Like a Charm

Author: Elle Mcnicoll

Like a Charm is about a dyspraxic Scottish girl, Ramya, who was close to her grandfather as a little kid but they ended up becoming estranged after her parents disapproved of things he was saying to her. Years later, after his death, Ramya learns that Edinburgh is full of magical creatures like kelpie and vampires and she is the only one who can see them; but not all of the creatures are wonderful—and soon Ramya will come face to face with the evil sirens her grandfather warned her of long ago. This book, the first ever book I’ve read with dyspraxia rep, was very interesting. I really liked that Ramya is dyspraxic, as it’s a disability not talked about often at all when it really needs to be talked about; neurodivergence is not just things like autism and ADHD but it’s also conditions like dyspraxia, learning disabilities (like dysgraphia and dyscalculia), mental health conditions (like OCD) and even neurological conditions too. Now we need dyscalculia rep! I also thought the fantasy aspect was really neat too even if the worldbuilding could’ve been better.  I liked how the vampires were Ramya’s allies and the kelpies were really neat too! However, I did have some issues with this book.  I didn’t like how Ramya’s aunt who is autistic said things like “neurodivergent people can make friends easily when we’re surrounded by each other.” First of all, neurodivergent is a BIG umbrella so saying neurodivergent people in the same room can easily become friends is kind of odd. Also, I feel like some autistic people act like other autistic people can make friends with each other easily when that’s often not the case for people who are BIPOC, have physical disabilities/chronic illnesses, are MSN/HSN (medium and high support needs) and/or are nonspeaking.  I think saying stuff like this is very unwise and, if you’re autistic and saying stuff like this, I encourage you to reconsider your beliefs. I also thought Mcnicoll didn’t talk about dyspraxia as often as I would’ve liked; the information in the book regarding the condition was incredibly limited. I also thought the worldbuilding could’ve been better, and the whole fantasy element felt rushed and unfinished. There is a sequel out so maybe the sequel will fix the parts of the book that felt hollow. Overall though, Like a Charm is an interesting, thought-provoking and whimsical read!

“Maybe you don’t need the whole world. Maybe you don’t need a fridge full of gold stars. You don’t need to fit the mold. You just need one person who believes you’re right, just as you are.  That the gifts you have, the way you’re made, are enough to make something worthwhile of yourself.”