I am delighted and honoured to share my review for Elle McNicoll's YA debut 'Some Like It Cold.' Thank you to Pan Macmillan for sending me the gorgeous proof package below- 'Some Like It Cold' publishes on October 3rd 2024, and so I am very excited to have been given the opportunity to read and review it in advance. Thank you also to Elle McNicoll for writing a book which puts an autistic young woman centre stage; it was really special for me to read about someone of a similar age navigating a neurotypical world, as lots of books with autistic leads are aimed at younger readers, which is equally important representation, but 'Some Like It Cold' being a YA novel made it resonate even more for me.
Because 'Some Like It Cold' has not been released yet, I have tried to keep my review as spoiler-free as possible, so hopefully everyone can read and enjoy this post and still go on to enjoy the book when it comes out later this year! Before reading the full review, here is a brief synopsis...
Creative, passionate and talented vintage film and ballet enthusiast Jasper Montgomery returns to her beloved hometown of Lake Pristine for the final time. Suffocated by family pressures and her role as the town's golden girl, Jasper needs to say goodbye in order to forge her own path in life. But there's one thing she hasn't accounted for: Arthur Lancaster, the grumpy, closed-off local cinema manager filming a documentary about life in Lake Pristine, who might be the reason Jasper wants to stay.
As tensions rise and secrets spill over, can Jasper decide what she wants from Arthur and from her hometown before she leaves them both for good?
Receiving the proof package for 'Some Like It Cold' is a moment I will never forget. I had grown from the uncertain and scared girl clutching Elle's debut novel, 'A Kind Of Spark', as a talisman when I walked into my ADOS*(see end of post) assessment to a young woman recognised by the publishing industry, given the opportunity to read and review an early copy of Elle's YA debut. All my dreams of succeeding because of who I was, not in spite of, came true in that moment. Reading 'Some Like It Cold' was one of the most beautiful, empowering and affirming experiences, reminding me of everything that I love about reading and giving me the confidence to start quietly but more openly being the person I am inside.
The way that Elle McNicoll captures what it is to be an autistic young woman is deeply powerful. Jasper's affirmations of the joys and hardships of being autistic never feel like lectures; instead, Elle gives a voice to the voiceless through Jasper, allowing autistic girls to tell their stories, their way for perhaps one of the first times in literature. Jasper holds herself with grace, and speaks with a softly determined articulation which both epitomises the soul-crushing and suffocating restraints society places on those who are different whilst becoming a perfect example of a neurodivergent girl simply existing, just the way she is.
Jasper's journey from a heavily masked people pleaser to a young woman giving herself the freedom to express her truest self was such an emotional journey for me to read. Jasper made me realise that autistic girls like me have a right to friendship, have a right to learn, fail and love, all whilst being authentic to the person you are inside. Jasper's story both educates and subverts society's disempowerment, intolerance and infantilisation of those who are different, showing a path to love which places value on deep emotional connections with those who see and love you for who you are, not the smaller, self-loathing, 'worthless' version of you that television and the media portray.
I loved spending time with Jasper as a protagonist; I think many young women in particular will connect with her on so many levels. Funny, empathetic, creative and full of love for everyone she meets, Jasper sparkles on the pages of this book, and is both the friend you've always wanted and the person you aspire to be. Trapped in her role as the town's 'golden girl', Jasper becomes a comment on wider misogyny, especially misogynistic attitudes when it comes to marginalised women. Jasper shows us that women should not be held to higher account than anyone else, and that they should not be forced to meet unhealthy exacting standards in order to avoid rejection. I think Jasper's journey is a powerful and authentic example of how autistic girls in particular slip through the net of supposed support systems, leaving them to get themselves out of dark places or dark situations because their struggles are invisible, invalidated and undermined. Jasper's unwavering determination to create her own definition of autism and remove the stigma from a deeply affirming label in order to liberate herself was beautiful to read. It left me breathless, and with much more self-compassion.
