Book Review: Funny, You Don’t Look Autistic

This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission if you use them.  This is at no cost to you and I will only share links to think that I like!

Why I Picked It Up: I requested this as an Advanced Review Copy (ARC) from Netgalley.  As some of you know, one of my twins was diagnosed as Austistic this year and I am craving to read anything I can get my hands on.  A bonus that this was a comedy and from the perspective of someone on the spectrum I had to read it.  

The Official Summary (from Netgalley)

Like many others on the autism spectrum, 20-something stand-up comic Michael McCreary has been told by more than a few well-meaning folks that he doesn’t “look” autistic. But, as he’s quick to point out in this memoir, autism “looks” different for just about everyone with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Diagnosed with ASD at age five, McCreary got hit with the performance bug not much later. During a difficult time in junior high, he started journaling, eventually turning his pain e into something empowering—and funny. He scored his first stand-up gig at age 14, and hasn’t looked back.

This unique and hilarious #OwnVoices memoir breaks down what it’s like to live with autism for readers on and off the spectrum. Candid scenes from McCreary’s life are broken up with funny visuals and factual asides. Funny, You Don’t Look Autistic is an invaluable and compelling read for young readers with ASD looking for voices to relate to, as well as for readers hoping to broaden their understanding of ASD.

What did I think about Funny, You Don’t Look Autistic: A Comedian’s Guide to Life on the Spectrum?

I received this book as an advanced review copy (ARC) from Netgalley thanks to the publisher Annick Press Ltd.  

I really enjoyed this book.  Of course I have a very personal reason, given that my daughter is autistic, but I think this book would be enjoyable for anyone.  So much of my current knowledge of Autism is from talking to parents, and not actually talking to people who are Autistic themselves.  I think that was truly why this book was a treasure.  It’s helps me to understand a little more, even if Michael is not at all like my daughter Sadie, but it’s still something.  

So, what didn’t I like? 

I wanted more.  Michael is still very young, so the book only goes into his early 20s, because that’s how old he is!  I really liked seeing his personal growth and how he came to understand things about himself.  

Favorite Quotes

A huge thanks to Annick Press Ltd and Netgalley for approving me to read this book and sent me a copy to read and give my honest review.  Reading this book meant something to me and I appreciated being given the opportunity.

Follow the Author

Follow Michael McCreary here!  I mean, come on, his website is Aspie Comic!

Michael McCreary may only be twenty-two, but he’s already well on his way to fulfilling his lifelong, albeit short, dream of becoming a stand-up comedian.  The young comic, a high school grad from Orangeville, Ontario, was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome at the age of five. In an act of self-preservation, combined with the desire for constant attention and the inability to stop talking, stand-up comedy seemed inevitable. Michael combined his love of comedy and his obsession with Hollywood movies and trained under David Granirer, founder of Stand Up for Mental Health, to create his act ”Does This Make My Asperger’s Look Big?” Over the past 7 years Michael has performed at conferences, galas, universities, bars and church basements across Canada and the United States. See the world through his eyes as he takes you on a comical journey through the lighter side of Asperger’s Syndrome.

Goodreads | Website| Twitter| Facebook 

If you like this book I recommend…