Author: Rudy Simone

Category: Non-Fiction

Publisher: Jessica Kingsley

Publication date: July 15, 2010

Blurb: Girls with Asperger’s Syndrome are less frequently diagnosed than boys, & even once symptoms have been recognized, help is often not readily available. The image of coping well presented by AS females can often mask difficulties, deficits, challenges, & loneliness.

Review: This was such a mixed book, part memoir, part not. I really wanted to love it as the first few chapters left me feeling really excited, but it seemed to lose its way part way through.

I wasn’t sure who this book was aimed at. At the end of each chapter, the book had a section for ‘aspergirls’ and another for parents. These bits of advice seemed quite preachy and unnecessary. As far as being for someone who is late diagnosed, much of the advice seemed to miss the mark.

This was book was just OK. It was an easy read, however took me a while as it lost me part way through.

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Author: Kate Foster

Category: Middle Grade

Publisher: Walker Books

Publication date: 5 July 2023

Blurb: A fun, frolicking adventure about five kids with a mystery to solve!

Eleven-year-old Oli is spending his school holidays at Heroes Club, where kids can build friendships and learn about their emotions, but Oli just wants to be home … where it’s familiar, not-so-boring and he can play his favourite game.

But when Oli and the other kids at the club see a stray dog who keeps disappearing into a soon-to-be-demolished building across the street, Oli and his four fellow heroes hatch a daring rescue plan to save the dog before it’s too late.

It’s going to take bravery, some seriously smart teamwork … and a few broken rules.

Review: This was another fantastic book by Kate Foster that features a cast of interesting, autistic characters. The story did highlight how weird ‘social skills’ classes are, even things like showing a picture of someone with a smile and saying ‘that person is happy’ when, as an adult, I know so many people who smile but aren’t happy, makes those classes seem odd ad even neurotypical people don’t adhere to those ‘rules’… but I digress.

This story was great and shows that autistic kids can make friends, especially with each other, and do amazing things. They often spot things that others don’t see, like a stray dog, and their hyperfocus on the wellbeing of the dog is not a ‘bad thing’.

I enjoyed this story and meeting Oli and his friends.

If you have an autistic child who is scared of attending these sorts of classes, this is a wonderful book to share. It is also one that neurotypical kids should read as it can give some insight into the fact that if they have met one autistic kid, they have met one autistic kid.

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Author: Talia Hibbert

Category: Novel

Publisher: Piatkus

Publication date: 9 March 2021

Blurb: Eve Brown is a certified hot mess. No matter how hard she strives to do right, her life always goes horribly wrong—so she’s given up trying. But when her personal brand of chaos ruins a wedding, her parents draw the line. It’s time for Eve to grow up and prove herself—even though she’s not entirely sure how…

Jacob Wayne is always in control. The uptight B&B owner expects nothing less than perfection from his employees, so when a purple-haired tornado of a woman applies for his open chef position, he tells her the brutal truth: not a chance in hell. Then she hits him with her car—supposedly by accident.

Now his arm is broken, his B&B is understaffed, and the dangerously unpredictable Eve is fluttering around, trying to help. Before long, she’s infiltrated his work, his kitchen—and his spare bedroom. Sunny, chaotic Eve is his natural-born nemesis, but the longer these two enemies spend in close quarters, the more their animosity turns into something else entirely…

Review: This book was recommended to me when I requested recommendations for books that feature neurodivergent women, and I didn’t know what to expect. I wish that someone had told me about the sex scenes!

I enjoyed most of this book, I honestly didn’t feel the sex scenes added to the story and could have been done with closed door scenes, however I know that isn’t everyone’s preference. The relationships Eve has with her family and the others around her were fun, as well as her quirky nature. I related to so many of her struggles.

If you’re looking for a fun romance that features neurodivergent characters, with a bit of spice, you’ll enjoy this one.

Since reading this book, I have read another in the series, and I’m positive that character is neurodivergent too, however it’s not stated.

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Author: Renee Connoulty

Category: Picture Book

Publisher: Renee Connoulty

Publication date: 8 May 2024

Blurb: Rose wants to learn and have fun, but when she feels like she’s being bossed around, she gets upset. Rose might yell or run away, even if she really wants to do what’s being asked. Rose can’t help how her brain reacts.

Rose’s mum and her teacher decide to try something different. What will happen if they stop telling her exactly what to do and give Rose choices and time to think?

With charming illustrations and a story that rhymes, “Don’t Tell Me What to Do!” explains why kids like Rose act differently in a fun, easy-to-understand way. A must-read for families, teachers, and anyone who wants to better understand the experience of an autistic kid with a Pathological Demand Avoidance profile. Don’t miss this delightful book that celebrates neurodiversity and autonomy!

Review: This is a new picture book from Renee Connoulty that looks at life with Pathological Demand Avoidance.

