friends and navigates the ups and downs of accepting, supportive, and thoughtful relationships.

The author captures the naivety and wishful thinking of youth and dreamers - I really connected with how much Imogen wants to change the world for good and how the activist group desires so fiercely to make their community accessible and welcoming to all. It was also beautiful seeing the bond between Ollie and Imogen take form, and seeing how their mutual respect and understanding helped each find courage to communicate and closure regarding their personal insecurities.

This story sheds light on some of the daily struggles faced by neurodivergent, disabled, and LGBTQ+ individuals and shows how frustrating and demoralizing it is to have your very self disregarded or shamed whether it be by strangers, peers, staff, family, or the establishment.

I adore how Imogen is unapologetically herself, but that this doesn't mean words and actions don't hurt them - they very much do, but she often uses this sadness and anger to fuel her. I found myself wishing to be more like them, and know many readers will find both comfort and inspiration in this character and thoughtful observations like:

"We need to get you out of this headspace immediately; it's not going to help with anything. You've got to learn how to see life not as a series of unending tragedies, but as a series of not-terrible moments occasionally interrupted by tragedy. That's the only way to survive in this dumpster fire of a world."

After finishing this book, you're bound to be left feeling hopeful (and probably also hoping they turn this into a film/television program immediately) - I sure was!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'Something to be Proud Of' by Anna Zoe Quirke.

This book is genuinely something Anna Zoe Quirke should be proud of. Imogen and Ollie are genuinely the most authentic and real characters I've read in a YA novel in such a long time and I really enjoyed reading their stories and the way they interacted with others and the situation in general. There are a couple of subplots but I find that they matter to the main plot without taking anything away from it so it allows a more enhanced reading experience. Love is love, life is better because of love and this book shows that.

This book has immediately catapulted itself to a special place in my heart. I absolutely LOVE Imogen and Ollie as main characters and adore their friendship to bits. I've never read such an openly loving friendship before featuring romantic gestures on front lawns, pride in one another and direct declarations of love. Their friendship is one to treasure.

They're also just wonderful characters individually. I loved Imogen's stand-up (would watch her if she were real) and their moral convictions. I also loved Ollie's relationships with Maya and his mum as well as his evolving sense of masculinity.

I loved the natural weaving together of subplots that ranged from insufferable school staff to romance to friendship to dads undergoing self-improvement. It all pulled together beautifully and flowed so well - especially as the novel took place over a year, at no point did time skips feel jarring or like something was missed.

I also especially loved Amelia's story - even though she wasn't a POV character and even though Ollie and Imogen didn't click on what was going on with her (and Josh) fully until she told them, there was just enough as a reader to guess what was up and get really excited for the payoff.

Finally, I also need to mention how wonderful the intersectionality of this book was! The way disabled people - both those with physical disabilities and those who are neurodivergent - were considered and included was great (which really makes sense considering the aims of Imogen's activist group).

Overall, I just thought this book was phenomenal - it was engaging, emotional and just plain excellent. Would definitely recommend.

This was a true joy to read. I had high expectations and they were all massively exceeded. As a fellow AFAB autistic I saw a lot of my younger self in Imogen and found some of myself in Ollie too. I love that all of the characters feel fully realised and with their own lives, including the parents (it seems obvious but quite often they're glaringly absent from YA). I was really rooting for the group and adored seeing them become each other's found family. A really impressive debut and can't way to see what Anna does next!

What a joy it was to read this book. The cover looked fab, the blurb sounded great...and then the book itself surpassed all expectations.
Definitely think we'll need a couple of copies of this it will issue really well, hopefully at Heartstopper levels 😁

This book was AMAZING. I loved that the main character, Imogen, was autistic, and found her to be very relatable and beautifully written. The other characters were also really compelling and I found myself cheering certain characters on throughout the story! A team of unlikely new friends forms in the book and they fight against bigotry and prejudice as they try to throw their own accessible pride festival for everyone to feel welcome. I would 100% recommend this to everyone as it was a really fun read and I’d love to read more by this author in the future.

Having supposedly been on a self-imposed temporary Net Galley ban while I tried to get on top of my ever-increasing TBR pile, I thought I would treat myself to a browse and spotted this. Always a sucker for an attractive cover, I duly read the blurb and downloaded it to read, persuading myself that by doing so straight away I wasn’t really increasing the number of waiting titles on my shelf.

A humorous and inclusive title, this is a book that I’m glad I bent my rules for. Addressing some very important issues that affect not just the book’s target audience but everyone in our society, this is a thought-provoking story that deserves to be widely read and will no doubt inspire many young people to take a stand against things that they know to be wrong.

Imogen finds out the hard way that Jen and Hannah are not the friends she thought they were when, overwhelmed by the noise at her first Pride event she needs to escape and is soon abandoned by them. Texting her father to come and collect her, she is hurt when he makes it clear that he is missing the cricket to do so and rather than being supportive, tells her that she shouldn’t have gone. Patiently explaining to him that she is not the only neurodivergent queer person in the world, she cannot believe it when he replies that she needs to accept that there are some things that she cannot do like normal people, leaving her upset and furious.

Heading to the sanctuary of her bedroom, Imogen starts to formulate a plan and the following morning, bursts into headteacher Ms Greenacre’s office to try to put it into action. Explaining that she would like to start an activist society, she refuses to be deterred by the head’s attempts to get her to back down and sets about meeting the conditions of setting up the group. Marching up to Ollie, the popular and openly gay captain of the football team, to try to enlist his support, she refuses to be put off by his initial reluctance to join in, and before long has not only recruited him but several others, enabling the creation of the society.

Soon, the group have a plan of action but when their attempts to push the school into being more inclusive anger Ms Greenacre, it looks as though the society has been stopped before it really got started. Can Imogen, Ollie and the others find a way to bring about the changes that they have asked for? And can they go further and make Imogen’s dreams of an inclusive Pride event reality?

Although the world is a more inclusive place than it was when I was Imogen’s age, it still has a long way to go and for young adults like Imogen, standing up for what they believe in will hopefully bring about further change. Although she initially chooses Ollie to be a part of the group because he is popular and holds quite a lot of influence over their peers – especially the boys – very quickly they become the best of friends bonding not only as a result of their both being a part of the LGBTQ+ community, but because they genuinely enjoy one another’s company. In Ollie, Imogen finds someone who not only accepts that she is autistic but actively tries to understand her and how best to support her needs – something that other friends, like Jen and Hannah, and sometimes even her own family have not done.

In return, Ollie finds a sympathetic ear in Imogen – someone in whom he can confide following the separation and impending divorce of his parents and someone with whom he can experiment with both his masculinity and femininity. Their deepening friendship is an absolute joy to watch throughout the book and for all of those reading this, it is not just a cracking read that will hugely entertain but one that will lead to a deeper understanding of difference and will encourage young adults to express themselves in whichever way they feel best for them.

In common with many other recent titles, this has been written by an author who is themself autistic and it is so lovely to see that authentic representation here. Imogen is a character who smashes stereotypes with her powerful sense of humour and cutting remarks and I adored her for it. So many young autistic women (and this *slightly* older one) will read this and recognise themselves in the pages of this book and I cannot wait to see what Anna Zoe Quirke writes next.

The most enormous thanks go, of course, to publisher Little Tiger Press and to Net Galley for my virtual, advance read. Something to be Proud of publishes 6th June.