I never thought about the therapy aspect of Me Before You either - such a great point. This was a fantastic video, thank you both so much for discussing these books and your thoughts.
Loved this topic! I agree about the lack of visibility for own voice disabled books. Yes I would like to see more of you and Simone chatting about books.
This is an excellent video, I loved hearing the thoughts Simone had on each of the books, but also your thoughts Olivia from a carer perspective. Would love for Simone to come back on regularly to talk about these kinds of topics.
This is such an important discussion to have, I really need to read more books featuring disabled characters written by own voices. The only one off the top of my head (for physical disabilities) is Leigh Bardugo. I’m not religious and can struggle with pious content but I’m tempted to try out that book just to see how she adapted to her changed circumstances and I love that Simone was able to take some inspiration to learn some new skills too!!
This is such a great discussion and a very important one! Loved this so much and glad to see Simone in it!😁 I definitely recommend Forget Me Not by Ellie Terry. From what I heard it has great tourette syndrome representation and it's own voices. I read it in September and I absolutely loved it!💙 also definitely agree, Wonder is so good! I loved it and the movie!
I don't think I have read any tourette syndrome representation before so I am definitely going to have to check out the book! I am glad you enjoyed Wonder too ✨
Simone's face when that book fell! This was absolutely lovely, it was so nice to see you interacting and sharing your experiences with these books. I would definitely LOVE to see Simone again. I'm definitely going to check out some of these (obviously not Me Before You, because ick). I've been meaning to read Wonder forever and listening to y'all talk about it just reminded me of that.
She is the funniest person to surprise, which is why as an older sibling I make sure to do it often :D I will have to have Simone back for sure! ✨ I hope you enjoy Wonder :)
I have never wanted to read Me Before You because I heard the rep wasn't that great. I had never heard more specifics, but I love hearing Simone's take. I love that you guys did this more as a conversation. ♥
This was amazing! What Simone said about the conversation about mental health and suicide being completely different for disabled and able bodied people is something I never thought about before, but it is so true! You two are lovely and I’d definitely love to see Simone here again 💕
This was a great discussion! Really enjoyed it. I really enjoyed Me Before You but I’ve definitely been re thinking it over the years with how incorrect the disability rep is. You guys only brought to my mind now that they never sought therapy for will even with how long he was struggling. It seems so obvious
Such a great video. I watched Me Before You the movie and I had never considered the topic of assisted suicide and what that means for disabled people until I read Disability Visibility. And Simone is 100% correct, any other abled bodied person would have received mental health care and Will didn't. I hadn't seen that when I watched the movie, this is a great video.
Olivia-Savannah and Simone, what a wonderful video! Thank you both for doing this! Wow that is such a good point about the complete lack of mental health support in Me Before You! yes, there is such a difference in the emphasis on choice vs. help when the person is disabled! Which basically implies it's much more reasonable for a disabled person to want to end their life rather than a sign they need help, which is awful. Even more excited to get to Out of My Mind after hearing you both talk about it! Also the sister moments between you two were just 💖!! And I would love to see you and Simone do more reviews together!
Yeah, it's such a shame how the approach to mental health is different... and that is something that definitely needs to be changed and addressed! I really hope you enjoy Out of My Mind
This is a great video! Simone made a really good point about Me Before You being totally different if it was about an abled-bodied person. And her point about the psychological help as well - it never crossed my mind until she said it. I loved hearing both your perspectives of these books. I love how inspired she was by Joni's story as well. The information about the pavements is so interesting. While in Europe my first thought for several of the cities was how narrow and inconvenient the pavements are. I noticed the car parking on pavements a lot as well.
So disappointing on the pyschological health aspect of it! Yes, the pavements in Europe can often be so awful?! I didn't know American ones were bigger D: But I did know their roads often are.
This is a fantastic idea for a discussion, and I wholeheartedly thank you both for taking the time to do this. I've heard so many awful things about the disability rep in "Me Before You" that I've never considered going anywhere near it, and this has certainly cemented my belief. "Wonder" is one that has been on my radar for a while, but never a priority, whereas this is the first time I've heard of "Out of My Mind" and it sounds like it needs so much more clout. I do recall Olivia bringing up "Joni" in a past video (probably because I've just been catching up haha) and thinking that it sounds really interesting. I think these last three will be bumped up on my TBR list because I acknowledge that I need to read more books with disabled rep in them. Thank you two lovely ladies yet again!
I definitely agree that Out of My Mind deserves a lot more attention than it gets! I am so happy those last three are ones you're interested in, and thanks so much for watching ^.^
This was a fantastic video! It was great to hear both of your perspectives on these books coming from different angles. The therapy aspect (or lack thereof) in Me Before You is such a good point. The story never would've played out the same way if he wasn't quadriplegic but still had severe mental health struggles. Also that is so cool that Simone started using a pen in her mouth after reading Joni!
THANK YOU for this video. What a great discussion, you guys have an amazing dynamic and it was great to see your different point of views on the same books. Loved to hear about how Joni's inspired Simone to learn a new skill. Books can have such a big impact on us! So thank you for this amazing discussion
Indeed. I don't know how I would've been able to get through school if I hadn't read that book and learned to write in a different way. Books can definitely be life-changing. I'm happy that you enjoyed the discussion!
