Recommendations of Books with Autistic Characters

I'm looking for book recommendations of books that have autistic characters, reading level of young adult and up. Not ones where you could argue that the character is autistic, but where the character is definitely written to be autistic.

I finished reading the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime and I really enjoyed it. I felt I could really identify with how the character thinks and acts at time. I also think it helped me learn a bit more about how others experience autism. I would love to read more like it.

  • I work in a secondary school library and recommend The State of Grace by Rachael Lucas - it was reading this as part of my job that first made me realise that I too was autistic. Three years on and I now have a diagnosis of ASD. The main character is a teenage girl with Asperger’s, and so many things rang true with me I was in a stunned state for a long time afterwards. 
    My other teen / YA recommendations are Notes on My Family by Emily Critchley and A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicol. A Different Sort of Normal by Abigail Balfe is more of a cartoon style biography of the author as an then-undiagnosed child / young adult and is fantastically relatable. 

  • Hi, I read 3 books by Helen Hoang (who is autistic herself) The Kiss Quotient, The Bride Test and The Heart Principle. They are all romance novels (does contain descriptions of sex) that feature a female or male autistic character. They are all really different and I loved them all. 

    Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson is not defined as autistic but every trait the main character has seems to heavily imply. This is a fantasy adventure book with a female lead. Ghosts/spirits and religious themes (I'm an athiest so maybe not the best judge, but I don't think there was anything in it that was particularly sacreligious) Mild peril I would say. (Her other books are great too but the characters aren't autistic) 

  • There are books on amazon that has characters who are autistic and the book is told from their point of view. Not everyone on the spectrum is the same. This book addresses common social issues in a simplified manner. The characters are animated however do not let that distract you from the valuable information that is relevant to individuals in grade school through adulthood. The sample book is free to read on the website. In Google’s search engine type  https://www.catinasway.com/what-autistic-people-really-think-feel  or https://www.catinasway.com. When you get to the site, click on what autistic people really thing and feel to read about Sally FOR FREE! The book is in a slide show format. I’m sure it will not disappoint. Hopefully this is helpful to you.

  • I have just finished reading The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion. Apparently it’s the first book in a trilogy so I’m now keeping an eye out in charity shops and second hand bookshops for the other two books. 

  • That sounds really interesting. I'll see if the library has a copy.

  • For a really uplifting factual book about autism, and one that's great for shattering stereotypes, I always recommend The Reason I Jump, by Naoki Higashida.

    Naoki is a non-verbal autistic boy (a man by now) from Japan, who was only 13 years old when he wrote the book (using a unique spelling out system devised by him and his Mum). It's written in a question and answer style, along with a few short pieces of his creative writing, so it's great for dipping into. I defy anyone to read it and not be brought to tears - by his positivity and humour as much as by the frustration he describes at finding it so hard to express the love he feels for the non-autistic people around him.

  • Glad you enjoyed it! Hopefully you'll be able to get the other one soon Slight smile

  • Managed to pick up a copy of Odd girl out. Gonna give that a read over the next few days. The library has the other book but someone else has it at the moment so I'll get it later

  • Really glad you enjoyed it! That one sounds interesting Slight smile I think it's good to learn about things we don't necessarily have experience of.

  • I’ve just finished it. Absolutely love it! Also, I found it an awful lot easier to concentrate on than most books. Whilst at the library yesterday I also picked up a copy of another book by the same author, Maggsie McNaughton’s Second Chance, which has a dyslexic main character. Hopefully it will be just as enjoyable even though it won’t be quite as identifiable. 

  • Great - hope you enjoy the book Slight smile

  • Thank you for the recommendation. I’ve just logged in to check my local library’s database and it would seem they have a copy available. Guess where I’m going tomorrow (rhetorical) Blush

  • Thanks, I will see if the library has any of those Slight smile

  • I loved 'The Seven Imperfect Rules of Elvira Carr' - I would highly recommend it (she also has a special interest in dog breeds, like me!). It's a little like 'Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine', but Elvira Carr is definitely written as an autistic character.

    In case you'd like a non-fiction suggestion, Laura James' 'Odd girl out' is fantastic and explores her experiences of late diagnosis.

    I'd be interested to get some book recommendations too Slight smile