This is a lovely story about a young girl who doesn’t like being told what to do. One of the things that I enjoyed most was this book shows that it isn’t always a conscious choice to say no, and that it can apply to things a person wants to do as much as something that may seem more ‘boring’ or undesirable, like school work. Sometimes the brain just says no.

A great picture book for kids, parents, and teachers dealing with kids who don’t like being told what to do.

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Author: Sandra Thom-Jones

Category: Memoir

Publisher: Melbourne University Press

Publication date: 30 August 2022

Blurb: What’s it like to realise you’re autistic? And how do you start to ask the world around you to accept that?

From the outside looking in, Sandra Thom-Jones was living a successful life: she had a great career, a beautiful home, a caring husband, two loving sons and supportive friends. But from the inside looking out, she was struggling to make sense of her place in the world, constantly feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, and convinced that her challenges with daily life just meant that she had to try harder. In Growing In to Autism, Thom-Jones tells the story of gradually realizing that she was autistic, and that she experienced the world in ways which were markedly different from neurotypical people. This was a profound awakening – throughout her life she had been masking her true self and this effort had come at great physical, mental and emotional cost. Applying her skills as an experienced and expert researcher, Thom-Jones delved into the literature on autism in adults, learning much more than she already knew as a parent of two autistic boys. Part personal, funny, endearing and enlightening memoir, and part rigorous explication of the nature of autism, Growing in to Autism is a book for all people, memorably conveying the need for better understanding and ways of making space for a group of individuals in our society who have so much to offer.

Review: This book was recommended to me when I posted in some groups about reading Different, Not Less by Chloe Hayden, and looking for some books by women who had been diagnosed in their 40s or later. I was excited when I found it in the library.

There were so many times that I wished I had bought this book instead of borrowing it from the library as the author articulated my experience in ways I have been struggling to, from experiences at school to early days of parenting, and I wanted to underline different parts to revisit them at a later date.

There are some bits I couldn’t relate to as I also have ADHD, however this book was a good read and a great resource for other late diagnosed autistic women, and those around them. It is also one that I have recommended to quite a few late diagnosed autistic women too.

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Author: Clem Bastow

Category: Memoir

Publisher: Hardie Grant Books

Publication date: 7 July 2021

Blurb: Introducing a bold new voice in Australian nonfiction, Late Bloomer is a heartfelt coming-of-age memoir that will change the way you think about autism.

Clem Bastow grew up feeling like she’d missed a key memo on human behaviour. She found the unspoken rules of social engagement confusing, arbitrary and often stressful. Friendships were hard, relationships harder, and the office was a fluorescent-lit nightmare of anxiety. It wasn’t until Clem was diagnosed as autistic, at age 36, that things clicked into focus.

The obsession with sparkly things and dinosaurs. The encyclopaedic knowledge of popular music. The meltdowns that would come on like a hurricane. The ability to write eloquently while conquering basic maths was like trying to understand ancient Greek. These weren’t just ‘personality quirks’ but autistic traits that shaped Clem’s life in powerful ways.

With wit and warmth, Clem reflects as an autistic adult on her formative experiences as an undiagnosed young person, from the asphalt playground of St Joseph’s Primary School in Melbourne to working as an entertainment journalist in Hollywood. Along the way she challenges the broader cultural implications and ideas around autism, especially for women and gender-diverse people. Deconstructing the misconceptions and celebrating the realities of autistic experience, Late Bloomer is as heartbreaking as it is hilarious, and will stay with you long after the reading.

Review: This book was recommended to me by more than one person, and when I spotted it on the shelf at my local library, I was excited. The librarian thought it was funny as I actually clapped and cheered when I saw it!

I found the start of the book hard going, but I’m so glad I persisted. So many of Clem’s experiences at school mirrored my own, including secondary school experiences. I suspect we went through school at a similar time. There were so many moments in this book that I thought ‘Hey, me too!’

For other late-diagnosed autistic women, this is a good book to read, especially those who went to school in the 80s and 90s.

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When I compiled that list, I promised to create a list of books that feature characters I believe are neurodivergent, even though the author doesn’t state that they are. I’ll include a short note of why I think they belong on this list and, eventually, update the book reviews with more details.

These stories feature quirky, interesting characters living their lives in the various worlds created by the authors.

Do you have some books you would add to this list?

Novels

• The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick – MC possibly autistic
• The Last Chance Library by Freya Simpson – MC possibly autistic
• The Murder of Mr Wickham by Claudia Gray – quite a few neurodivergent characters, especially Jonathan Darcy
• Five Bush Weddings by Clare Fletcher – MC possibly ADHD
• Don’t Mean a Thing by Renee Conoulty – MC possibly neurodivergent
• Wishing on a Star by Mandy Baggot – MC possibly autistic, has an autistic daughter

Middle Grade Novels

• Travelling Bookshop series by Katrina Nannestad – Possibly neurodivergent characters

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Author: Helen Hoang

Category: Novel

Publisher: Berkley

Publication date: 5 June 2018

Blurb: Stella Lane thinks math is the only thing that unites the universe. She comes up with algorithms to predict customer purchases–a job that has given her more money than she knows what to do with, and way less experience in the dating department than the average thirty-year-old.