The feeling Jasper has that she will never be loved because of who she is was heart-breaking, but also sadly true. I have often questioned whether or not I will be truly accepted if I show the most authentic and vulnerable parts of myself; it makes me so sad and angry that society reduces autistic women to nothing, making us so small that it is no longer just a fear of never being loved because of who we are, but a fact.
Elle McNicoll refutes this; Jasper makes it clear that the problem is society, and has never been us, in the most loving, kind and emotional way possible.
The romance between Arthur and Jasper is stunningly crafted. Gruff, brooding and seemingly unapproachable cinema manager Arthur quickly became one of my favourite characters. I felt his visceral love for Jasper through the page- the way in which he sees her as a person, and the respect and care he has for her in her wholeness was emotional for me to read.
An autistic girl, loved so deeply and so completely for who she is.
I could not get enough of the quiet yet expansive moments where Arthur observes Jasper from afar; they are so beautifully written. Jasper and Arthur's connection felt like it came very much from the fact that they are the only person who truly understands the other, two lost souls, looking for a place in which they can be themselves. I loved that the focus was on this, rather than on a lustful flirtation which is often portrayed in romance; I'm not usually a fan of romance novels, something that I think strengthened my connection to one of the first romances that resonated with me and that I enjoyed.
The setting of Lake Pristine is gorgeous: the twinkling fairy lights, welcoming winter market and the serene lake are so vividly described, I could almost feel the snow underfoot and in the air. I loved how the lake becomes a metaphor for the important people and places we have as a constant in our lives, with a slightly shifting surface as we grow and change.
The town becomes another character in itself, one which has harboured all the versions of Jasper, including the ones she keeps hidden. I liked how the distinction between the way Jasper feels about Lake Pristine and the way she feels about herself in Lake Pristine was explored; sometimes the places we love most only accept one version of ourselves, until those places learn to give us space to exist authentically within them. Lake Pristine has never been the issue; Jasper's past hurts and the ongoing impact from them are.
The sibling relationship between Jasper and Christine felt very well written; I'm an only child myself, but I liked how both sisters ultimately help one another to grow into the best version of themselves, despite Christine's behaviour initially holding Jasper back. The Montgomery family dynamic captures a very realistic portrayal of what it is to be the only autistic person in a neurotypical world; I think many readers will also relate to the weight of expectation and compliance placed on Jasper in exchange for financial support, another devastating yet realistic situation. Young autistic women should be allowed to just be, not only allowed to be if they agree to certain damaging conditions.
The way in which Elle McNicoll writes autistic joy is life-affirming. Jasper's deep passion for ballet, vintage films and fashion is beautifully written; it captures what it is to be an autistic person being and feeling everything you are told that you can't be or feel. The scenes where Jasper is alone with her special interests were some of my favourite passages to read; they overflowed with the deep freedom, sense of completeness and uninhibited joy that she, myself and many other autistic people feel when surrounded by things that make them feel right. Elle McNicoll represents the positive aspects of autism in a profound and nuanced way which refrains from casting it in the patronising light of a 'superpower' yet removes any negative stigma attached to being autistic in those moments.
The screening of Arthur's documentary is a scene I cannot capture in words. I felt every emotion possible during this scene, and my awe of Elle's talent as a writer grew even stronger during this part of the book.
'Some Like It Cold' is a book about love: unconditional love, which it firmly asserts that everyone deserves. This book taught me that it is okay for me to exist authentically and unapologetically just the way I am. It taught me that I am enough, and that I am worthy of love, no matter what society says. But most of all, it taught me to dare to dream, and to not let anything hold me back, least of all the versions of myself I created out of feelings of wrongness and inadequacy.
A book which can make a reader feel as much as this is a rare thing, and so 'Some Like It Cold' deserves to be on every reader's bookshelf, neurodivergent or neurotypical. This book will always have a special place in my heart; my first step into the book industry, and validation for the years of intense autistic passion for books.
Fall in love with Elle McNicoll's 'Some Like It Cold' this October- you may just find the courage to be the authentic version of you that someone will one day fall in love with.
*ADOS assessment: the final stage in my autism diagnostic process.
For more up-to-date information on the presentation of autism in women, girls and non-binary people, please visit Autistic Girls Network
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