Disabled and Neurodivergent Books and Comics out in 2023! null

Hello everyone and welcome to the 2023 Disabled and Neurodivergent Books and Comics Release List! This list includes books and comics that are being published in 2023 that are written by disabled and/or neurodivergent authors, or include disabled and/or neurodivergent characters. It has been compiled by readers and authors providing titles in this Twitter thread and my own research.

There is a fabulous list of Young Adult and Middle Grade books with disability representation by Julie of Struck by Stories over on Twitter. Please do check it out and RT it!

Updated: 6th January 2025 – I am no longer updating this list. You can add 2024 titles to this list and 2025 titles to this spreadsheet.

Table Of Contents
  1. This list is no longer updated
  2. Disabled and Neurodivergent Books out in 2023
  3. January
  4. February
  5. March
  6. April
  7. May
  8. June
  9. July
  10. August
  11. September
  12. October / Fall
  13. November
  14. December
  15. Dates Unknown
  16. Over to you
  17. Support Just Geeking By

A few notes about this list

This is a long list and as the year goes on, has the potential to get even longer. To make it readable and manageable, I’ve chosen not to include a synopsis for each book. In conjunction with this list, I’ll be posting quarterly announcements about what books are due out in the upcoming few months. Those announcements will include a full synopsis, cover and other details.

Books are listed in publishing date order by month by Book Title and author. Where possible, the book title is linked to an information page about the book from the author’s website. Following title and author is genre, age group and representation information regarding the author and/or characters.

For example, January 14th – Book Title by Jane Smith, Fantasy, Adult, disabled author, neurodivergent MC (main character), character with Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME)/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS).

Following this information is an Add to GoodReads link and some links where you can purchase the book which I’ll talk a little about in a moment. If a GoodReads link is missing, it is because it isn’t available yet, and I’ll add it when it is.

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Every purchase you make through Just Geeking By helps keep this blog running.

About purchase links

Each book is listed along with links to online stores. I would be extremely grateful if you would consider using them to purchase or pre-order any of the books on this list if you are interested in them. Every purchase helps me keep Just Geeking By running and my disabilities mean that I am unable to work, so if you’re grateful for this post in any way click some links <3

This list is no longer updated

Unfortunately, I do not have the time or energy to maintain three annual book lists. I’m sorry if this means your title is missing from this list, however, I need to put my health first.

Changes or corrections

I have done my best to try to verify information and use language preferred by each author regarding disability representation and identity. If I’ve made a mistake, or you would like something changed please let me know in the comments, on this Twitter post or if you prefer you can contact me privately using this form. To ensure that information is correct, I will only be accepting changes and corrections from authors and publishers.

Disabled and Neurodivergent Books out in 2023

Disabled and Neurodivergent Books and Comics out in 2023!

January

January edition of CIADISH – A magazine for chronically ill and disabled (CIAD) writers and the readers who love their books.

3rd January – Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert – contemporary romance, young adult, disabled author, MC has obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

3rd January – Unseelie by Ivelisse Housman, fantasy, young adult, autistic author, autistic MC.

5th January – The Detention Detectives by Lis Jardine, mystery, middle grade, MC is a young carer for a chronically ill parent.

10th January – Burrowed by Mary Baader Kaley – dystopia, adult, chronic illness and mental health condition representation.

10th January – Liar, Dreamer, Thief by Maria Dong – thriller, adult, mental health representation.

10th January – Lost in the Moment and Found by Seanan McGuire (Wayward Children #8) – urban fantasy, young adult, neurodivergent author.

10th January – Red Clay Suzie by Jeffrey Dale Lofton – LGBT, adult, MC has a deformed chest cavity.

10th January – We Are All So Good at Smiling by Amber McBride – fantasy, young adult, MC has depression and is a trauma survivor.

14th January – The Summer We’ve Had by Katherine Blakeman – lesbian romance, adult, disabled author, MC with Dissociative Identity Disorder.

17th January – Figure It Out, Henri Weldon by Tanita S. Davis – contemporary, middle grade, MC has dyscalculia.

19th January – Godkiller by Hannah Kaner – fantasy, adult, MC loses a leg, wears a prosthetic and uses a wheelchair, SC uses a wheelchair, SC who is Deaf, and trauma and PTSD representation.

19th January – Not My Time by Jessica Salina – science fiction, adult, MC has post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

19th January – She Had It Coming by Carys Jones – contemporary, adult, disabled author.

