"An enemies-to-lovers romance with neurodivergent characters that voices the struggles of opening oneself up to love. A vivid depiction of living as both queer and neurodivergent, and a triumph. I'll be re-reading it forever."
It's rare that I pick up a book and know from that instant, this is meant for me. This is meant to be in my hands. Wandering through Barnes & Noble for airport reading material at the close of Pride Month, I spotted Late Bloomer on a small display surrounded by other LGBTQ+ works. I was a late bloomer growing up, so the novel's title incurred thoughts of periods despite the flowers liberally placed throughout the cover. (This is a normal association for my neurodivergent brain.)
After reading the summary, I was even more intrigued. The comic-style cover, combined with the opening line and something that I couldn't quite place, had wrapped a rope around my middle and was pulling me inward. A subtle siren's call, without the life-or-death but no less intriguing. I had never felt that before- with animals, sure, or a particular character- but not a book.
Never a book from an author I had never read before. I read the entire thing in a few days. It could have been accomplished in just one- that’s how in love I was with Late Bloomer. As a neurodivergent person whose brain works differently than most, I was fascinated with the way that Eddings portrays neurodivergence in Opal and Pepper, respectively. Each description of both girls’ minds feels as if it has been scooped directly from the brain of me and my partner. (She’s the Autism, I’m the ADHD.) Late Bloomer is the novel that called to me with a tune that I didn’t know I needed to hear.
I highly recommend this one for anyone who’s queer, or neurodivergent, or if you just need a reminder of the good in the world.
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Available for purchase on Amazon, Bookshop.org , and Barnes & Noble.
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