𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘍𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘦 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳 by Scottish comedian Fern Brady is not only a memoir, it is an exposition of autism spectrum disorder and how sexism and lack of mental health advocacy can negatively impact diagnosis, coping skills, and overall wellness. In a sharp, forthright, yet engaging tone, Brady describes her struggles from adolescence to adulthood (unclear social cues, sensorily overwhelming environments, extreme life changes, and ignorant authority figures and peers) and the ways she has tried to process and interact with the world around her (scripting, masking, stimming, and the less healthy drug abuse). She also shares difficult stories about her meltdowns and shutdowns, and about how the lack of diagnosis for most of her life, her reputation as being odd and difficult, and the resulting frustration and loneliness contributed to self-harm and suicidal ideation.

𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘍𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘦 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳 is not the juicy or overtly funny story one would normally expect from a comedic memoir, however it is an extremely important and valuable one. Well-written, intelligent, honest, and vulnerable, it provides insight into the autistic mind to allistic readers as well as—hopefully—support to the neurodiverse.

Already a critically acclaimed bestseller in the U.K., Fern Brady's "Strong Female Character" is set to arrive stateside as a both brutal and brutally funny story about how being female can get in the way of being autistic and being autistic can get in the way of being the "right kind" of woman.

While the phrase "no holds barred" is more than a little cliché, it's entirely applicable to "Strong Female Character," a refreshingly honest and scathing book about what it means to live as neurodivergent even before you're officially diagnosed.

Brady is a Scottish comedian, podcaster, and writer who, if we're being honest, doesn't fit the description of what society tells you to expect from someone who is neurodivergent.

Told she couldn't be autistic because she'd had loads of boyfriends and had good eye contact, Baldwin is absolutely relentless in this memoir that is frequently heartbreaking, just as frequently hilarious, and more than a little scathing toward a society that not only doesn't get it but often chooses to completely ignore it. Not officially diagnosed until her adult years, Brady, now 36-years-old, serves up an inspired and engaging portrait of neurodivergence and learning how to live life unmasked.

Baldwin had long suspected she had autism as she experienced the sensory issues, the meltdowns, the inability to pick up on social cues. It has only been in the last couple of years that she was officially diagnosed and, if "Strong Female Character" is any indication, she's ripping the mask off and living into who she's really always been.

With "Strong Female Character," Brady looks at the weaving together of ableism and sexism that keeps many autistic women from getting diagnosed until later in life. Brady herself came from a working class Scottish Catholic family that was clearly not equipped to deal with a neurodivergent child.

So they didn't.

Brady shares her difficult journey with relentless honesty that may be difficult for some readers - for example the ableist and sexist ones - and "Strong Female Character" possesses a literary spirit that is tonally all over the place out of necessity. That, quite simply, was how Brady lived her life and on some level still does.

Reflecting upon the ways her lack of a diagnosis influenced her youth, Brady shares everything from having a tree as a childhood best friend to what it was like to have her parents and school place her in a psychiatric facility because they were blind as to how to help her.

Trust me, "Strong Female Character" isn't what Stella Young would call "inspiration porn."

Instead, we get the brilliant and beautiful life that has somehow manifested imperfectly out of the chaos of childhood from destructive coping mechanisms and meltdowns to stripping to getting arrested to multiple futile attempts at employment. "Strong Female Character" isn't some miracle story targeted toward angelic inspiration - instead, Brady's journey is presented in all its layered complexities and her eventual discovery of comedy and breakout appearance on the Taskmaster TV show that allowed her, finally, to show up for the most part unmasked.

While some cultural references may escape American readers, "Strong Female Character" is an absolutely vital read and an opportunity to discover a talented, intelligent, and strong female character who is neurodivergent, has sex, is darn good at eye contact, and is very, very funny.

You might know Fern Brady as a comedian—I know of her from the show Taskmaster, where contestants complete ridiculous tasks and then have a good laugh about them. But "Strong Female Character" isn't about comedy; it's about Brady's experience growing up while viewing the world through undiagnosed autism.

It has to be said: celebrity memoirs are almost always at their best when the writer is writing about something other than their work (think Jennette McCurdy, Evanna Lynch, Allison Moorer). But it also has to be said: Brady is funny from start to finish here, despite the often wildly stressful material of the book. She pulls no punches, delivering an incisive criticism of the way society treats those who are "different", and of the limited view of autism held by many medical professionals. (Told by one doctor that she couldn't possibly be autistic because she'd had boyfriends, she notes that the diagnostic criteria for autism are based on eight-year-old boys in Vienna in the 1930s, and that it's not surprising that none of them would have had boyfriends.)