31st January – Reggie and Delilah’s Year of Falling by Elise Bryant – romance, young adult, migraine and dyslexia representation.

31st January – Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow – contemporary fiction, middle grade, MC has PTSD and anxiety, female major SC is autistic.

Disabled and Neurodivergent Books and Comics out in 2023!

February

2nd February – Artemis Sparke and the Sound Seekers Brigade by Kimberly Behre Kenna – animal stories, middle grade, MC has a stutter.

2nd February – Jayben and the Golden Torch by Thomas Leeds, fantasy, middle grade, disabled author, MC with a brain injury and epilepsy.

2nd February – Like A Curse (Like A Charm #2) by Elle McNicoll – fantasy, middle grade, neurodivergent author, autistic MC.

2nd February – Shield Maiden by Sharon Emmerichs – fantasy, young adult, disabled MC with a deformed hand, SC recovering from trauma.

7th February – One for All by Lillie Lainoff – historical fantasy, young adult, disabled author, MC with Postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS).

14th February – And Maybe They Fall In Love by E. Hill – magical realism, adult, MC has obsessive compulsive disorder (ODC).

14th February – Monstersona by Chloe Spencer – science fiction, young adult, MC has post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

21st February – No Matter the Distance by Cindy Baldwin – animals, middle grade, disabled author, MC has cystic fibrosis.

23rd February – Izzy at the End of the World by K.A. Reynolds – science fiction, middle grade, neurodivergent author, neurodivergent MC.

Disabled and Neurodivergent Books and Comics out in 2023!

March

March edition of CIADISH – A magazine for chronically ill and disabled (CIAD) writers and the readers who love their books.

7th March – Every Time You Go Away by Abigail Johnson – contemporary romance, young adult, disabled author, MC is a wheelchair user.

7th March – Good Different by Meg Eden Kuyatt – contemporary, middle grade, autistic author, autistic MC.

7th March – The Coldest Winter I Ever Spent by Ann Jacobus – contemporary, young adult, MC has depression, anxiety and is recovering from addiction and suicide attempts, and a family member has terminal cancer.

7th March – The Immeasurable Depth of You by Maria Ingrande Mora – supernatural, young adult, disabled author, MC has anxiety and depression.

7th March – The Ojja-Wojja by Magdalene Visaggio, Jenn St-Onge – fantasy graphic novel, middle grade, autistic author, autistic MC.

7th March – There Goes the Neighborhood by Jade Adia – contemporary, young adult, disabled and neurodivergent characters.

14th March – Aniana del Mar Jumps in by Jasminne Mendez – sports, middle grade, MC has juvenile arthritis.

28th March – Strictly No Heroics by B.L. Radley – science fiction, young adult, MC has post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

28th March – The Boy Who Disappeared and Other Stories by Rob Keely – short stories, middle grade, disabled author, disabled characters.

30th March – The Starlight Stables Gang by Esme Higgs, Jo Cotterhill, Hannah George – horses, middle grade, character with T9 spinal cord injury who is a wheelchair user.

31st March – Toby and the Wizards of Wildhaven by Sally Doherty – disabled author, MC is a young carer for a parent with Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME)/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS).

Disabled and Neurodivergent Books and Comics out in 2023!

April

1st April – I’ll Stop the World by Lauren Thoman – science fiction, adult, MC has ADHD.

1st April – The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher by E.M. Anderson – fantasy, adult, neurodivergent author, disabled and neurodivergent characters.

1st April – What Walks These Halls by Amy Clarkin – fantasy, middle grade, disabled author, MC who is hard of hearing.

6th April – How to Sell Your Blood and Fall in Love (Guides for Dating Vampires #2) by D.N. Bryn – paranormal romance, adult, disabled author, autistic and chronic pain.

11th April – Ab(solutely) Normal: Short Stories That Smash Mental Health Stereotypes – short stories, young adult, mental health representation. ** Please note that this is written by therapists and advocates, it is not an ownvoices anthology.

11th April – Bianca Torre Is Afraid of Everything by Justine Pucella Winans – thriller, young adult, MC has anxiety.

11th April – Promises Stronger Than Darkness (Unstoppable #3) by Charlie Jane Anders – science fiction, young adult, neurodivergent author.

11th April – The Cassandra Complex by Holly Smale – science fiction, adult, neurodivergent author.

13th April – The Darkest Night by Victoria Hawthorne – historical fiction, adult, disabled author.