I love this video so much! It's great to hear both the carer and a disabled perspective wether or not it's the same as the book rep - it's different to just an abled persons thoughts. I could listen to the way Simone discusses things all day - if she ever decides to start a youtube along side her blog I'll be right there! "Disabled people aren't in a perpetual state of help" YES. This is such a good point. I think people want to prove they're good and will help so they just instantly "see disabled person. must help" rather than actually wait until they see people struggle. People don't always need help! Regarding dogs and wheelchairs - I wish more people were aware when getting dogs they need to socialise them and expose them to so many different things as puppies so they aren't scared. We made sure when we got Hector, our dog, to expose him to a lot of situations. My gran uses walking sticks and will use a mobility scooter so we had him around those and he also got to experience a hospice situation so saw a lot of wheelchair users and people with feeding tubes etc. It's always lovely when you're out and about and people want to pet your dog but there was something extra special when a family with a wheelchair user would pass and they'd stop and admire from a distance and I could say he's fine with the chair if they wanted to pet him and seeing the excitement because normally they can't meet strange dogs due to the dog being scared of the chair
Simone has such a beautiful voice and so many important things to say too. I love that people want to help but it is so important to remember people are independent and capable - disabled people too! Aww, I love that you have introduced Hector to so many things. And so when people meet him on the street it can be a lovely experience rather than a terrifying one. 😇 That is so heartwarming!
@@OliviasCatastrophe she really does!! Absolutely! It's fine to ask but not when someone's clearly doing just fine? and when people ask and someone says no but they insist like.. STOP. It was the one thing I was adamant about with him and I'm so glad we did it when we did otherwise he'd have had no socialising at all. He loves meeting people and he can be super boisterous but he's so gentle when it comes to wheelchairs. It's like he knows he needs to be more careful and it always amazes me to see him like that. He'd be a great therapy dog!
Such a great discussion! I used to watch the Dutch programme ''je zal het maar hebben'' a lot which talk about disablities and illnesses. I find it really interesting, because I love to learn about it. I'm both chronically ill and deaf on one ear and one of my sisters is fully deaf so that's the experience I personally have
Love to see you two discussing this book. This was so interesting to see things from another perspective and it is such an important conversation to have. ❤ Me Before You seems like a book in which the author used a disabled character just to create this drama and sadness and that is not ok 😢
completely missed this video because I wasn't on booktube near the end of last year. I'm so glad you guys did this! It's amazing. Made me tear up when you guys where talking about how you care for her and have to let her work through her own struggles. I myself an not a wheelchair user but I do use a cane quite often. I have rented a chair in the past at certain events where I knew I would be on my feet for very long periods of time. Sometimes I don't use the electric scooters available at the grocery stores because I'm worried what people might think because I don't 'look" disabled. It's definitely a hard thing to deal with at times. Now that I know your sister is a wheelchair user, I really recommend that book I talked about "the oracle code" I think she will enjoy it quite a bit! It definitely touches on the fact that the main character used to be able to walk and now she can't. It deals with her depression and her learning how to still be her but differently.
It's so important to get that balance between care, but also respecting their independence and autonomy right! It must be so difficult to always worry about the ableist gaze of others and sometimes having to suffer because of it :( You should be able to use those scooters without other people judging or worrying about the judgment at all! And again, thank you for wanting to send the oracle code and doing so
My favorite book with a disabled character , which is the first of a series, is SAFFY'S ANGEL. Saffy's best friend is a girl in a wheel chair. She seems very real to me as do the other characters. Hilary McKay is a wonderful writer. I'd love to know what Simone and Olivia think of this book.
Loved this discussion! I only read Me Before You back in high school and was completely unaware of the problems back then. We definitely need more own voices books about disability! Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences!
Loved this so much and I totally agree that there should be more books on disability representation. With my own disabilities I feel that they aren’t shown enough In books which annoys me. Yes Simone come on here more you see lovely 😊
Aw, thank you! I feel the same way - it's so rare that I pick up a book and can relate to the character because they're disabled too. I want to be an author when I'm older and I'm mostly just going to write disabled rep.
That was so insightful and fun to watch, thank you! I'd love to see Simone and you discussing books with disability rep (or other books, too, in fact) more often!
Hi Olivia and Simone!! How lovely to see you both together in one video! I loved Simone's post of the review of Me Before You. I loved Wonder when I read it (I have it to a lesser extent with my wounds on my face and hands etc). I read Out of My Mind based on both your recommendation and I loved it. I agree, it is amazing Simone learnt all by herself how to draw with a pencil in her mouth, you are amazing Simone 😍. Ugh about the dog poo on the pavement!! Yesss to more books by disabled authors and more good disabled representation in books!! I love Simone's blog. Oh yes I would love to see more videos with the two of you discussing books you have both read!
Also, one of my favourite books with a wheelchair user in it is The Christmasaurus by Tom Fletcher. It had a disabled main character but it’s very casual rep and the story is so lovely!
Thank you to both of you for this discussion. Joni is a book we will be seeking out. Reading from different perspectives is something that is so important, especially when it's own voices.
Yes, it's incredibly well written and I wonder if there is an audiobook because I think that would be fantastic too. I don't mention it here but it does have a lot of Christian themes and inclusion as well, because Joni is Christian!
Both of you are so articulate & concise in putting across your views! And I hope this isn't a weird compliment Simone haha but you have amazing model like teeth!
good content, great discussion, awesome guest! i would love to see simone back as a guest to discuss more books, on this topic and otherwise :) its really enjoyable to watch a conversation, especially between two people who know each other so well, i dont know if i can pinpoint it any more other than i think its nice. i dont think ive ever read a book with a character in a wheelchair..! i havent looked specifically for that when ive looked up disability rep, and it doesnt seem to be very common. not to be salty but i have suspicions that publishers would rather publish a memoir about a wheelchair user that they can market as inspiration porn, as opposed to a fiction book where maybe the disability isnt even the main plot, which is what i would want to read. but thats just me guessing, if any major book publisher reads this comment, do feel free to prove me wrong :)
Oooo... these are some good points. I definitely agree that this is why we usually don't see casual disabled representation. Media would rather keep wheelchair-users as objects of inspiration rather than allowing them to be ordinary people in ordinary stories. Which really upsets me. And it upsets me that it actually works - because your average author wouldn't even think about casual disabled rep which is really sad. I hope that changes in the future.
