Publishers Weekly
04/29/2024
TikTokker Layle discusses life on the autism spectrum in her illuminating debut. As a child, Layle mimicked the behavior of others to get along socially, assuming that “everyone feels this way.” Then, at 15, she was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. While the diagnosis helped Layle contextualize her feelings, she still struggled and went through several bouts of suicidal thinking. After discovering TikTok during the Covid-19 pandemic, Layle quickly gained followers by posting videos about her experiences with autism. Combining autobiography and advice, Layle, now in her 20s, provides detailed guidance for others on the spectrum, covering such subjects as boundary setting and managing “out-of-control” feelings. She has pointed words for neurotypical readers, too, about the difficulty of generalizing people with autism due to the spectrum’s wide range of symptoms, and the underdiagnosis of women in particular. Empowering and educational, this should be required reading for anyone seeking to better understand themselves or a neurodivergent loved one. Agent: Emily Nordstrom Higdon, Westwood Creative Artists. (Mar.)
From the Publisher
Paige Layle’s book will be especially helpful to provide insight for women diagnosed with autism later in life.”—Dr. Temple Grandin, author of Thinking in Pictures and Visual Thinking
"But Everyone Feels This Way is a heartfelt, vulnerable book about understanding and accepting autism in a world that constantly demands normalcy."—The New Yorker
“Paige’s heartfelt and honest account illustrates why first-hand storytelling is important for diving into the deep minds of autistic people.”—Jory Fleming, author of How to Be Human: An Autistic Man’s Guide to Life
“We are in the middle of a moment of self-discovery and awakening for many Autistic adults, particularly those from marginalized backgrounds. Paige Layle's But Everyone Feels this Way is an important contribution to this movement, and in its pages, I am certain many Autistics in search of understanding and a place within our growing community will see themselves.”—Dr. Devon Price, author of Unmasking Autism and Unlearning Shame
"I had a hard time putting this book down and the few times I did were to nod in agreement. Paige Layle writes vividly about those parts of being autistic that aren't in any psychiatry text. The constant discomfort, the tidal wave emotions that overwhelm you at any moment. Paige's book offers a fuller picture of what autism looks like and furthermore, how to build a more accepting world for autistic people." —Eric Garcia, author of We’re Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation
"I read all of it, I loved it, I learned so much....The way [Paige] wrote about autism actually is writing about understanding human beings...it's applicable to so much....I thought it was a really great mix of information and story....The book was fabulous, it's really good on so many levels. I really enjoyed it and I'm going to be giving this to a lot of people and recommending it."—Zibby Owens, "Moms Don't Have Time to Read" podcast
“Paige writes with incredible insight, humor, and honesty about her autism and life. Her unique experience illustrates some universal truths and, as I read about her, I also learned about myself and my own autism. I am grateful for the gift of her voice."—Kim Rhodes
“Frank and perceptive, But Everyone Feels This Way is a welcome addition to the growing autistic literary canon. I’ve long believed that autistic voices—not a single face or voice, but as many of us sharing our stories as possible—play a key role in the acceptance and celebration of autistic people. I’m very glad that Paige’s voice is among them.”—Sarah Kurchak, author of I Overcame My Autism and All I Got Was This Lousy Anxiety Disorder
"But Everyone Feels This Way is a poignant, brave, soul-baring triumph! Whether neurotypical or divergent, Paige Layle’s story will make you laugh, cry, and think - but most importantly, it will give you a new lens for seeing yourself and others." —Wendy Walker, bestselling author of American Girl
“[An] illuminating debut….[Layle] provides detailed guidance for others on the spectrum….Empowering and educational, this should be required reading for anyone seeking to better understand themselves or a neurodivergent loved one.”—Publishers Weekly
“Genuine and heartfelt, this book will appeal to Layle’s many followers on YouTube and TikTok as well as anyone seeking insight into what it means to live as a young woman navigating autism. A candid and instructive memoir about neurodivergence.”—Kirkus Reviews
“[A] fantastic memoir.”—Bookstr
"[Layle's] book is amazing."—"The OT Butterfly Sensory WISE Solutions" podcast
Kirkus Reviews
2023-12-06
A 20-something Canadian autism activist and social media influencer discusses how psychiatric diagnosis liberated her from the painful ignorance in which she had lived regarding her own autism.
As a child, Layle struggled with frequent panic attacks, hyperventilation, fits of crying “from stress, frustration, exhaustion, or all three at once,” and the inability to deal with changes to her daily routine. Others would try to comfort her with the observation that “everyone feels this way,” but no one could offer insights that could help her understand why her reactions were always so extreme or why she missed social cues and often felt so uncomfortable in her own skin. She wrote her first suicide letter when she was 8 and showed it to her mother, who could only tell her that “the things you’re upset about aren’t as big of a deal as you think.” In school, Layle discovered that while she excelled at anything that involved pattern recognition, like math or dance, she had extreme difficulty with tasks that required inference, such as literary analysis. On the verge of taking her own life, she was hospitalized at age 15 and diagnosed with autism. Gradually, the author learned that all the techniques—especially the social ones that had made her seem “too happy, too smiley, too skippy, too preppy” to her peers—were part of a larger strategy of “masking.” Medication helped—“With the medication, I’m no longer trapped in a situation where everything’s happening all at once and I can’t focus on one thing”—and the author was eventually able to celebrate her neurodivergence. Genuine and heartfelt, this book will appeal to Layle’s many followers on YouTube and TikTok as well as anyone seeking insight into what it means to live as a young woman navigating autism.
A candid and instructive memoir about neurodivergence.
