~~Thank you to Edelweiss and Simon & Schuster for the ARC!~~

First, I have to say that the cover is amazing. All that blend of green, red, orange, etc. scratches at my brain the right way when I look at it.

Secondly, this book is amazing and I wat everyone to read it when it comes out.

Aiden and Brandon have such a fantastic relationship. Not only are they great for each other, but their entire relationship is psychoanalyzed as both of them dig deep / confront the damage lying underneath it all. Despite how much it hurts, they still love and support each other, anyway, because they're both valid to have these feelings. As someone with two brothers on the autism spectrum (And pursuing a diagnosis, as well), I related to this so hard, and I just wanted these two bros to come out of this with all the best.

The story, as the premise promises, tackles many hard subjects throughout its short run. Racism, being Black and autistic, ableism, being the model sibling as a familial obligation, all of these things correlate with each other very heavily. But what surprised me the most was how much empathy it had for the villains. It doesn't necessarily excuse their actions, but, other than the cop who assaulted Brandon, it offered a wider perspective on these characters that made the situations more gray. I didn't know how to feel about it while I was reading, but now I like that Davis chose to go that way when writing. This year has made me bitter and hard to judge because of some obvious IRL villains, but Davis' empathetic approach feels refreshing and makes me remember people don't intend to do harm 100% of the time.

All in all, this is such a great book, and I do hope it receive all the attention it deserves when it releases next year!

2025 reads: 90/300

i received a digital review copy from the publisher as part of their influencer program. this did not affect my rating.

content warnings: police brutality, racism, ableism

aiden’s always wanted to play football like his big brother, brandon, but summer tryouts did not go well when he experienced a meltdown in front of everybody. when the school year starts, though, there’s a spot desperately needing to be filled, and aiden gets his second chance. but not everyone is happy about this, and soon enough, a fight breaks out, the cops are called, and brandon is arrested after trying to help aiden. now, despite his innocence, he’s being charged for felony assault on an officer, and aiden blames himself. as the trial approaches, aiden is desperate to find anything that could help save brandon, while also investigating what it means to be black and autistic.

this book did such a great job of exploring a loving, yet tense, brotherly relationship, which i feel like i don’t see a lot of in very many books. as the older brother, brandon is used to having the role of “protector,” which is what he was trying to do on that fateful day. now, the roles are more or less reversed, with aiden doing everything in his power to save brandon. he’s sure everything is his fault because of his autism. this also leads to some difficult conversations with himself and his family about his place in the world as a black and autistic boy. overall, this was an emotional read, while still providing hope and warmth. highly recommended to YA contemporary readers.

CW: ableism, racism, bullying, violence, police brutality, racial slurs

I would like to thank Edelweiss and Antheneum Books for Young Readers for providing me with a free e-ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

All the Noise at Once is a powerful story of social justice, being autistic in a neurotypical world, and the power of brotherly love. So many relevant issues are presented in this book, varying from over-policing on Black individuals to challenging innate stereotypes about being autistic, and I appreciate the care that Davis took with addressing these issues as well as discussing the intersectionality of being Black and autistic. I can see this book being talked about for a long time and being regarded as important reading for YA autistic literature.