Abigail Balfe is an auDHD author/illustrator who lives in Brighton and previously led digital campaigns for famous pop stars and broadcasters. Her first book, A Different Sort of Normal – a memoir about growing up autistic – was shortlisted in the British Book Awards and longlisted at the Blue Peter Book Awards.
The book opens with 12-year-old Izzy telling the reader that this is not a diary; it is in fact a notebook tasked with recording Izzy’s investigation into the disappearance of her actual diary. We learn that Izzy doesn’t have any friends at school but is very close to her nan, who lives in a nursing home and has dementia. She’s also close to her mum (despite Mum’s embarrassing crush on the postman). Although the story is ostensibly about the missing diary, its true charm comes from Izzy’s quirky voice and her connections with the other characters. All of the subplots are dealt with in sweet and satisfying ways that I’m confident young readers will adore!
Like other books in this genre, this humorous diary-style narrative uses various formatting techniques to bring the diary vibe to life. Certain words are emphasised via capitalisation or a change in font; there are black and white illustrations on almost every page; and every so often the format changes when, for example, Izzy ‘glues in’ a note or draws a short comic. This means there are no ‘boring pages’ or solid blocks of text, which I am sure will help maintain the interest of tween readers – particularly those who are resistant to prose-only novels.
One of the book’s strengths is its realistic and matter-of-fact portrayal of autism and ADHD. These diagnoses are not mentioned in the narrative (only in the back matter, where Balfe says Izzy is auDHD but doesn’t know it yet), but Izzy stuffs toilet paper in her ears to block out noise, documents her elaborate ‘soft sandwich’ recipe, frequently goes off on tangents, and overthinks what her face is doing. Dementia is also portrayed sensitively, and Balfe acknowledges that Izzy’s nan’s experiences are partly based on her own nan’s journey.
It’s also worth noting that, unlike most other books in this genre, this story does not feature any crushes or romantic relationships between its young characters (just Mum and the postman). This makes it a great pick for younger kids interested in exploring this genre.
I recommend this book for fans of the Lottie Brooks and Melody Moss series, plus fans of realistic graphic novels such as those by Raina Telgemeier and Svetlana Chmakova. I also recommend it for readers who either identify with or want to better understand the female auDHD experience. According to the back matter, we can look forward to another Izzy Dobson book soon too!
Annaleise Byrd is the author of middle grade portal fantasies Losing the Plot and Down the Plot Hole, and the picture book You Are Not a Pup!