It doesn’t help that Stella has Asperger’s and French kissing reminds her of a shark getting its teeth cleaned by pilot fish. Her conclusion: she needs lots of practice–with a professional. Which is why she hires escort Michael Phan. The Vietnamese and Swedish stunner can’t afford to turn down Stella’s offer, and agrees to help her check off all the boxes on her lesson plan–from foreplay to more-than-missionary position…

Before long, Stella not only learns to appreciate his kisses, but crave all of the other things he’s making her feel. Their no-nonsense partnership starts making a strange kind of sense. And the pattern that emerges will convince Stella that love is the best kind of logic…

A heartwarming and refreshing debut novel that proves one thing: there’s not enough data in the world to predict what will make your heart tick.

Review: This book was recommended to me when I mentioned that I was wanting to read more books featuring positive representations of autistic women as well as those for children.

This was an interesting story, featuring an autistic character and was full of the usual social challenges that many neurodivergent people face. I really like that the main character was successful in her work and was doing well in the company too.

For the most part I enjoyed this book. I’m not a huge fan of sex scenes as a general rule as most leave me feeling like they aren’t well done. The sex scenes in this book were done well, however it may have been possible to tell the story without them (my own personal preference). Although, I can understand why they were there, given the nature of the story.

I did enjoy the autistic representation, even though Stella sees herself as having a disorder for most of the story, but that is also quite common as we get the message there is something wrong with us our entire lives! She had a strong internal narrative that is one that I know I am familiar with.

Overall I enjoyed this story and look forward to reading more by this author.

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Author: Yvon Roy

Category: Memoir

Publisher: Titan Books

Publication date: 7 July 2020

Blurb: The award-winning graphic novel autobiography of a father, and the challenges he faces raising his autistic son.

A beautiful visual exploration of the highs and lows experienced by a parent learning how to adapt to his son’s autism. Faced with a challenging road ahead, the author uses creative flair and ingenuity in order to connect with his son, enabling him to reach his fullest potential and prepare him for the transition into adulthood.

This stunning insight into the nature of autism and the daily struggles of a parent uses humor and compassion to convey its message. This is the perfect creative outlet for anyone – from parent to teacher – looking for detailed information on the subject with a more personal touch.

Yvon Roy won the Best Biography Award from the Disability Fund and Society, as well as reciving the INSPIREO High School Students Award for the most inspiring youth book, and the Literary Award for Citizenship from the Maine Teacher’s League.

Review: I’m really conflicted by this book. As an autistic parent of an autistic child, I found this book both interesting and frustrating. The author was honest about his feelings of overwhelm and projecting to his son, and the same time doing things that many autistic do to mask, like making eye contact. Some of the strategies seemed good, and others frustrated me, especially the feeling that his child had to be ‘normal’. Then again, I’m guilty of ableist attitudes before I knew better.

It was an interesting story and, I think, an honest account from one parent’s experience, but had some issues when it comes to a modern understanding of autism. If you’re reading this, realise that it’s just one parent’s experience, it’s not a book about autism in general.

The graphic novel format of this book was fun and I enjoyed the illustrations.

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Author: Kate Foster

Illustrator: Sophie Beer

Category: Middle Grade

Publisher: Walker Books

Publication date: 3 May 2023

Blurb: The world’s happiest and most dog-friendly superhero is here! A brand new adventure for junior readers from Kate Foster.

Meet Harriet Hound. She’s eight years old and loves dogs!

But Harriet has something else that makes her super … the power to summon the dogs from her family’s rescue shelter every time there’s trouble afoot.

Whether it’s a carnival catastrophe, a sudden storm, or vanishing vegetables, Harriet and her best dog friends use their super special talents and problem-solving skills to save the day!

“Perfectly-judged stories that will thrill young readers with intriguing mysteries, simple-yet-rhythmic writing and a highly-inventive brand of canine magic.” Andrew McDonald

“This gorgeous book gets a big paws-up from me – funny, adorable and packed full of puppies.” Nat Amoore

Review: I have to say that I LOVED this book. There are three stories that are fun and uplifting, and I really hope the publisher will create a series of these books.

What’s not to love about an eight-year-old superhero with the coolest doggy pyjamas I’ve ever seen? Not to mention she’s autistic and gloriously so.

This is positive representation of an autistic girl. I also enjoyed that she’s different to other autistic characters I’ve read, showing that if you’ve met one autistic person, you’ve met one autistic person, the same happens when you read about autistic characters.

If you’re looking for a book with great characters and a fun story, this is one to read. While it’s aimed at kids, I really enjoyed it as an adult, so a great one to share with kids in your life too.

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