I will definitely make sure to have Simone back for more in the future! I actually think you're probably spot on when it comes to disabled nonfiction and being able to sell it as inspiration porn - not only because of the publishers but also because audience wants that too (even though that's incredibly wrong). I hope you can find more wheelchair user rep though - Out of My Mind is one and I am hoping to be able to pick up more books with wheelchair users in the future as I search for them.
Could not agree more. When I saw this film, the people I were with were raving about it - all I could think was, "I don't sympathise with the main guy at all, what a prick - oh no, I'm in a wheelchair, therefore my life has no value and I have to kill myself!" no-one ever seemed to challenge this insanely entitled viewpoint, which to me felt like an insult to wheelchair users everywhere who have no problem finding fulfilling ways to live their life. I wouldn't have worried about lettng your sis read it though - seems she saw right through the bullshit same as me! It's more insulting than harmful, I'd say, to disabled people.
I think I was worried because I read this back when Simone was going through depression, and I didn't want to just contribute to it with exposing her to the horrible perspectives some able-bodied people have, or add to any possible spiral. But she read it two or three years after me and she was in a much better place and easily saw right through it as you mentioned! It definitely does sound insulting.
So nice to see one of your sisters on your channel. Hi Simone! Really loved watching this video and to see the love between you two. So many wonderful discussions!
This is such an amazing video & such an important topic especially here on BookTube! ❤ I look forward to seeing more discussions from you two in the future!!! And I am also really wanting to read Wonder now, it sounds so incredible and I'm happy to hear that book has accurate representation! I know we've talked about Me Before You before, but I just wanted to mention again how glad I am to have seen it from another perspective and can understand how wrong many things in that book are!
Loved the video! A book that is on my TBR A Curse So Dark and Lonely is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast and the young woman has Cerebral Palsy. It might be worth checking out! It’s a Trilogy.
This was an amazing video. I had never thought about Me before you like that and it’s been eye opening. Thank you Simone for sharing all your thoughts on these book’s representations ❤️
I never thought about the therapy perspective for Me Before You. The thing that bothered me the most with that one is that Lou made his disability and his choices about her. She kept saying stuff like you can't leave me. Am I not enough etc.
Yes, that definitely did happen too! I think they addressed it a bit in the film but could've done so more (can't remember close enough to know if the book does address it or not).
This was such a great video! Absolutely loved Simone's input. I find it so important to listen to the opinions of people who are marginalised. Good rep in books is essential. I thought parking on the pavement was illegal? It sure is here! Would love to read ownvoices disability rep in books! And yes - please bring Simone back for more book discussions!
Yes, we definitely need that good representation. I'm not entirely sure on the laws here but parking entirely on the pavement is not allowed. However, many cars hike up two wheels on the edge of the pavement - which, when the pavement is already fairly narrow or has trees grown into them, means there isn't enough space for a wheelchair to pass through anymore. Will definitely have Simone back again!
@@OliviasCatastrophe I have seen, and puzzled over, the wheels on the pavement in the UK. It's not common here at all. Also, in general, pavements in Norway tend to be less narrow. At least the newer ones. A larger problem here, are the electrical scooters people throw around after using them. They're a huge hindrance to a lot of people who have disabilities.
Oh I was thinking of the Netherlands when I answered but yes, England has the same problem! I know a lot of it relates to it being old - hence the narrow and old underground, pavements and roads but it’s still a problem. I think quite a few countries could do with widening both roads and walkways. Ah that’s annoying about scooters just being dumped everywhere!!
@@OliviasCatastrophe Yes, I understood that you talked about the Netherlands, but I have only really been there once, over 20 years ago. Yeah, the scooters really are a problem. There has been accidents where people who cannot see has stumbled over them, and gotten really hurt. Also, if they're across the pavement, they're hard to get around.
This is such a great video and discussion. I would definitely love to hear more of Simone's options. It's been a while since I read Me Before You but I think he wanted to go to Switzerland for assisted suicide? I definitely noticed the lack of therapy because in real life the places in Switzerland you have to speak to a therapist and they make sure it's really your own decision and I don't remember that ever being mentioned. I loved Wonder but it made me cry. I don't think I've read many books that are own voices disability rep. The only one I can think of is My Left Foot which is nonfiction. Has either of you read Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus? I would love to know your opinion on that. It's about a girl who was born without arms.
Will definitely have Simone back on again! Yes, they go to Switzerland and you're right about them needing to speak to a therapist as a requirement. Wonder is definitely emotional. Neither of us have read that one but we will have to look into it! Thank you for the recommendation. 🙂
Great video, guys! Love how constructively critical both of you are. Simone, I love the point u made @2:27 about Me Before You. I wanted to ask both of you what you thought about the movie adaptation of Wonder. I didn't like some directorial choices made in the film, so I've never read the book, but your love of it is making me reconsider. Also, are u guys going to check out the movie Run? I will just because they hired disabled people (yay!), but the plot seems ablest. I'd love to see a joint movie review from you guys if you're interested. Olivia, love the way u edited this collab. The conversation flowed really nicely btwn the two of you.
Yes, we both watched the movie adaptation together and I think that we both agreed that the book was much better. So I still recommend it. Well I know that I'm definitely going to check out the movie Run because I review disabled representation books and films on my blog and I'm interested to see how they do the representation. Hopefully it won't be as ableist as the plot seems but my hopes aren't that high to be honest XD
@@thewheelchairteen3058 Thanks for replying ! I'm definitely going to check out your blog. I'm just excited that a wheelchair-using actress is getting something on her resume (the bar is @ the floor), but I also low expectations 4 the film
Simone got here before me and I agree with what she said about the film - the book was much more powerful and what I'd really recommend to people. I hadn't heard of Run but yay for disabled actors!! I will check out the trailer but maybe it will be a good one for a sister film night to see what we think of the storyline in the end... Glad you enjoyed the video ✨
Loooooooove this video! I’ll check out Simone’s blog! Would love to see more of them. So many things Simone was saying reminded me of when I read The Kiss Quotient. I don’t consider it good representation now, but reading it for the first time was eye-opening for me. If not for that representation of an autistic woman, I may not have found out I was autistic myself. So it’s a pretty important book in my collection these days, despite its harmful rep.
