Unmasked
Unmasked by Ellie Middleton (She/Her) is sold with the tagline “the ultimate guide to ADHD, autism and neurodivergence” and from reading it I have to say that is a pretty apt description of the book. Yet, I am going to break it down a bit more and say what I love and what I didn't love about the book as a whole.
It's clear from reading the book that the author, as an Autistic ADHDer, wanted to fill a gap in the book market that so sorely needed to be filled, and she has done an excellent job of doing so. Unmasked breaks down both Autistic and ADHD traits in simple-to-understand terms but also goes much further than many other texts of its kind do. Ellie Middleton explores her own experience, and the experiences of others, giving examples of day-to-day experiences which are often overlooked or underrepresented elsewhere. The book is written clearly and understandably, with any terminology having an equally clearly given definition, so the reader never has to pause to look up words along their journey. The book is so well put together, that it has become my go-to book to signpost people to who are looking to gain a better understanding of Autism and ADHD. The way Ellie Middleton has made an information-dense book a breeze to read speaks to their knowledge of the subject and their skills as an author.
With all that being said I did say that I am going to break it down a bit more and say what I loved and what I didn't love about the book, and it is clear that I love a great many things, but what about the “didn't love” aspects of Unmasked? Well, there are a few points that I didn't love, but the main point that comes up from my own experience reading it, and the feedback from clients, was that Ellie Middleton talks a lot about her experience of gender and ADHD/Autism, and understandably this is not a male perspective. I am grateful for being able to read about a perspective that is not mine and getting a better understanding of a life that I cannot live. However, in almost all other aspects of the book Ellie Middleton looks any given issue from multiple angles, with diversity very much included at every turn. So it could have been beneficial to include additional perspectives from other voices on top of those already included with this aspect as well. This criticism should be taken as the most minor of criticisms, though, as the book as a whole is incredibly relevant to people who are Autistic and have ADHD irrespective of gender.
In the end, it is still going to be my go-to book to signpost people to, and I am very much looking forward to reading How to Be You, Ellie Middleton's new book. I just have to get through quite the backlog of books first.