Speak Up

Mia is twelve. She is also autistic. Along with her best friend, Charlie, who identifies as non-binary, she has a secret identity. Mia is a talented singer but she is shy and quiet apart from when she sings. She and Charlie publish videos of Mia singing under the name of Ellie-Q. As Ellie-Q, Mia and Charlie have an extremely large following and a big fan base. When there is a local talent contest where the winner gets the opportunity to host their own show, does Mia have the confidence to show who she really is despite people’s perceptions of her disability?

There are many issues covered in this full colour, graphic novel. One of the most interesting is the realistic portrayal of the relationship between Mia and her single parent mother. Mia struggles at school. For much of the novel, Mia’s Mum persists in offering her strategies to appear more neurotypical. While well intentioned, Mia hates the offering of these strategies and they actually cause her more stress. This is an issue rarely focused on with such sensitivity on both sides.

One flaw in this book is that there is a completely happy ending. While heart-warming, most of the book has dealt with issues with a large degree of realism and the wish-fulfilling ending detracts from its authenticity.