Review Detail

TILLY IN TECHNICOLOR is a compelling YA contemporary romance/coming-of-age. Tilly has just graduated from high school and is excited to embark on a trip around Europe as her highly driven sister's intern. She is ready to get out from under the pressure her parents put on her regarding her ADHD and her desire to be a writer (they consider it to not be a practical career and want her to go straight to college). The trip does not start off quite as she planned, sitting next to a cute boy on the plane and making a mess of everything.

When she arrives in London, she is surprised to learn that her seat mate is Oliver, another intern at her sister's small nail polish start-up who will be joining them on their trip. Tilly will be mostly working as a hand model, and Oliver is working on their social media presence and buzz, taking photos of her hands in the cities they visit. Oliver is also neurodivergent - he has autism. The more time they spend together, the more they realize how alike they are and how much their feelings are growing.

What I loved: This was an insightful and authentic look into neurodivergence, the ways neurodivergence are often presented to the world (such as through parental lenses), and finding yourself as an adult. Tilly and Oliver are both just out of high school with differing plans. Oliver is planning to go to university with a very specific area of study around color, while Tilly knows she wants to be a writer and does not want to go to college, but she is not quite sure how to make it all happen. Over the summer, she finds herself reflecting on her brain and her life, reinvigorating an old online journal she used to keep. Through these writings, she has epiphanies about herself, her family, and what she wants out of her future.

At the heart of the story is a romance that builds slowly but beautifully. While much of the story focuses on Tilly, there are quite a few chapters from Oliver's point-of-view as well. The reader sees both of them falling in love, but not quite sure how to go about it. It's a new experience but one they leap into with their whole hearts and by improving their communication. The dual perspectives really add to this element in a big way, as we see what they say but also all the emotions behind them, making it impossible not to cheer for them to be together. They are expertly woven, particularly for the bigger conversations to show the surface but also the deeper sentiments there.

Neurodivergence is a part of each of them, and these elements were handled really well. For Tilly in particular, she has struggled with her family and the way that they relate to her diagnosis. She used to be really close to her sister and lost that connection as her parents began to heap their disappointments and expectations on her. This summer is a chance for Tilly to find her own way, rekindle her relationship with her sister, and figure out who she will be on her own. Her journey is really a great coming-of-age story. Although she has some fumbles, Tilly is defining herself and what she wants for her future, as well as embracing her ADHD and lived experiences. Her writing helps her to do this, but also provides a possible career for her future, where she be herself more fully. The inclusion of some of her journal postings within the text was also really helpful to see and understand her perspectives and reflections on living with ADHD.

Oliver has, in some ways, already figured himself and his life out, and it was great to see how supportive and understanding his family is. His perspectives also help to present coping techniques and strategies, particularly the help that therapy over the years has given him. Though therapy is in the background for both of them, it was great to see that they both had therapy and found it helpful in their pasts.

Themes around family were also really powerful with Tilly confronting the way that her family treats her as the book continues. There were different approaches in the two perspectives (owing to 2 different families), and these juxtapositions were helpful to understanding some of the ways that people relate to those diagnosed with neurodivergence. Family expectations and disappointments are themes that most YA readers will relate to, regardless of neurodiversity.

Final verdict: Overall, TILLY IN TECHNICOLOR is a consuming and unputdownable YA contemporary romance story with strong elements of neurodivergence and coming-of-age. Highly recommend for fans of THE PRINCE AND THE APOCALYPSE, THIS IS MY BRAIN IN LOVE, and THE LOVE LETTERS OF ABELARD AND LILY.