I hope you enjoy reading her blog! Will definitely have to have her back again. I am glad you were able to understand more about yourself through reading the kiss quotient. It is on my tbr as I'd only heard good things about it but I hadn't heard anyone say anything bad about the rep until now! Good to know more perspectives on it.
@@OliviasCatastrophe I did enjoy reading her blog, I enjoyed her perspective enormously. It’s really quite apparent that she’s had to think about the big stuff way earlier than an abled peer might have. There’s some reviews on goodreads, I’ve seen a couple, but most reviews are typically done by neurotypical readers and they tend to be great because they just don’t know and because the romance is decent.
I’m glad you did ^.^ Hmm I might give it a try still but might ask you closer to whenever I do for some of the things I should note and look out for when reading!
I only watched the movie for Me Before You but I was furious about the ending. Who thought that was a good idea?! I just started reading Disability Visibility by Alice Wong and there are also essays by wheel chair users in there, so if you haven't checked it out, it might be interesting and all the essays come with potential trigger warnings.
This was a wonderful conversation; I enjoyed watching! I'd love to see Simone again! Do you think you'll have more discussions with people about representation on certain topics, or consider having viewer responses about representation at some point? Hope you're well! 💙
I will definitely have Simone again! I would be up for discussing more representation but while I feel like I have something to add to the disabled conversation, I am not sure how much I can contribute or truly comment on other representation - if that makes sense? Maybe something to think about. I'd be interested in viewer responses on representation. Do you have any ideas on how to go about including this?
@@OliviasCatastrophe I totally get that :) In general I've seen some youtubers do interviews (virtually or otherwise) with guests who fit the demographic of the specific representation just to allow for a platform for sharing and discussion. As for viewers sharing, interactions could happen through social media, email, etc. Perhaps a specific question or questions could be posed about a book and viewers who have read the book and are voices on the type(s) of representation (race, ethnicity, queerness, disability, etc.) could give a thoughtful response. I hope you feel no pressure to consider this, I just imagined it could be cool to hear a few fellow readers' voices to gain a better understanding on what good and poor representation is for different people. :)
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Thanks for having me on board, sis! I really enjoyed it :)
It was fun! We're going to have to do it again, of course ✨
Girl, start making videos! 💕💕💕 Going to your blog now :)
I never thought about the therapy aspect of Me Before You either - such a great point. This was a fantastic video, thank you both so much for discussing these books and your thoughts.
It felt so obvious when Simone pointed it out but it is such an important step that has to be made!
Such a great video! I'd love to see Simone back!
Thank you! I'm happy that you liked it :)
Will definitely have to have her back ✨
Amazing video and yes we love Simone.💗 Really important discussion and so nice to see both perspectives and your personal reflection
Simone is truly the best ✨
Loved this topic! I agree about the lack of visibility for own voice disabled books. Yes I would like to see more of you and Simone chatting about books.
Indeed. I hope to write my own, own voice disabled representation when I'm older! Thank you, I'm happy that you liked it :)
I'm definitely going to have her back on again ✨
This is an excellent video, I loved hearing the thoughts Simone had on each of the books, but also your thoughts Olivia from a carer perspective. Would love for Simone to come back on regularly to talk about these kinds of topics.
Hopefully we can coordinate reading more of the same books again and extend the discussion ✨ Thanks for watching!
This is such an important discussion to have, I really need to read more books featuring disabled characters written by own voices. The only one off the top of my head (for physical disabilities) is Leigh Bardugo. I’m not religious and can struggle with pious content but I’m tempted to try out that book just to see how she adapted to her changed circumstances and I love that Simone was able to take some inspiration to learn some new skills too!!
Ah yes, I've read some Bardugo and it was nice to see that in a fantasy series! 🙂
This is such a great discussion and a very important one! Loved this so much and glad to see Simone in it!😁 I definitely recommend Forget Me Not by Ellie Terry. From what I heard it has great tourette syndrome representation and it's own voices. I read it in September and I absolutely loved it!💙 also definitely agree, Wonder is so good! I loved it and the movie!
Wow, I'm definitely going to check that book out. Thank you for the recommendation!
I don't think I have read any tourette syndrome representation before so I am definitely going to have to check out the book! I am glad you enjoyed Wonder too ✨
Simone's face when that book fell! This was absolutely lovely, it was so nice to see you interacting and sharing your experiences with these books. I would definitely LOVE to see Simone again. I'm definitely going to check out some of these (obviously not Me Before You, because ick). I've been meaning to read Wonder forever and listening to y'all talk about it just reminded me of that.
She is the funniest person to surprise, which is why as an older sibling I make sure to do it often :D I will have to have Simone back for sure! ✨ I hope you enjoy Wonder :)
This is such a good idea for a video, two brilliant sisters talking about disabled representation in books you've both read.
Thank you! Simone is truly wonderful ✨
I have never wanted to read Me Before You because I heard the rep wasn't that great. I had never heard more specifics, but I love hearing Simone's take.
I love that you guys did this more as a conversation. ♥
I think you definitely made a smart choice with that one! Thank you for watching 😇
This was amazing! What Simone said about the conversation about mental health and suicide being completely different for disabled and able bodied people is something I never thought about before, but it is so true! You two are lovely and I’d definitely love to see Simone here again 💕
It truly is and in all honesty I hadn't thought about it until Simone mentioned it to me one day as well! I will definitely have her back again ✨
This was a great discussion! Really enjoyed it. I really enjoyed Me Before You but I’ve definitely been re thinking it over the years with how incorrect the disability rep is. You guys only brought to my mind now that they never sought therapy for will even with how long he was struggling. It seems so obvious
I honestly didn't think about it either but as soon as Simone mentioned it I was so shocked (and disappointed!) She was so right...
