My 10 year old daughter brought this book to my attention, telling me "it felt like real life" to her oppose to being a story of fiction. Since her apple didn't fall far from my neurodivergent tree, I wanted to give it a read for myself.

I am so thankful that my daughter has access to characters like Frankie. Being able to see yourself in the stories you read is life changing. I can't began to fathom how it would have changed my life as a child to read Tornado Brain then. So many times throughout my life people have written me off as cold, or not caring, or mean, etc. all because I had the inability to get my thoughts out articulately, or because I thought they "just knew" how I felt about them. When Frankie realized her mom's boyfriend might not know how much she cares about him it broke me into pieces.

From the emotional overloads, to the thought processing / honest word vomits / spacing out and everything in between. It was all depicted as I lived it decades ago—and still struggle with today. I adored the frank way the author approached being neurodivergent, plus the raw truth about loss and friendship.

This is a must read for both parents and kids alike. So many times I've wanted to put into words how my brain works, like why I interrupt others and mysteriously switch topics or why I don't like to be touched. Cat Patrick did it perfectly.

I would highly recommend this read to anyone wanting to take a peek inside the brain of someone who isn't neurotypical. Whether it's you, your child or someone you know, this book is a wonderful example.

While I didn't predict the ending, it was a well laid out plot that went at the pace of Frankie's mind. It also handled heavy (taboo to some) topics like periods, and death with the honesty, and grace they deserved. Frankie's reactions to everything made complete sense to me.

As a side note. I would love a full series of Frankie as an amateur sleuth, solving crimes around time.

TW: Missing Child, Death of a Child ( )

I was so excited to read this book. I have ADHD and my brother has severe autism, when I saw that the main character had both ADHD and in the autism spectrum, I thought I would love it. But I am disappointed! I am trying to figure out why.

I liked that Frankie was very interested in tornadoes. When I was growing up in the Midwest, we had many of them.

Frankie's twin sister, Tess, seemed too thinly developed to me. I did not understand her very much until that last part of the book.

Frankie's best friend, Colette from when they both had a tornado experience were boned together mostly because Colette was scared about the tornado. But the story dragged with the truth or scare games until Colette went missing. It was hard for Frankie when Colette and her sister became best friends and was left out a lot from the two.

When Colette went missing, then the story picked up speed and people began to see that Frankie noticed things that no one else did. Tess had new respect for Frankie's observational abilities, and she made Frankie feel appreciated and have a better feeling about herself.

I hated the ending. I felt confused and let down at the same time. ( )

this was pretty great. i think being inside frankie's head can really help people see what it's like to think differently than those in the mainstream, and to be seen by those who are neurodivergent. it gave me a little insight into how my son's brain might work. (or might not; everyone is different.)

i liked the writing, the characters, the relationships. i am not quite as on board with the mystery of the videos, but it was fine. and i do think that having colette die at the end is actually really great for kids dealing with grief and sadness. i think that even though i wanted her to be ok, that having it turn out this way can help kids be seen, just like having a neurodivergent main character can. but being with these kids was great. the audio reader was also excellent. i really thought this was well done. ( )

Frankie has lived her life being just a little different than those around her. At times, she finds it tough to control her emotions. She doesn't liked to be touched, and she is very, very interested in tornadoes. In kindergarten, during a tornado warning, Frankie helped Colette get through it by holding her close, and they have been friends ever since, until Colette said something that made Frankie very mad. So Colette, Frankie's fraternal twin, Tess, and a new girl at school, Mia are all friends, but Frankie is no longer included in their little circle. Frankie is feeling very alone until Colette is reported missing and Frankie thinks she may have some clues to help find her, but first, she has to get people to look past what makes her different so that they will believe her.

Tornado Brain is a coming of age story with the added pressure of autism wrapped up in a mystery. Frankie's thoughts are shared in the story as are her frustrations when people don't hear what she is trying to tell them. Each chapter begins with a fact, myth, or opinion about tornadoes that connects with something that occurs in that chapter, and as the story progresses, those connections become stronger and more intense. As emotional as this book is, there are also moments of quiet humor that make it sing. Overall, Tornado Brain is a wonderful story about the things that we do to hurt each other and the power of forgiveness. ( )

Cat Patrick does an incredible job of really letting you into Frankie's mind, and understanding that her reality is exactly that: her reality, her way of experiencing the world. Yes, it's different from almost everybody else's way of being, but that doesn't mean it's any lesser. It's embarrassing to admit, but I never consciously considered that of course neurodivergent people see the way they go through life as normal.

Frankie's struggles are mainly struggles every middle schooler can empathize with: her best friend has betrayed her by gossiping behind her back, her twin sister isn't her friend anymore, and she feels that she has no friends. When Colette, her former best friend, is announced missing, Frankie and her sister start to discover strange videos apparently taken by Colette and posted from the past. These videos contain clues to where she is, but Frankie has a hard time convincing anyone of that.

The relationships between everyone are so real and honest, and while the mystery aspect isn't super strong, that's not really the point. It did end a little abruptly, but everything was wrapped up.

Honestly, all I could really think about is how hard it seems to be to be around Frankie. I know I KNOW that it isn't her fault, and she really is a big-hearted, smart and curious girl, but man can she be a lot. Her family and friends have the patience of literal saints. ( )