It's Not a Perfect World, but I'll Take It

Jennifer Rose is autistic. She’s also a college student who loves reading, writes fan fiction, and wants to be on TV someday. She sees the world a little differently than most people around her. She’s had trouble coping with school, has struggled with bullies and mean girls, but she has also achieved much in the face of adversity. And through it all, with the help of her parents, Jennifer’s learned a few lessons:

#5: Use your dreams to make a difference.
#8: You won’t be perfect at everything, not even the things you do best.
#18: Learn to take jokes, even your dad’s.
#26: Down times will be bouncing up soon . . .
#27: . . . meanwhile, enjoy what you have.
#47: Talk about your feelings, even when it’s hard.

It’s Not a Perfect World, but I’ll Take It is an uplifting guide to life. It explains how you can be different and still connect with others, how to deal with tough realities, and how to celebrate happy times. Told with irresistible honesty and humor, Jennifer’s fifty bite-sized stories will have teens and adults nodding in recognition and gaining new insights about themselves.

Jennifer Rose is a sophomore at Drew University. She likes watching old movies with her family, listening to classic rock, deconstructing pop culture, Japanese animation, Jewish stuff, Dr. Who, and sushi. Jennifer resides in Morristown, New Jersey

"[It's Not a Perfect World] is inviting, upbeat, and very friendly…Easy to digest and life-affirming, Rose's honest narrative will resonate with readers." —School Library Journal

“Jennifer Rose is a promising writer with a great eye and a keen sense of humor…her essays are heartbreakingly pure.” —Jacqueline Cutler, The Star-Ledger

“This self-help book, cast as memoir, offers tremendous hope and insight, especially to ASD teens and young adults. Addressing neurodiversity, biomedical interventions, and issues affecting low- and high-functioning ASD individuals, It’s Not a Perfect World opens a new window into the nature of the autistic, and human, experience.” —Mary Holland, autism mom and research scholar, NYU School of Law

“Jennifer Rose’s book is like a ray of sunshine. She deals openly and honestly with the issues she has encountered with her diagnosis of autism but provides a refreshing, positive, and hopeful approach in her book, which is both insightful and accessible.” —Carmel Wakefield

“This is a warm and wise book. Jenny writes her heart about standing out, making her own way, and illuminating real burdens that are not well understood. She teaches us to celebrate courage without celebrating the disability. Brava.” —Louise Kuo Habakus, host and producer, Fearless Parent Radio

“This book is a must-read for not only those teens struggling to find their way in the spectrum, but also their neurotypical counterparts—as it provides a bridge for better understanding those with high-functioning autism, and how we can all connect with each other on a deeper level.” —Mary Coyle, director, the Real Child Center

"Insightful, honest, and witty! Jennifer's account of being a teen with autism is incredibly eye-opening and at many times, charming. Her struggles are real. Her perseverance is inspiring and as a parent to a teen with autism, I very much enjoyed each and all Jennifer's coming to age observations."—Becky Estepp, Director of Communications, Health Choice.