Such a great video. I watched Me Before You the movie and I had never considered the topic of assisted suicide and what that means for disabled people until I read Disability Visibility. And Simone is 100% correct, any other abled bodied person would have received mental health care and Will didn't. I hadn't seen that when I watched the movie, this is a great video.
I am glad disability visibility also discusses that film and book. I really need to read it. 😇
Olivia-Savannah and Simone, what a wonderful video! Thank you both for doing this!
Wow that is such a good point about the complete lack of mental health support in Me Before You! yes, there is such a difference in the emphasis on choice vs. help when the person is disabled! Which basically implies it's much more reasonable for a disabled person to want to end their life rather than a sign they need help, which is awful.
Even more excited to get to Out of My Mind after hearing you both talk about it!
Also the sister moments between you two were just 💖!!
And I would love to see you and Simone do more reviews together!
Yeah, it's such a shame how the approach to mental health is different... and that is something that definitely needs to be changed and addressed! I really hope you enjoy Out of My Mind
This is a great video! Simone made a really good point about Me Before You being totally different if it was about an abled-bodied person. And her point about the psychological help as well - it never crossed my mind until she said it. I loved hearing both your perspectives of these books. I love how inspired she was by Joni's story as well. The information about the pavements is so interesting. While in Europe my first thought for several of the cities was how narrow and inconvenient the pavements are. I noticed the car parking on pavements a lot as well.
So disappointing on the pyschological health aspect of it! Yes, the pavements in Europe can often be so awful?! I didn't know American ones were bigger D: But I did know their roads often are.
This is a fantastic idea for a discussion, and I wholeheartedly thank you both for taking the time to do this. I've heard so many awful things about the disability rep in "Me Before You" that I've never considered going anywhere near it, and this has certainly cemented my belief. "Wonder" is one that has been on my radar for a while, but never a priority, whereas this is the first time I've heard of "Out of My Mind" and it sounds like it needs so much more clout. I do recall Olivia bringing up "Joni" in a past video (probably because I've just been catching up haha) and thinking that it sounds really interesting. I think these last three will be bumped up on my TBR list because I acknowledge that I need to read more books with disabled rep in them. Thank you two lovely ladies yet again!
I definitely agree that Out of My Mind deserves a lot more attention than it gets! I am so happy those last three are ones you're interested in, and thanks so much for watching ^.^
This was a fantastic video! It was great to hear both of your perspectives on these books coming from different angles. The therapy aspect (or lack thereof) in Me Before You is such a good point. The story never would've played out the same way if he wasn't quadriplegic but still had severe mental health struggles. Also that is so cool that Simone started using a pen in her mouth after reading Joni!
So important that mental health struggles be treated the same without any discrimmination. And I agree - she's amazing ^.^
THANK YOU for this video. What a great discussion, you guys have an amazing dynamic and it was great to see your different point of views on the same books. Loved to hear about how Joni's inspired Simone to learn a new skill. Books can have such a big impact on us! So thank you for this amazing discussion
Indeed. I don't know how I would've been able to get through school if I hadn't read that book and learned to write in a different way. Books can definitely be life-changing. I'm happy that you enjoyed the discussion!
@@thewheelchairteen3058 thank you for your answer Simone :) hope you have a great day and we'll see you soon on Olivia's channel! xx
So happy you enjoyed it, and Simone truly is amazing! Will definitely have her back on again for sure ✨
I love this video so much! It's great to hear both the carer and a disabled perspective wether or not it's the same as the book rep - it's different to just an abled persons thoughts. I could listen to the way Simone discusses things all day - if she ever decides to start a youtube along side her blog I'll be right there!
"Disabled people aren't in a perpetual state of help" YES. This is such a good point. I think people want to prove they're good and will help so they just instantly "see disabled person. must help" rather than actually wait until they see people struggle. People don't always need help!
Regarding dogs and wheelchairs - I wish more people were aware when getting dogs they need to socialise them and expose them to so many different things as puppies so they aren't scared. We made sure when we got Hector, our dog, to expose him to a lot of situations. My gran uses walking sticks and will use a mobility scooter so we had him around those and he also got to experience a hospice situation so saw a lot of wheelchair users and people with feeding tubes etc. It's always lovely when you're out and about and people want to pet your dog but there was something extra special when a family with a wheelchair user would pass and they'd stop and admire from a distance and I could say he's fine with the chair if they wanted to pet him and seeing the excitement because normally they can't meet strange dogs due to the dog being scared of the chair
Simone has such a beautiful voice and so many important things to say too. I love that people want to help but it is so important to remember people are independent and capable - disabled people too! Aww, I love that you have introduced Hector to so many things. And so when people meet him on the street it can be a lovely experience rather than a terrifying one. 😇 That is so heartwarming!
@@OliviasCatastrophe she really does!!
Absolutely! It's fine to ask but not when someone's clearly doing just fine? and when people ask and someone says no but they insist like.. STOP.
It was the one thing I was adamant about with him and I'm so glad we did it when we did otherwise he'd have had no socialising at all. He loves meeting people and he can be super boisterous but he's so gentle when it comes to wheelchairs. It's like he knows he needs to be more careful and it always amazes me to see him like that. He'd be a great therapy dog!