18th April – Jude Saves the World by Ronnie Riles, autistic author, MC has ADHD.

23rd April – The First Move by Jenny Ireland – disabilities, young adult, disabled author, MC with arthritis.

25th April – Hungry Ghost by Victoria Ying – contemporary graphic novel, young adult, MC has bulimia.

25th April – In The Lives Of Puppets by T.J. Klune – fantasy, adult, neurodivergent author.

27th April – Living With Hearing Loss and Deafness: A guide to owning it and loving it by Samantha Baines – non-fiction, deaf community, deaf author.

Unknown date in April – Changelings: An Autistic Trans Anthology – short stories, young adult, autistic authors, autistic characters.

Disabled and Neurodivergent Books and Comics out in 2023! - A list of disabled and neurodivergent books and comics out in 2023, including books by disabled/neurodivergent authors and/or with representation! null

May

May edition of CIADISH – A magazine for chronically ill and disabled (CIAD) writers and the readers who love their books.

1st May – Stronger Still (No Man’s Lander #2) by D.N. Bryn – disabled author, visual impairment, anxiety, depression and chronic illness.

2nd May – Margo Zimmerman Gets the Girl by Sara Waxelbaum, Brianna R. Shrum – LGBT romance, young adult, autistic MC.

2nd May – Where You See Yourself by Claire Forrest – contemporary romance, young adult, disabled author, MC is a wheelchair user.

3rd May – Harriet Hound by Kate Foster, Sophie Beer – superhero graphic novel, children’s book, autistic author, autistic MC.

      • Add to GoodReads // Buy this book:

4th May – You’re So Amazing by James & Lucy Catchpole, Karen George – disabilities, children’s picture book, disabled author, MC with one leg (unclear if an amputee or not).

9th May – If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come by Jen St. Jude – science fiction, young adult, MC has undiagnosed depression.

9th May – The Secret Summer Promise by Keah Brown – contemporary, young adult, disabled author, MC has Cerebral Palsy.

9th May – This Is the Way the World Ends by Jen Wilde – thriller, young adult, disabled author, autistic MC.

11th May – The Hummingbird Killer (The Butterfly Assassin #2) by Finn Longman, fantasy, young adult, disabled author, MC has multiple disabilities.

16th May – See Me as I Am by Cheryl Wanner – contemporary, young adult, MC is blind.

23rd May – The Luis Ortega Survival Club by Sonora Reyes – LGBT, young adult, autistic MC.

25th May – Cosima Unfortunate Steals A Star by Laura Noakes – disabilities, children’s book, disabled author, disabled characters.

26th May – Into Shadow by Morgan Daimler – fantasy, adult, autistic author, MC with visual impairment.

May Unknown date – The Seawomen by Chloe Timms – fantasy, adult, disabled author.

Disabled and Neurodivergent Books and Comics out in 2023!

June

1st June – Vivi Conway and the Sword of Legend by Lizzie Huxley-Jones – fantasy, middle grade, disabled and autistic author, autistic MC.

6th June – Love Letters for Joy by Melissa See – LGBT romance, young adult, disabled author, MC has Cerebral Palsy.

6th June – Pedro & Daniel by Federico Erebia – historical fiction, young adult, neurodivergent MCs, AIDS pandemic.

6th June – Something More by Jackie Khalilieh – contemporary romance, young adult, autistic MC.

6th June – Will on the Inside by Andrew Eliopulos – sports, middle grade, MC has Crohn’s disease.

20th June – The Wicked Unseen by Gigi Griffis – horror, young adult, author is a trauma survivor, trauma representation.

Disabled and Neurodivergent Books and Comics out in 2023!

July

July edition of CIADISH – A magazine for chronically ill and disabled (CIAD) writers and the readers who love their books.

1st July – Truly Enough by J.J. Hale – sapphic romance, MC has ADHD.

11th July – Give Me a Sign by Anna Sortino – contemporary romance, young adult, Deaf author, Deaf MCs.

11th July – The Fire, the Water and Maudie McGinn by Sally J. Pla – contemporary, middle grade, autistic MC.

18th July – Under This Forgetful Sky by Lauren Yero – science fiction, young adult, MC has a physical disability that affects the use of one of her arms.

August

1st August – The Year My Life Went Down the Toilet by Jake Maia Arlow – contemporary, middle grade, MC has Crohn’s disease.

15th August – Managing the Matthews by Haleigh Wenger – contemporary, adult, disabled author, Crohn’s disease.

