The book you like most discussion
Book recs with autistic main character?
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Jackson
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Feb 10, 2025 06:40PM
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Louise Beech - This is how we are human! One of the BEST books I have ever read! And the only book to ever make me cry. Check it out, I fully recommend👌🏻
I would have to say Where the Heart is, Fried Green Tomatoes, or Mercy of the Sky.
The Genevieve Lennard series by Estelle Ryan. Mystery/thrillers, absolutely superb. You do need to read the series in order as there's a whole underlying story regarding Genevieve's personal life but the mystery in each story is solved.
not exactly the main character but the love interest - Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph WhiteI will never stop recommending this book, it's my all-time favorite book and a legit masterpiece. It is very gory though, so don't read it if you get squeamish
what to say next by Julie buxbaum. ya. believe one character falls on the spectrum of austistic. I'm not certain of this rec. requires more research. but it's a lovely book
“The Humans” by Matt Haig. The author has autism (I believe it was undiagnosed at the time). Although the main character isn’t autistic per se (he is an alien), the novel certainly reflects the way a person with autism experiences the world.
I haven’t read it but Jonathan Nicolaou has a book out with an autistic mc
Rain Man by Leonore Fleischer. It is the basis for the 80s movie.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time comes to mind:
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Holly in the Stephen King Mr Mercedes series has autism. As with all of the master’s novels, they are cracking reads.
"The Kiss Quotient" by Helen Hoang – A romance featuring an autistic woman who hires an escort to help her navigate relationships."Colin Fischer" by Ashley Edward Miller & Zack Stentz – A YA mystery with an autistic protagonist solving a crime at his school.
"The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" by Mark Haddon – A mystery novel from the perspective of an autistic teenager investigating the death of a neighbor’s dog.
Science Fiction & Fantasy
"On the Edge of Gone" by Corinne Duyvis – A sci-fi novel about an autistic girl trying to secure a spot on a spaceship after an apocalyptic event.
"A Wizard Alone" by Diane Duane – Part of the Young Wizards series, featuring an autistic character who plays a key role in the story.
"The Outside" by Ada Hoffmann – A cosmic horror sci-fi novel with an autistic protagonist navigating space, AI, and reality-warping threats.
Middle Grade & YA
"A Kind of Spark" by Elle McNicoll – A middle-grade novel about an autistic girl campaigning for a memorial in her town.
"Can You See Me?" by Libby Scott & Rebecca Westcott – A heartfelt middle-grade novel co-written by an autistic author.
"Anything But Typical" by Nora Raleigh Baskin – A middle-grade story told from the perspective of an autistic boy who loves writing.
I'll back up the Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang recommendation, but read the summary of the book carefully, and I would skip around the book in the library or the bookstore first. Its spicy. Hoang is very good but the spice may not be your thing.(You didn't say what age these books are for, so it may not be appropriate.)
Also can back up Holly by Stephen King. She appears in two other King books, but only partially. (Theres a short story, apparently) You can probably get by without reading those two. I like the Holly character. I didn't find the book as bloody as I thought it would be.
The Maid by Nita Prose is actually a really good book about an autistic maid who is framed for murder and must solve the crime for the police because the police think she did it.
In the Lives of Puppets by T J Klune is allegedly an autistic MC. According to one account I read, the author wrote the entire story with the MC being autistic, had three separate people read through the novel for sensitivity reasons and 1/3 rejected it saying it was offensive. He was then told to rewrite the novel with no mention of this aspect of his character. I personally found this story really disjointed and angry, not like the authors usual works. But I would love to hear others opinions because as far as I know it nearly won Goodreads award.
They have a list if 97 books on goodread site here with main characters who are autistic
This is arguable but ‘Convenience Store Woman’
I'll repeat a recommendation for "Wizard Alone" by Diane Duane. suitable for teens, precocious preteens and adults
I absolutely second “What to Say Next” by Julie Buxbaum. My teen daughter and I both loved it. I also loved The Kiss Quotient. The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty and Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan may not expressly be autism but are definitely worth a read as well.
