To all my book readers! How do we feel about Accurate Representation?

Alesha Savannah

Hello, my friends!!

I hope this finds you well!

Quick question: For those who read books involving disability, how do you feel about the representation? Is it accurate, told from a perspective you can view, or does it lack anything?

For example, I recently read Iron Flame for an assignment about disability representation in literature... I think the book didn't flesh out the characters with disabilities. It was a great book and hit all the marks for fantasy and romance. However, I personally didn't feel it was an accurate representation. It lacked identifying details that would have allowed me to relate more with the character's disabilities, and the author overcompensated because the main character is disabled. I don't want to give the book away in case someone hasn't read it yet! Representation is extremely important thus needs to be accurate!

What are some book titles that you think represent you correctly?

My best friend and I, who is also disabled, read it together and felt the same, so I'm excited to get other opinions!

Tom Richer

Love this discussion @Alesha Savannah ! Though I have not read books with disability representation in them (I think I should) I did read a book called The Secret History by Donna Tart and there were qualities in one of the main characters that resembled autism without saying they were autistic. It felt like there were qualities of myself in him which was quite surprising.