Worth is Not a Work-in-Progress
I’ve sat with this review for a long time. As a woman who lives, works, and loves with a disability, I finished this audiobook in one sitting, but I’ve been stuck on how to process it ever since. I’d like to preface this with the standard disclaimer: this isn’t a “bad” book, but it truly wasn’t for me. I am giving it 3 stars because I respect that everyone’s viewpoint is their own, even when it feels fundamentally at odds with my lived experience.
The synopsis leads you to believe this will be an endearing love story about Tess and Corby navigating life as a mixed-ability couple. Instead, it feels more like a cross between a memoir and a “how-to” guide—one written from the perspective of someone in deep denial about her own neurodivergence. There is a patronizing tone to the “how-to” portions that frequently toes the line of blatant ableism, particularly when discussing the “decision” to stay with a physically disabled partner.
What made this so hard to push through is that Tess and I are at very different points in our acceptance. I am at a place where I know I am a whole, beautiful human being who is simply packaged differently. Because of that, reading this felt like a step backward. It was painful to encounter a narrative that frames disability through a lens of “burden” or “chore” when I have worked so hard to cultivate a life of self-love.
I really wish we had heard more from Corby. It was disheartening to listen to him spend so much of the first half trying to convince Tess that he was even worth her attention. In my own life, my people make me feel worthy and loved daily, and I would hate to be with someone who viewed me with the kind of discomfort that made me physically cringe while listening to this.
If you are a differently abled person looking for a blueprint for love, I would suggest taking this with a grain of salt. I’m left feeling sad—not just for the couple, but for the missed opportunity for a more empowering representation of what our lives can look like. I thank the authors for their honesty, but this journey simply didn’t align with the worth I know I carry.
A Wheelie Awkward Romance by Tess Campbell and Corby Campbell