Dogs can honestly be so smart, bless 🥰🥰🥰
Such a great discussion! I used to watch the Dutch programme ''je zal het maar hebben'' a lot which talk about disablities and illnesses. I find it really interesting, because I love to learn about it. I'm both chronically ill and deaf on one ear and one of my sisters is fully deaf so that's the experience I personally have
That sounds like a nice tv series. Thank you for sharing about your own experience as well. It's always so great to hear from more disabled people 😇
Love to see you two discussing this book. This was so interesting to see things from another perspective and it is such an important conversation to have. ❤ Me Before You seems like a book in which the author used a disabled character just to create this drama and sadness and that is not ok 😢
I am glad you enjoyed the video! Yeah, definitely not okay :(
completely missed this video because I wasn't on booktube near the end of last year. I'm so glad you guys did this! It's amazing. Made me tear up when you guys where talking about how you care for her and have to let her work through her own struggles. I myself an not a wheelchair user but I do use a cane quite often. I have rented a chair in the past at certain events where I knew I would be on my feet for very long periods of time. Sometimes I don't use the electric scooters available at the grocery stores because I'm worried what people might think because I don't 'look" disabled. It's definitely a hard thing to deal with at times.
Now that I know your sister is a wheelchair user, I really recommend that book I talked about "the oracle code" I think she will enjoy it quite a bit! It definitely touches on the fact that the main character used to be able to walk and now she can't. It deals with her depression and her learning how to still be her but differently.
It's so important to get that balance between care, but also respecting their independence and autonomy right! It must be so difficult to always worry about the ableist gaze of others and sometimes having to suffer because of it :( You should be able to use those scooters without other people judging or worrying about the judgment at all! And again, thank you for wanting to send the oracle code and doing so
My favorite book with a disabled character , which is the first of a series, is SAFFY'S ANGEL. Saffy's best friend is a girl in a wheel chair. She seems very real to me as do the other characters. Hilary McKay is a wonderful writer. I'd love to know what Simone and Olivia think of this book.
Thank you for the recommendation ✨
What a wonderful disscussion! we need more of Simone on the channel
XD, thank you!
More to come! ✨
Loved this discussion! I only read Me Before You back in high school and was completely unaware of the problems back then. We definitely need more own voices books about disability!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences!
I will definitely have Simone back for future videos 😋
Loved this so much and I totally agree that there should be more books on disability representation. With my own disabilities I feel that they aren’t shown enough In books which annoys me. Yes Simone come on here more you see lovely 😊
Aw, thank you! I feel the same way - it's so rare that I pick up a book and can relate to the character because they're disabled too. I want to be an author when I'm older and I'm mostly just going to write disabled rep.
@@thewheelchairteen3058 well I will certainly buy your books 😊
Hopefully there will be more representation for your disabilities too in future. Everyone deserves to feel seen ✨
That was so insightful and fun to watch, thank you! I'd love to see Simone and you discussing books with disability rep (or other books, too, in fact) more often!
We will have to do it again for sure! 🙂
I would definitely like to see both of you discussing books you’ve read. Especially if your opinions are completely different.
I feel like we often have the same viewpoints but we shall see what we can do! ✨
Hi Olivia and Simone!! How lovely to see you both together in one video! I loved Simone's post of the review of Me Before You. I loved Wonder when I read it (I have it to a lesser extent with my wounds on my face and hands etc). I read Out of My Mind based on both your recommendation and I loved it. I agree, it is amazing Simone learnt all by herself how to draw with a pencil in her mouth, you are amazing Simone 😍. Ugh about the dog poo on the pavement!! Yesss to more books by disabled authors and more good disabled representation in books!! I love Simone's blog. Oh yes I would love to see more videos with the two of you discussing books you have both read!
I am so glad you were able to love out of my mind when you read it as well! Simone is truly amazing
This is such an amazing conversation, thank you both for this video! I hope Simone can join you again on your channel, it was lovely to hear from her!
Will definitely have her back again 🙂
Also, one of my favourite books with a wheelchair user in it is The Christmasaurus by Tom Fletcher. It had a disabled main character but it’s very casual rep and the story is so lovely!
Ooh, that's one on my tbr but I am glad to know you recommend it as well! That makes me double excited for it. ✨
Thank you to both of you for this discussion.
Joni is a book we will be seeking out. Reading from different perspectives is something that is so important, especially when it's own voices.
Yes, it's incredibly well written and I wonder if there is an audiobook because I think that would be fantastic too. I don't mention it here but it does have a lot of Christian themes and inclusion as well, because Joni is Christian!
Both of you are so articulate & concise in putting across your views! And I hope this isn't a weird compliment Simone haha but you have amazing model like teeth!
Thank you! Will definitely be sure to pass that along to Simone 😃
good content, great discussion, awesome guest! i would love to see simone back as a guest to discuss more books, on this topic and otherwise :) its really enjoyable to watch a conversation, especially between two people who know each other so well, i dont know if i can pinpoint it any more other than i think its nice.
i dont think ive ever read a book with a character in a wheelchair..! i havent looked specifically for that when ive looked up disability rep, and it doesnt seem to be very common. not to be salty but i have suspicions that publishers would rather publish a memoir about a wheelchair user that they can market as inspiration porn, as opposed to a fiction book where maybe the disability isnt even the main plot, which is what i would want to read. but thats just me guessing, if any major book publisher reads this comment, do feel free to prove me wrong :)
Oooo... these are some good points. I definitely agree that this is why we usually don't see casual disabled representation. Media would rather keep wheelchair-users as objects of inspiration rather than allowing them to be ordinary people in ordinary stories. Which really upsets me. And it upsets me that it actually works - because your average author wouldn't even think about casual disabled rep which is really sad. I hope that changes in the future.
I will definitely make sure to have Simone back for more in the future! I actually think you're probably spot on when it comes to disabled nonfiction and being able to sell it as inspiration porn - not only because of the publishers but also because audience wants that too (even though that's incredibly wrong). I hope you can find more wheelchair user rep though - Out of My Mind is one and I am hoping to be able to pick up more books with wheelchair users in the future as I search for them.
I read Joni as a yute because it was my mothers fav. book...it def. changed her life which changed mines. Very Nice Vlog. Good Vibes.
