Hey Bookworms, so this isn’t going to be in the format my normal book Reviews are in, but I truly felt I needed to post this on my blog too, not just Goodreads and Storygraph, as a thank you to the author and a plead to other authors. It may be a bit messy, but kind of posting directly from my Good Reads and Story Graph. Hope you all enjoy.

Title: Tell Me My Name by Amy Reed

Publication Date: 9th March 2021

Publisher: Listening Library

Format: Audio Book (Borrowed From Library on Axis360)

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

My Review:

This was the 2nd retelling I read this year where the original, “The Great Gatsby” was not my favorite, but I truly enjoyed the majority of this book. The prose is beyond gorgeous that it completely sucked me in. The LGBTQIA rep+ and at the beginning not knowing which character would be whom.

Giving this “Daisy” more dimension and not just making them just a pretty thing, but someone that wanted more but was scared to leave their perfection or the role of what they new.

The part I also wanted to thank Reed for is their Author’s note at the end. I feel like this should be a requirement for any author writing about a disability or mental illness whether they have it or not, because everything is on a spectrum or not. I like that they disclosed how she used resources and even apologized for the portrayal not being perfect.

If she reads this honestly, just want to say thank you for doing what is needed for everyone to feel safe to read something they may not know about or if they feel that it is something they can relate to or experience themselves, that the author felt the need to say they aren’t perfect but tried to give the voice they could. They could be saving someone from months of mental and emotional pain from worrying if this depiction may be the only way others see them, if they felt this depiction was negative.

Please other authors if you depict any kind of disability/ illness, mental, physical, or otherwise do your due diligence and right that author’s note that you are showing only a fragment. It could save a life.

Okay, after that rant, as it begin to mimic Gatsby too close it reminded me of what I don’t like about the original, so I can’t give it 5 stars, but still a gorgeous book nevertheless with prose that pulls you in.

Closing

Well that is it, something I took for granted as a younger reader was the author’s notes. As an older reader I want to teach young Chantal to take a breathe before devouring the next book and learn. Honestly, Reed doesn’t know what a great thing she did with this note. I know what the main character has gets major stigma from the media. I hope more author’s take a pause to do the same, because not all readers will have the resources to learn about what is being read about and instead of educating can end up hurting.

In other words yes, I still remember reading the tweets on Kami Mcgovern’s site for “Say What You Will” and not being able to shake the pain for months. The reason why I won’t speak on platforms or other blogs when asked about my disability, is that I am one on a spectrum and I never want to be a spoke’s person. Everyone’s journey and rep with their disability is different, and it is a fragment of millions of parts of who they are. So Authors who might be reading this if you are brave enough to write or speak of a disability or mental illness, whether you have it or not your author’s note of your research is needed, your disclaimer is needed, whether it is at the beginning or end.

That’s all I am going to stay for now, or else this is going to turn into one big rant. Well bookworms, have you read this book, what are your feelings on author’s notes when it comes to portrayals, and what are you currently reading? Let me know in the comments below! As always Happy Reading and Have an amazing and Safe Week!