Wow. I have new insight into the lives of both the autistic community and those who have disabilities and those who care for them. This book was well-written, transparent, and hopeful. For those who are walking a similar path, I think it will give them fresh courage to know they’re not alone. Well done, Scott!

The Unbreakable Boy: A Father's Fear, a Son's Courage, and a Story of Unconditional Love by Scott LeRette and Susy Flory is poignant, unflinchingly honest, humorous, heartwarming and uplifting.

LeRette shares what it's like to parent a child with special needs (brittle bone disease and autism). He is open about his unreadiness to be either a husband or a father when he learned that his (now) wife was pregnant though he was committed to being both. Readers watch him grow as a man, and also as a man of faith as Austin grows from an infant to a teenager.

Parenthood is daunting at best for those who take it seriously. For those not in the author's shoes, it's hard to fathom living with the constant watchfulness required and the stress generated by Austin's conditions. It is even harder to imagine Austin's own struggles. Yet despite all that Austin must deal with, he is a boy with a rampant joy for life, love for all, and many lessons to teach each of us.

Kudos to LeRette for sharing his experiences so honestly and to Susy Flory for telling LeRette's story so well and in such a relatable way!

My thanks to Thomas Nelson publishers for allowing me to access a copy of this memorable memoir via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own and are freely given.

I thought this was a very sweet book. I could not pit it down and finished it in one sitting. I hope there is. Sequel.

I struggled to read this one. While the characters (are they still called characters in a biography....??) are interesting and full of depth, the storyteller just didn't connect with me.

Thank you Netgalley and Nelson Books for the opportunity to read this e-Arc.

This story was beautiful.
The way the father describes Austin's way of seeing the world was eye-opening and beautifully written. Seeing this family go through everything life throws their way, and reading about Austin smiling through the pain and everything that goes with his health condition was fascinating and described in an honest and moving way.

The Unbreakable Boy is Austin LeRette, Auz for short. He has a brittle bone disease. He has heart defects. He has autism. And he has an unbreakable spirit and the biggest heart. He loves everybody and wants to be their friend, including yours. Auz wants everyone to be compassionate and loving, to enjoy life, and to dress well while doing it.
His father Scott loves his two sons equally so much, but sometimes Austin can be so challenging, so pushy, so adamant and overwhelming, his father has to escape to his own bedroom closet to calm down. But also, he says, sometimes Auz is the one teaching and he is the one learning.
This book chronicles some of the tragic moments, some of the hilarious ones, and some of the moments that teach one or both of them to live life more open, more deeply, and experience things they never would have without each other. Life with an autistic child is hard, but Scott has learned many things along the way, and God has shown him through Austin how many things in his own heart need uprooting and changing, for the better.
Austin meets new challenges “with lightness and joy, almost as if it was an adventure.” He also “wasn’t afraid to ask for what he wanted, and to keep asking.” He knows that “joy lurks in unexpected, everyday places.” And as a result of parenting Austin, Scott is learning that “maybe I’m not meant to understand after all, but only to have faith, accept, and embrace this terrific kid.”
This book will make you gasp with embarrassment and concern, and feel, along with Scott’s anecdotes, all the frustration and humor and joy that he does. It’s a compilation of snippets of their lives together, glimpses of hope, contentment, and “simply accepting differences in how people function and appreciating people for who they are, not what disorder or diagnosis they’ve been labeled with.”
You’ll be inspired along with Scott as you read about life with Austin: “His positive attitude and his faith seemed to be at levels I could only hope to reach someday. I was starting to realize he was stronger than I knew.”
Perhaps their story can inspire you to be more like Austin in these wonderful ways too.

I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are solely mine and do not reflect the author, publisher, or affiliates.

Wow! I’m so glad I found this book, The Unbreakable Boy: “A Father’s Fear, a Son’s Courage and a Story of Unconditional Love” by Scott Michael LeRette (and in addition to the father and his boy, there is also an amazing Mom and brother.)

This is a Christian Memoir about a family experiencing Joy, Hope, Challenges and Anguish. Scott and his wife Teresa had all ready faced some hard times in their new married life, but many more mountains awaited them after the birth of their first son, Austin. Austin was born with multiple severe lifelong health issues. Scott and Teresa loved Austin fiercely, but day to day life was tough.

There were many, almost daily obstacles for this family, and some, like Scott’s drinking and lack of faith were hard to bear. But Jesus loved this family and guided them to a better path. This family could finally say, “Austin doesn’t need fixing; our family is exactly the family we were made to be.” Scott’s story is open and frank, and Austin shares much of his feelings-truly an amazing boy and young man.

What an inspiring book! Thanks to NetGalley Ann Nelson Books for an advance digital review copy. This is my honest review.

This is an amazing book! It's written by the father, Scott, whose son is autistic. The story is raw and unfiltered, relaying good times and bad. My heart really connected with Teresa. She did everything that she could to provide a loving and stable home. I'll be honest, Scott ticked me off. He was selfish most of the time. I was so happy when he turned his life around and became a wonderful father and husband. I related to Logan the most. I know what it feels like to always be on the back burner as your sibling soaks up your parents' time and affection.

