Review: The Kiss Quotient

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thinking about what I've just read, my favorite aspect of this book, is the new perspective I have gained. I realize that this is the first book I have read where the lead has Autism. For someone who has very little knowledge about Aspergers or Autism as a whole, I really enjoyed getting to "experience" the mindset.
I always thought of myself as someone with an open mind, whom isn't quick to judge a person by the way the look and try to be understand of different people from various backgrounds, philosophies and experiences.
But I found myself at one point questioning why Stella didn't just tell Michael about her disorder instead of fighting so hard to control her reactions and to hide it from him. Then it hit me.... how could I possibly think that!? Someone with Aspergers shouldn't have to divulge something that personal, **SHOULDN'T be expected to do so. It completely changed my mindset and made me relate to Stella even more. She wants others to treat her the same with or without the label of her disorder (Even if she has to work hard to fight past it's "boundaries") the same way I typically hold close my mental disorders of depression and anxiety. While people are starting to talk more openly about disorders, and generally becoming more understanding, there is still a large population that doesn't know how to react. They judge, change their demeanor, even the way they observe. Everyone just wants to feel normal, connected, average in one way or another. We all want to fit in. It's hard battling a disorder every day, but Stella learned to embrace it with Michael and I find that really inspiring. I also admire the other perspective of having Michael be patient and gentle with Stella prior to her diagnosis being discovered. He's the kind of person you aspire to be. As Stella put it when her Father tried to say Michael wasn't good enough for her
(view spoiler)[
"her father said. “I saw nothing good in that man.” Sharpness lanced her insides, and her control dissolved. “Then you weren’t looking closely enough. He’s not doing nothing. He’s not lazy. Sometimes there are more important things than passion and ambition. He put his career onhold so he could take care of his mom, who’s dying of cancer. He’s the kind of person who will give up everything for the people he loves, everything. He’s nothing but good.”
(hide spoiler)]

I'm looking forward to the second book and getting to see Khai & Esme's story!

View all my reviews