I love that you read it because it was one of your mother's favourite books. ✨
Could not agree more. When I saw this film, the people I were with were raving about it - all I could think was, "I don't sympathise with the main guy at all, what a prick - oh no, I'm in a wheelchair, therefore my life has no value and I have to kill myself!" no-one ever seemed to challenge this insanely entitled viewpoint, which to me felt like an insult to wheelchair users everywhere who have no problem finding fulfilling ways to live their life. I wouldn't have worried about lettng your sis read it though - seems she saw right through the bullshit same as me! It's more insulting than harmful, I'd say, to disabled people.
I think I was worried because I read this back when Simone was going through depression, and I didn't want to just contribute to it with exposing her to the horrible perspectives some able-bodied people have, or add to any possible spiral. But she read it two or three years after me and she was in a much better place and easily saw right through it as you mentioned! It definitely does sound insulting.
This was such a wonderful discussion! Thank you so much for having this discussion. 💕
You are so welcome! ✨
I really enjoyed this discussion! I’m always looking for some good disability representation in books, so thanks for highlighting some of these.
You're welcome and thanks for watching ✨
So nice to see one of your sisters on your channel. Hi Simone!
Really loved watching this video and to see the love between you two. So many wonderful discussions!
Hi hi! I'm so happy that you enjoyed it! To be honest, I was a little nervous about being on camera but Olivia-Savannah helped to relax me
@@thewheelchairteen3058 no need to worry/be nervous! So nice that Olivia could help you with that, plus you are amazing on camera :D
I am glad you enjoyed the video so much Sabine and can't wait to hear what you think of Wonder
Great video. I’ve watched videos from Kendra Winchester and Jen Campbell to get some great books with disability rep in the past.
Ooh I know of Jen Campbell but need to check out Kendra Winchester! Thank you so much for those recommendations. 😇
nice to see this discussion :) i'm disabled and barely seen any decent rep and that needs to be talked about more thanks!
I hope you come across more and better disabled rep soon!
@@OliviasCatastrophe thank you !! me too :') i have some books on my wishlist a few friends have recommended so im hopeful!
This is such an amazing video & such an important topic especially here on BookTube! ❤ I look forward to seeing more discussions from you two in the future!!!
And I am also really wanting to read Wonder now, it sounds so incredible and I'm happy to hear that book has accurate representation!
I know we've talked about Me Before You before, but I just wanted to mention again how glad I am to have seen it from another perspective and can understand how wrong many things in that book are!
I hope we will be able to do more in the future! And I hope you enjoy Wonder - it's truly an incredible book. ✨
Loved the video! A book that is on my TBR A Curse So Dark and Lonely is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast and the young woman has Cerebral Palsy. It might be worth checking out! It’s a Trilogy.
Oh yes! Simone and I have both read both books in the series and we're looking forward to the finale 🙂
This is such a great video! Your sister seems amazing! So cool how she taught herself a better way to type!
Simone is truly the best 🥰️
This was an amazing video. I had never thought about Me before you like that and it’s been eye opening. Thank you Simone for sharing all your thoughts on these book’s representations ❤️
Simone is amazing and has such good insights on all that she has read ✨
This was a very cool discussion, and very informative! I would love to see Simone and you talk more about books 😊
I will definitely have to have her back on again in future ✨
I’m definitely going to check out Joni! Thank you for having this discussion 💗
I hope you'll like it 😌 Thank you for watching x
I never thought about the therapy perspective for Me Before You. The thing that bothered me the most with that one is that Lou made his disability and his choices about her. She kept saying stuff like you can't leave me. Am I not enough etc.
Yes, that definitely did happen too! I think they addressed it a bit in the film but could've done so more (can't remember close enough to know if the book does address it or not).
This was such a great video! Absolutely loved Simone's input. I find it so important to listen to the opinions of people who are marginalised. Good rep in books is essential.
I thought parking on the pavement was illegal? It sure is here!
Would love to read ownvoices disability rep in books!
And yes - please bring Simone back for more book discussions!
Yes, we definitely need that good representation. I'm not entirely sure on the laws here but parking entirely on the pavement is not allowed. However, many cars hike up two wheels on the edge of the pavement - which, when the pavement is already fairly narrow or has trees grown into them, means there isn't enough space for a wheelchair to pass through anymore. Will definitely have Simone back again!
@@OliviasCatastrophe I have seen, and puzzled over, the wheels on the pavement in the UK. It's not common here at all. Also, in general, pavements in Norway tend to be less narrow. At least the newer ones.
A larger problem here, are the electrical scooters people throw around after using them. They're a huge hindrance to a lot of people who have disabilities.
Oh I was thinking of the Netherlands when I answered but yes, England has the same problem! I know a lot of it relates to it being old - hence the narrow and old underground, pavements and roads but it’s still a problem. I think quite a few countries could do with widening both roads and walkways. Ah that’s annoying about scooters just being dumped everywhere!!
@@OliviasCatastrophe Yes, I understood that you talked about the Netherlands, but I have only really been there once, over 20 years ago.
Yeah, the scooters really are a problem. There has been accidents where people who cannot see has stumbled over them, and gotten really hurt. Also, if they're across the pavement, they're hard to get around.
Wow this video is so insightful! You guys covered so many important topics 😊
And okay the dog story is so scary wow
Being chased is never fun even if dogs can be cute sometimes D:
This is such a great video and discussion. I would definitely love to hear more of Simone's options.
It's been a while since I read Me Before You but I think he wanted to go to Switzerland for assisted suicide? I definitely noticed the lack of therapy because in real life the places in Switzerland you have to speak to a therapist and they make sure it's really your own decision and I don't remember that ever being mentioned.
I loved Wonder but it made me cry.
I don't think I've read many books that are own voices disability rep. The only one I can think of is My Left Foot which is nonfiction.
Has either of you read Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus? I would love to know your opinion on that. It's about a girl who was born without arms.
