SOME LIKE IT COLD

Returning home after 18 months away at university, a neurodivergent girl discovers herself amid the chaos of a family wedding and the filming of a documentary.

Jasper Montgomery is Lake Pristine’s golden girl, a label her influential family adores, especially after working hard to hide Jasper’s autism. Jasper agrees to help cast and direct her mother’s ballet company’s production of The Nutcracker and plan her often tyrannical sister’s wedding, all while trying to explain to her family why the life they’ve planned for her doesn’t make her happy. Oddly, the only person who seems to understand her emotional and sensory needs is Arthur Lancaster, a former classmate who’s always been a bit short with her. Arthur accepts a plea from Marcus, his cousin, to join him in creating a documentary on their small town to enter in a contest for a cash prize—a short film that will expose “the rigid oppressiveness” beneath the shiny, respectable surface of the town and families like the Montgomerys. Arthur films and interviews Jasper for the project, and the two form a bond that breaks through their usual brusqueness. Jasper’s interactions with her family are often troubling, highlighting her self-awareness and grit in the face of their unkindness, while Arthur is lovably quiet and gruff. Readers will appreciate the thoughtful examination of social dynamics and expectations. Main characters read white.

A sweet coming-of-age story that provides important representation.