A Wheelie Awkward Romance by Tess Campbell with Wheelnotes by Corby Campbell is an interesting read. In truth, the title itself is rather off-putting. However, if you can get past that and delve into the story, it is worth the read. It is not a typical love story. It is a non-fiction auto-biographical piece written primarily by Tess Campbell.

One major appeal of the book is reading an honest account of everything Tess experienced. Although a great deal of the book involves discussions about Corby Campbell’s condition as a quadriplegic, the deep emotional pull comes from Tess herself.  If you know someone who struggles with an emotional or mental health condition, you will likely relate to her story in some way and develop greater empathy for the individual.

Several parts of the story are done well and enrich the experience. The authors share freely many of the mishaps/adventures that occurred during their courtship. Throughout the book, Corby interjects his own perspectives on what was happening. Some are humorous and others more serious, but all contribute to the overall feel of the writing. The book is divided into two parts. The narrative part of things and then a bunch of little subsections called USEFUL, sprinkled throughout, providing insights and understanding that would not have fit naturally into the main part of the book. They cover everything from clinical discussions about the nature of spinal cord injuries, how people with these injuries handle various bodily functions, and other very frank discussions. These sections answer a lot of questions people might have, but can easily be skipped if the reader just wants to focus on the love story or they can be used as a reference for those wanting to understand more.

What a great love story this is! Many believe you should not have to change who you are in order to please someone else. On one level that is true, but Tess and Corby’s story shows the value of not giving up on who you are while making changes because you want to do things to bring joy to someone else. Both Corby and Tess decided they were both committed to one another and wanted to be a part of one another’s happiness. They also made intentional choices so their relationship works for both of them.

Review of an Advanced Reader’s Copy Provided by the Publisher

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language: None

Violence/Gore: None

Sex/Nudity: Several references to a scene where a non-married woman unintentionally removes a male’s underwear, no graphic descriptions; many clinical descriptions of the process of urination for someone with a spinal injury; a section discussing the clinical details of sexual function for a person with a spinal injury; mention of a honeymoon night, but sexual details are limited to mentioning lingerie and being in bed; a few mentions of the detailed process required for a quadriplegic to have a bowel movement, including clinical terms for anatomy.

Mature Subject Matter:

Sensory processing disorder, quadriplegia.

Drug/Alcohol Use:

None