Disclosure: This is a sponsored post for SheSpeaks.  Opinions shared are mine.

College was an incredibly fulfilling time in my life.  I attended a small private college in the early 90s, and the friends I made have become lifelong family.  In fact, my college roommate and I just got together this week for dinner!  The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Garvis Graves (New York Times best selling author!) brought back such good memories of the college experience.  Those years of growing up and learning about life transformed me, just as they did for the main character Annika. 

Annika clearly falls on the autism spectrum, and her struggle to fit in often becomes painful.  In those days, autism wasn’t widely understood.  Looking back, there were definitely people in my high school and college group who would now be considered autistic.  We accepted their quirks but didn’t realize it was a disorder; instead, Rainman was the main definition of autism for most of us.  The author describes Annika’s autism in painstaking detail.  It’s emotionally exhausting to read sometimes.  For those who aren’t familiar with the black-and-white way that autistic people think, it might be eye-opening.  I’ve worked with many autistic students and adults over the years, so it became a bit redundant for me.

What I really loved about this story was the way Annika interacted with the key people in her life.  Her roommate Janice was my absolute favorite character!  She was understanding, tolerant, and loving toward Annika.  Jonathan (the main love interest) was also a high spot in the book.  He was as sweet as could be, though his human downfalls were honestly portrayed.

The ending is absolutely fantastic.  There was a lull in the book about halfway through, but I’m so glad I pushed through to the end.  Readers should be aware that there is a little bit of profanity in the book.  There are several mentions of alcohol use, and descriptive bedroom scenes as well.  These are tastefully placed, though, and help to define the characters.

If you’re looking for characters that stand out from the crowd, grab a copy of The Girl He Used to Know when it releases on April 2!