I can't wait to see the movie that's based on this book! There will be laughter and tears. My favorite quote is actually a Bible verse. "I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith."

I was provided a complimentary copy of the book from Thomas Nelson via Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I appreciated how brutally honest this author was about the challenges of living with a special needs child, his own shortcomings, and lessons learned along the way. We see a growth in a maturity and development of his faith thru the challenges he and his wife faced. And it was interesting to learn about the world as Austin sees it. I cried as I read parts of this story. But there were also some really humorous moments. There is a lot packed into this one book . Unbroken Boy is more than a book about a child born with autism and other physical issues. Rather it is a story of hope about an imperfect family who found hope and joy in spite of the struggles .
I received copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own

I saw a preview for this movie in the theater and it brought me to tears! When I saw the book was available, I couldn't wait to read it.

The story mainly centers around the father and son and their relationship. The love that the dad has for his family, though contains many failures, is so strong. I love how he tries to see the positive in Austin even though it can be challenging.

It meant so much when God came into the dad's life and was able to change him. I enjoyed watching his relationship with God change throughout the story.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. The opinions are my own.

The Unbreakable Boy is the story of Austin, now a teenage boy with both a rare brittle bone disease and autism, written by his father, Scott Michael LeRette. A powerful story of resilience and faith, demonstrating how a whole family, especially the father is transformed by the challenges of raising a special child. I was especially touched by how Scott found God through the strength demonstrated by his wife, Teresa and the unique behaviours of his son. This is such an inspirational read.
I received a complimentary copy of this ebook courtesy of Thomas Nelson Publishing through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

It's not that I didn't enjoy the story, or didn't care about this family, or even that the book wasn’t well written - it's that I didn't connect with the personality of the writer.

I found the father unsympathetic and whiny, the story more about him than his son.

Here’s hoping the movie showcases more Unbreakable Boy and less Fallible Father.

The title is deceiving. This story is mostly about the father and his journey as he deals with his son, Austin. Born with a rare bone disease, Austin is also autistic. This is a heartbreaking story but I felt like it was more like the author venting about the life he’d been dealt.

“Our meeting was no accident; and neither was Austin’s birth. He was born the boy he was made to be, just as we are the family we were made to be.”

The Unbreakable Boy is a story of a father's redemption. When life gets tough, which it does often, Scott LeRette’s first response is to hide
in the closet.

As far as coping strategies go, it’s about a -5 on the effectiveness scale.

But avoidance won’t cut it, especially when his eldest son, Austin, needs him more than most. Scott has no choice but to step up, face his fears, and learn what it truly means to be a father.

Austin has a rare brittle bone disease, was locked in a mental ward as a child, and has autism. He's been dealt a rough hand, but you've got to love the kid’s optimism. His is a world where suffering a broken back is a minor inconvenience and the quest for the ultimate strawberry shake just might be the best day of his life. I was rooting for him from page one.

Scott doesn’t sugarcoat the tough stuff — his parenting failures, marriage struggles, and darkest moments. But through it all, he learns that his son isn’t broken and doesn’t need fixing. The most powerful thing he can do as a father is simply show up, love unconditionally, and embrace Austin for the incredible person he is.

What truly struck me, though, was the glimpse into the family dynamic. While Scott’s perspective as a father is raw and honest, I longed for more insight into Logan, Austin’s big little brother. Their unique sibling bond—one neurotypical, one neurodivergent—adds an emotional depth to the story I wanted to explore further. It would be fascinating to hear more from Logan’s point of view and how he navigates life in a family that’s anything but conventional.

This is where I hope the upcoming movie adaptation truly delivers. With Meghann Fahy cast as Teresa, the family's matriarch, I have high hopes that the film will highlight the beautiful chaos of the LeRette family and the unbreakable bonds that hold it all together.

The Unbreakable Boy is a remarkable true story about Austin LeRette. He loves to talk and share everything to everyone. He loves hats and dripping everything in ranch dressing. He was born with a condition called osteogenesis imperfecta. This causes his bones to break very easily. He has autism and he would organize some of his toys and movies. Most of the book is written from the dad’s perceptive, Scott. He begins the book by explaining how he met Teresa and at a shop and they wound up going on a date. He admitted how he didn’t even know her last name after meeting up a few times. Then he received the dreaded shocking phone call that she was pregnant. She realized she was pregnant when she was hurting and had to go to the emergency room. They found a benign tumor in her ovaries. They had to take it out. She thought about getting an abortion and ended up canceling the appointment. He explained how he told his parents and how they reacted. There was an awkward moment when he told her that he loved her. The book covered how she later told him that she had been divorced twice. They did eventually get married but their struggles were just beginning. Scott had a drinking problem and this led to issues in their marriage.