15th August – Tilly in Technicolor by Mazey Eddings – contemporary romance, young adult, neurodiverse author, neurodiverse MC (autism and ADHD).

22nd August – Board to Death by C.J. Connor – MC has anxiety and is a carer for their parent.

Disabled and Neurodivergent Books and Comics out in 2023!

September

September edition of CIADISH – A magazine for chronically ill and disabled (CIAD) writers and the readers who love their books.

September – Iris and the Crew Tear Through Space by Cait Gordon – science fiction, adult, disabled author, ensemble cast of disabled, neurodivergent, Blind, and Deaf characters.

      • Add to GoodReads // Buy this book:  none currently available

5th September – The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White – gothic horror, young adult, autistic MC.

12th September – The Marble Queen by Anna Kopp, Gabrielle Kari – fantasy graphic novel, young adult, MC has an anxiety disorder.

19th September – A Prayer for Vengeance by Leanne Schwartz – fantasy, young adult, autistic MC.

19th September – Shiny Misfits: A Graphic Novel by Maysoon Zayid – children’s graphic novel, middle grade, disabled author, MC has Cerebral Palsy.

19th September – The Odds by Lindsay Puckett – fantasy, middle grade, disabled author, MC has chronic pain.

19th September – The Princess of Thornwood Drive by Khalia Moreau – fantasy, adult, neurodivergent author, MC who is paralysed and non-verbal.

26th September – The Undetectables by Courtney Smyth – contemporary fantasy, disabled author, MC with fibromyalgia.

Disabled and Neurodivergent Books and Comics out in 2023!

October / Fall

20th October – Love in the Liner Notes by Katta Kis – Contemporary romance, adult, PTSD/trauma, anxiety.

31st October – Moojag and the Lost Memories (Moojag #2) by N.E. McMorran – Science fiction, middle grade, Autistic author, Autism, ADHD, ADD, BiPolar, Dementia, and perimenopause representation.

Fall – Crushing It by Jen Desmarais – neurodivergent MC.

      • Add to GoodReads // Buy this book:  none currently available.

Fall – The Night Fox by Ashley Wilda – magical realism, young adult, mental health representation.

Fall – The Lumbering Giants of Windy Pines by Gabe Netz – fantasy, middle grade, disabled author, MC is a wheelchair user.

Book divider. null

November

November edition of CIADISH – A magazine for chronically ill and disabled (CIAD) writers and the readers who love their books.

Disabled and Neurodivergent Books and Comics out in 2023!

28th November – Godly Heathens by H.E. Edgmon – fantasy, young adult, MC with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and a personality disorder.

December

None currently.

Disabled and Neurodivergent Books and Comics out in 2023!

Dates Unknown

Dust by Alison Stine – dystopia, young adult, deaf author, deaf MC.

Lulu Sinagtala and The Tagalog Gods by Gail D. Villanueva – fantasy, middle grade, MC has epilepsy.

Disabled and Neurodivergent Books and Comics out in 2023!

Over to you

Thank you to everyone who helped put this list together and for everyone’s patience as I got this all together. It took me a bit longer than I had hoped due to flare-ups and the usual ups and downs that come with chronic illness life as I know many of you will relate 🙂 This is something I have wanted to do for a few years now so this year I was determined it was happening!

I am available to help promote books and comics, offer interviews, cover reviews, giveaways and also review books. Reviews are currently closed as I catch up after a bout of illness at the end of last year, and everything else will be available soon. Best thing to do is give me a follow on Twitter @justgeekingby, and I’ll give a shout-out then when I’m back on my regular schedule 🙂

If disability representation is something you’re passionate about please do check out GeekDis an event that I run each year for the disabled community to discuss disability representation in pop culture. The past two years it has taken place in September but this year I’m going to be moving it to July to coincide with disability pride month.

I hope you enjoyed this post! If you did please consider sharing it on social media using the nifty buttons at the top of the post <3

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9 Comments

  4. Hi could you add my second book out in June – truly enough by J.J. Hale? It’s a sapphic romance with an ADHD lead. Thank you!

    1. Author

      Hi J.J., do you have an exact date for when it’s out in June? Thanks.

      Update: Book has been added to the list.

  5. Forgot to add:
    Sci-fi Mystery Adventure
    Autistic author

    1. Author

      Hi Nema, thanks for adding your information! Sorry for the delay, your details have been added to the list <3

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