Hi friends! The other day, my husband saw me reading Tornado Brain and commented, “That doesn’t look like a book you’d normally read.” True enough. Perhaps you’re thinking the same thing and wondering why I’m featuring it, and its sequel, Paper Heart, here on my blog. Well, I’ll tell you, readers, I was intrigued, and so I decided to give this pair of books a shot. And now I’m here to tell you more.

To begin, I’ll explain why I picked them up in the first place. I personally know several individuals who qualify as neurodivergent–that is, their brains operate outside the norm–and many more teens who struggle with mental health. (I’m sure you do too.) I’d like to understand these people better, both so that I can more appreciate them and relate with greater compassion and grace. I could, of course, pick up non-fiction books on the subject. Or listen to a TED talk. But honestly, I’m up to my eyeballs in informative reads, podcasts, and vids. Given a choice, right now I’d rather be drawn into a well-told story than learn by lecture.

Which brings me to Tornado Brain and Paper Heart.

This pair of upper-middle grade books are by Cat Patrick, who got her inspiration for these two stories from her own twin daughters, one neurodivergent and the other neurotypical.

Tornado Brain focuses on the Frankie, a seventh grader who dislikes being touched, loud noises, and changes to her routine. This makes relationships hard, but when her former best friend goes missing, the strength of Frankie’s character rises to the fore as she is determined to find her before it’s too late.

Paper Heart continues the story, focusing this time on Frankie’s twin, Tess, as she struggles to manage her thoughts and emotions after the events of Tornado Brain. Although neurotypical, Tess feels overwhelmed by grief and anxiety, and she doesn’t know how to cope.

Starting with Tornado Brain, this pair of books sucked me right in, just as the title suggests it might, and didn’t let up. In both novels, the author balances nuanced portrayals of believable characters alongside an intriguing mystery, with even a dash of romance. These books help middle-grade readers and their parents get inside the skin of a contemporary young person, helping to build empathy and understanding. They are skillfully plotted, expertly paced, and with enough layers to hold the interest of adults as well as children. This, along with their many discussable and even controversial elements, make this pair of books ideal for buddy reading.

If you’re one who likes to obtain information through story, you may want to give Tornado Brain and Paper Heart a try. While they may not be the only books you read about neurodivergent brains and the adolescent experience, I’d suggest that these books might be two of them.

About Tornado Brain:

Things never seem to go as easily for thirteen-year-old Frankie as they do for her sister, Tess. Unlike Tess, Frankie is neurodivergent. In her case, that means she can’t stand to be touched, loud noises bother her, she’s easily distracted, she hates changes in her routine, and she has to go see a therapist while other kids get to hang out at the beach. It also means Frankie has trouble making friends. She did have one–Colette–but they’re not friends anymore. It’s complicated.

Then, just weeks before the end of seventh grade, Colette unexpectedly shows up at Frankie’s door. The next morning, Colette vanishes. Now, after losing Colette yet again, Frankie’s convinced that her former best friend left clues behind that only she can decipher, so she persuades her reluctant sister to help her unravel the mystery of Colette’s disappearance before it’s too late.

A powerful story of friendship, sisters, and forgiveness, Tornado Brain is an achingly honest portrait of a young girl trying to find space to be herself. Inspired by her own neurodiverse child, Cat Patrick writes with authenticity and sincerity in her depiction of Frankie in what is ultimately a love letter to neurodiverse children everywhere.

About Paper Heart

Tess has always understood her role in her family. She is supposed to be the “okay” one. The one no one has to worry about. But all Tess does is worry, constantly picking at her fingers every time a new worry arises. Still grieving her best friend’s death, she is consumed by the fear that everything was her fault and her sadness that Colette is never coming back. Worse still, it seems like everyone else has found a way to move on, even her twin sister Frankie. When her mom decides a change of location might do her good, Tess finds herself on an airplane bound for her aunt’s house in small town Wyoming and a summer vacation attending art camp.

Tess thinks she might never be able to move on from losing Colette but her quirky but determined cousin Kennedy and new friend Izzy are determined to help. When Tess becomes convinced that Colette’s ghost might be haunting her, Kennedy and Izzy find new ways for Tess to make peace with the past and finally let go of the grief that has been haunting her heart.

About the author:

Cat Patrick is the author of middle grade novels Tornado Brain and Paper Heart, as well as several books for young adults including Forgotten, Revived, The Originals, and Just Like Fate (with Suzanne Young). She’s Mom to twin middle schoolers who find her very embarrassing. Find her online at catpatrick.com.

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Thanks to Puffin Books for providing me these books free of charge. All opinions are mine.