Austin suffered abuse from and had to be taken to the hospital with broken ribs. He fell off the changing table when a sixteen-year-old was filling in helping. They tried to blame it on the parents and say his injury happened before he was brought there and they used lawyers to protect them. The place lied and covered up until the truth come out and they were cited with over 70 violations. This was just the tip of the iceberg of injuries he would face. He broke his leg once after falling off a table while Scott was supposed to be watching him. Later, he went into detail about how he accidently knocked him over while swinging on a swing and he broken even more bones.


The book shared some of the stories from his younger brother, Logan. One of these was about he gave away his own candy for Easter to a bully. He knew he didn’t get anything and he did this to show the boy kindness even though he was mean to him every day. Another powerful one was how his brother discovered that Austin was messaging other kids on Facebook inviting them over to his house. He wanted them to come play and hang out but he didn’t know them all that well. One of the kids was a former drug user and had trouble with the law. Austin tried to explain to his day that the kid needed friends and a lot of this was he wanted to accepted and liked. Logan tried to explain how he own had two or three true friends and we can’t invite strangers over.


This book is an inspiring read and it was interesting to read about their hope and how their faith increased. I enjoyed this book and learning more about Austin and the challenges he faced. The book is also being made into a film which is just as great as the book is. I recently watched the movie and then read the book. There are a few differences such as the easter candy that was turned into a toy for the movie version.

I mostly read fiction, but this is a true-life account I was excited to get my hands on. With the movie coming out soon, I wanted to find out what the hype was all about. In short, it went far beyond anything I could have expected. I flew from cover to cover in less than 48 hours, totally transfixed, not wanting to put it down. If the movie is half as good as what I just read, it will be well worth watching.
More than just a record of surviving everything life can throw at a family, this is a testimony to God’s grace and His power to bring change to the most impossible of circumstances. If your life feels conflicted, hopeless, or just plain stuck, what is in these pages will prove to you that nothing is beyond the power of God show up in your life and make a difference like nothing else could. Not that everything is magically fixed, but He offers peace and new beginnings.
This is definitely one story I will never forget.
It is true that the book is always better than the movie. So definitely go see the movie, but do not forget about this book. It is one I cannot recommend enough.
*I received a complimentary copy of this ebook courtesy of Thomas Nelson Publishing through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Unbreakable Boy is a memoir about Austin LeRette, an Autistic child with Osteogenesis Imperfecta. That said, the memoir is not Austin's. The book is authored by his father and, as promised in the title, is about "A Father's Fear, a Son's Courage, and a Story of Unconditional Love". Many of the readers who had a negative view of the book spoke of how the book was all about Scott (the father). I would say it focused on Scott and Austin equally.
As an Autistic adult, I had a different reason to read this book than many others. I wanted to know what life was like for my parents and brother; how did they view me and my outlook on the world. I will say that reading Austin's letter at the beginning of the book threw me for a loop. I told my mother that I felt for him. I am at a point in my life where I know my Autism makes my life harder but I wouldn't want to experience life without Autism. This is because I know that I am who I am because of how my brain works. I hope Austin can get to a place where he is at peace with his diagnosis.
I also picked up this book in the midst of a crisis of faith. Although I am Jewish, I understand that faith is universal. This book gave me a lot to mull over in my head in the coming days and weeks.
I loved this book. Overall, it was very well written. It was also a fairly quick read. I was happy to see that it was a father's journey to acceptance of his son's Autism but it wasn't "inspo-porn". One thing that I hope to educate the author on is that Autism Speaks is a hate group looking to cure Autism. If he has truly found peace and acceptance of his son, there are better organizations to point readers to.
This book is an enthusiastic Read It!

Tenderly raw and honest with so much emotional upheaval that I didn't know how to feel. It's about resilience and dealing the best hand with the cards you are dealt. I don't have any of the same issues but I do have my own medical and rare disease illnesses. So I understand how hard it is and the strength it takes to carry on and succeed beyond expectations. People who have been through things are the strongest, wisest and kindness characters. The book is brilliant!!

I really enjoyed this book! I was excited to get an ARC copy to read before the movie version comes out. I loved the story of this father and how he navigates his faith, family relationships, and struggles

As a parent, it is difficult to think of another book that is this moving - simultaneously heart-wrenching and heartwarming. I’ll be honest, I don’t know why God allows so much suffering in a sweet little baby. Yet this story affirms the joy possible in every life, even really difficult ones. I LOVE that the book starts with Austin’s words. The rest is from his dad’s perspective, describing what he has learned from being Austin’s father. I admire Scott LeRette’s courage in being so staggeringly honest. He discusses his family’s challenges as well as his journey away from selfishness and toward sobriety and faith. Reading this book will, I believe and hope, make me a better parent and a better person.

Thank you to NetGalley and Nelson Books for the free eARC. I post this review with my honest opinions. This review is posted on Goodreads (see link), and will be posted on Amazon and Instagram within a week of the book’s publication.

Content notes: child endangerment, injuries to a child, suicidal thoughts, admittance to a psych ward