The ending is a bit condensed, I think because there's an extent to which this is all still something she's figuring out—she talks a lot about what she has learned about what autism means for her, and what things contribute to overload, and what things help her reset, but this is very much a book she wouldn't have been able to write—or articulate—even five years ago, and I expect that in a few more years she'll have more insights. That's not a bad thing in this case, and I'm just going to hang out over here hoping that "Strong Female Character" does well enough that somewhere down the line Brady will write another book, because whether it's a follow-up memoir or something else entirely I expect it'll be fascinating and hilarious.

I don't really listen to audiobooks, but I bet the audio version of this is *fantastic*. At the very least, if you've seen Brady perform, you'll be able to read this with her in your head throughout. Highly recommend.

STRONG FEMALE CHARACTER is an incredibly insightful read, learning how Fern Brady's life compares to before and after her diagnosis. At times it was uncomfortable to read and for that I respect how the author doesn't hold back and is utterly honest and completely transparent in her memoir. I would love to see her standup!

Thank you to Rodale, Inc and NetGalley for the digital ARC.

Like many others, Fern Brady first crossed my radar when she was featured in the show Taskmaster, where I thought she was hilarious. I jumped at the opportunity to read this book as soon as I saw it, and I am incredibly glad I did. Fern is direct and honest in ways that wildly important. Every superlative this memoir receives is well-deserved, both in terms of the writing style and the content. Even while discussing heavy, traumatic events and ideas Brady does it with a light hand and clear voice that is simultaneously enjoyable to read and also not letting the reader escape their complicity in how society treats neurodivergent people, and especially neurodivergent women. While I already knew that the symptomology of neurodivergence presents differently in women than men I didn’t realize specifically how, and Brady offers a master class in what many of those differences look like and how devastating it can be when they are ignored. Instead of continuing to fill the page with gushing superlatives, all I can say is that I highly recommend this book, even if you are not familiar with Fern Brady’s work. At the very least it can remind us that we are totally ignorant as to what’s going on in the complicated inner lives of those around us, and so we should lead with compassion and understanding instead of judgment or frustration.

I want to thank the author, the publisher Rodale Inc., Harmony, and NetGalley, who provided a complimentary eARC for review. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have heard of Fern Brady before as I really enjoy watching a lot of British/Scottish/Irish comedians and similar panel shows, so I was intrigued when I saw she had a memoir coming out, even more so when it was about her and her journey with autism.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and thought Fern did an incredible job describing her thoughts and feelings and her experiences pre and post diagnosis. It was really insightful - to her, and autistic women in general. I liked that she included sources and footnotes were required.

As an autistic female as well, I resonated with a lot of Ferns feelings and the struggles she had to understand others, or more so, for others to understand us. I think this book is so important and I recommend lots of young women should read it.

As an autistic AFAB person with minimal support needs, this harrowing memoir makes it very evident to me how lucky my upbringing was. Diagnosed in my 40s, I too grew up in an area of the world where Autism in girls was not at all recognized. I feel very lucky and grateful not to have had the same misguided and socially-unacceptable situations Brady experienced. While I thank the publisher and NetGalley for access to the e-ARC, reading about the events of Fern's life made me very uncomfortable yet sympathetic.

Great book! This was my first books learning about a woman on the spectrum and what she went through. This was very eye opening and insightful.

This was a very interesting memoir, with a blend of humor and frankness that I found very engaging. The writing feels like talking to a friend explaining what it is like to live in their head, which made Brady's life story both relatable and informative to someone who does not have personal experience with neurodivergency.

This memoir was well-written and truly compelling. Fern's voice came through so earnestly in this book that I felt connected to her from the first page. Fern documents her life before and after getting an autistic diagnosis. She goes in depth on what seemed different for her compared to everyone else, and how that affected her life. This book is clearly the product of passion that is thought-provoking, sad at times, but still a joy to read. This is best shown in my favorite quote of the whole memoir: “My mum and teen brother came through to Edinburgh and took me out for Japanese food as there was no other way in our culture of saying, ‘Sorry you’ve gone mad again.’”
Thank you to NetGalley and Rodale Inc. for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was immediately drawn to Fern Brady in her episode of Taskmaster. Her quirks and thought processes made sense to me in ways I couldn't articulate. When I found out she is autistic it clicked, as a fellow neurodivergent woman I was seeing someone that thought like me on TV. As soon as I saw that she had written this book I knew I needed to read it. I am so glad that I did! This is a raw and honest look at Fern's life and experiences. I read it in one sitting and plan to recommend it to my friends.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!

I was interested in reading this book because I have ASD too. It grabbed my attention from the moment I started reading. It’s well-written and I enjoyed being inside of Fern’s head and watching how she experiences the world. The book will provide a wealth of information to those who are unfamiliar with ASD. It will also make those of us who are on the spectrum feel less alone. I applaud Fern’s bravery in writing so openly about her life.