Will definitely have Simone back on again! Yes, they go to Switzerland and you're right about them needing to speak to a therapist as a requirement. Wonder is definitely emotional. Neither of us have read that one but we will have to look into it! Thank you for the recommendation. 🙂
Love seeing content around this discussion. Great video.
Thank you for watching ✨
Great video, guys! Love how constructively critical both of you are. Simone, I love the point u made @2:27 about Me Before You. I wanted to ask both of you what you thought about the movie adaptation of Wonder. I didn't like some directorial choices made in the film, so I've never read the book, but your love of it is making me reconsider. Also, are u guys going to check out the movie Run? I will just because they hired disabled people (yay!), but the plot seems ablest. I'd love to see a joint movie review from you guys if you're interested. Olivia, love the way u edited this collab. The conversation flowed really nicely btwn the two of you.
Yes, we both watched the movie adaptation together and I think that we both agreed that the book was much better. So I still recommend it. Well I know that I'm definitely going to check out the movie Run because I review disabled representation books and films on my blog and I'm interested to see how they do the representation. Hopefully it won't be as ableist as the plot seems but my hopes aren't that high to be honest XD
@@thewheelchairteen3058 Thanks for replying ! I'm definitely going to check out your blog. I'm just excited that a wheelchair-using actress is getting something on her resume (the bar is @ the floor), but I also low expectations 4 the film
Simone got here before me and I agree with what she said about the film - the book was much more powerful and what I'd really recommend to people. I hadn't heard of Run but yay for disabled actors!! I will check out the trailer but maybe it will be a good one for a sister film night to see what we think of the storyline in the end... Glad you enjoyed the video ✨
I enjoyed this video so much. Thanks for sharing, and would love to see more content together with Simone!
I will definitely have her back on for more in the future x
Loooooooove this video! I’ll check out Simone’s blog! Would love to see more of them.
So many things Simone was saying reminded me of when I read The Kiss Quotient. I don’t consider it good representation now, but reading it for the first time was eye-opening for me. If not for that representation of an autistic woman, I may not have found out I was autistic myself. So it’s a pretty important book in my collection these days, despite its harmful rep.
I hope you enjoy reading her blog! Will definitely have to have her back again.
I am glad you were able to understand more about yourself through reading the kiss quotient. It is on my tbr as I'd only heard good things about it but I hadn't heard anyone say anything bad about the rep until now! Good to know more perspectives on it.
@@OliviasCatastrophe I did enjoy reading her blog, I enjoyed her perspective enormously. It’s really quite apparent that she’s had to think about the big stuff way earlier than an abled peer might have.
There’s some reviews on goodreads, I’ve seen a couple, but most reviews are typically done by neurotypical readers and they tend to be great because they just don’t know and because the romance is decent.
I’m glad you did ^.^
Hmm I might give it a try still but might ask you closer to whenever I do for some of the things I should note and look out for when reading!
@@OliviasCatastrophe I can link my review, if you like?
Please 😌
I’d love to see Simone in any of your videos! ☺️
Will definitely have her back again 😋
I only watched the movie for Me Before You but I was furious about the ending. Who thought that was a good idea?! I just started reading Disability Visibility by Alice Wong and there are also essays by wheel chair users in there, so if you haven't checked it out, it might be interesting and all the essays come with potential trigger warnings.
Right?! Disability Visibility sounds good and we'll be sure to check it out. Love that it comes with content warnings ✨
this video was so great!! would love to see a part 2 🥰
Happy you appreciated it! Noted 🙂
Love this discussion. Thanks.
You're Welcome!
Our pleasure!
Fab video, you and your sister are so lovely together!
Thank you!! 😊
This was great to watch! Hope you will do more discussions together. :)
We hope to ✨
Thanks for sharing this conversation!
Our pleasure! ✨
Awesome and insightful video! Thank you both of you!
Thank you for watching 🙂
This was a great video discussion. Thank you both for sharing x
Thank you for watching ✨
This was a wonderful conversation; I enjoyed watching! I'd love to see Simone again! Do you think you'll have more discussions with people about representation on certain topics, or consider having viewer responses about representation at some point? Hope you're well! 💙
I will definitely have Simone again! I would be up for discussing more representation but while I feel like I have something to add to the disabled conversation, I am not sure how much I can contribute or truly comment on other representation - if that makes sense? Maybe something to think about.
I'd be interested in viewer responses on representation. Do you have any ideas on how to go about including this?
@@OliviasCatastrophe I totally get that :) In general I've seen some youtubers do interviews (virtually or otherwise) with guests who fit the demographic of the specific representation just to allow for a platform for sharing and discussion.
As for viewers sharing, interactions could happen through social media, email, etc. Perhaps a specific question or questions could be posed about a book and viewers who have read the book and are voices on the type(s) of representation (race, ethnicity, queerness, disability, etc.) could give a thoughtful response.
I hope you feel no pressure to consider this, I just imagined it could be cool to hear a few fellow readers' voices to gain a better understanding on what good and poor representation is for different people. :)
These are all such great ideas and thank you for explaining and suggesting these! Will think on them and see what I can come up with 😇
@@OliviasCatastrophe Sounds good! 😊
this was a great video guys! great conversation
Thanks you x
Such a great discussion! I've only read the first two books, but hearing the thoughts on all of the books was great as well
Love that you've read Wonder as well ✨
Loved this one, too! 💖🙌🏼💜
Thank you for watching 😊
You guys are so cute! I would love to see you do more videos together 🤗
More to come! 😃
Really interesting discussion!
Thanks for watching! ✨
This is such a great video!
Thank you for watching 😇
Good reviews Both nice to see You and Syimone I enjoyed informative 😊
Thank you ^.^
Such an interesting discussion!
Thanks for watching! ✨
Love this!
Yay ✨
💜💜💜
Thank you for watching! ✨