I loved this book. A really realistic and understandable depiction of autism from a likeable character who understands her strengths, and develops in a perfectly believable way to help herself, her friend, and her family. I loved Phoebe, and Bethany was a great friend for her (I found her ability to explain things to Phoebe really sweet, and loved that she stuck by her as they got older). The premise was great too, a letter to a dead mother, who wrote letters to Phoebe herself on her birthdays. Really sweet and tragic in equal measure. Thank you for the chance to read it, I truly loved it.

The autism representation feels very authentic and as a late-diagnosed neurodivergent adult, reading Phoebe’s honesty about her thoughts, feelings and struggles really helped me with my ongoing struggle to finally unmask and be authentic to myself after a lifetime of working to make myself more acceptable to others. Phoebe’s journey here shows that you really can embrace your own differences and be accepted for them (by the right people, anyway!).

I resonated with Phoebe’s joy and her sadness, her anger and confusion. I cried quite a few times, but smiled a lot too. And I really didn’t want the book to end. I just wanted to keep reading more of Phoebe’s insights and borrowing some of her self-acceptance through the pages.

I would count this as a must-read for neurodivergent individuals, parents/relatives/friends of neurodivergent individuals… so everyone, really! It is a very well written teen/YA coming of age story with a fresh perspective and memorable voice. I will be looking out for more of Gavin Extence’s books and this one will be going on my special (newly inspired by Girl, Unmasked) ND ‘keep’ shelf!

Really cute book about a heartwarming friendship, I enjoyed reading it very much! Phoebe is an absolutely adorable, relatable character and I loved following her transformation and journey of self-acceptance throughout the book.

The beautifully told story of a young autistic girl, Phoebe. Phoebe prefers her own company as it avoids awkward transactions with the wider world but she challenges herself and is challenged by others to step outside her comfort zone as she's fast approaching the end of her school years. This in itself provides some interesting scenarios but then her closest friend needs her help and the challenges ramp up. Can Phoebe rise to the occasion?
A thoroughly enjoyable read through the eyes of a neurodiverse character.

I have a daughter on the spectrum which was what drew me to this book, the spectrum is so broad but I think I was hoping to find a connection to Phoebe and hoping I could see similarities to my daughter but they are so different. That made the book miss the mark for me however I am willing to invest in any book that helps bring awareness and acceptance for ASD

Wanted to read this, like the author I have an autistic teenager in my life - my granddaughter. I found the book a wonderful read, it's all about the author's autistic daughter growing up. Thank you Gavin for sharing your experiences of a daughter with autism



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A good book about stepping out of your comfort zone in order to protect your friends. A story about autisum and how it effects people. Well written. Good read.

Finding Phoebe is a book following Phoebe, a young autistic girl with a comfortable routine of writing fantasy stories and walking her dog, and hanging out with her friend Bethany, the daughter of a reverend. When Bethany gets a boyfriend, she cannot tell her parents as they wouldn’t approve, so she recruits Phoebe to help to keep her secret, and soon, Phoebe begins to discover just how far out of her comfort zone she will have to travel as she discovers serious truths about her friends and family. I enjoyed this book and found it quite relatable at times, as Phoebe’s love for her comfort zone resonated strongly with me. I found the plot twists really interesting and before long, I just couldn’t put the book down at all! I would definitely recommend this book as I thought it was very well-written and the characters were really interesting.

Pheobe is phenomenal!
The portrayal of a young woman with Autism navigating her world and dealing with unexpected tribulations is a strong and moving one and the writing is spectacular- giving voice to Phoebes anxieties and coping strategies in a wholly respectful manner- it was not surprising to read that the author based the character on their own daughter.

Loved watching Phoebe step up! Wonderful YA/autism friendship story.

You warm to Phoebe straight away. She's 'typically neurodivergent' in my eyes, if that's okay to say - displaying traits you might instantly suspect means she lives with autism.

Living with her father, Phoebe has one best friend she's had for a long time, who understands her but still clearly feels the frustrations of growing up with someone so rigid in many ways.

Now Phoebe is deciding that her life of routines, exercise, dog walking, homework, writing fantasy stories - she needs to broaden her horizons and push herself to try new things. Whether this is by finding her own work experience with a local author, talking pleasantly to the boy her best friend likes, joining the Chess Club and socialising with other people... can she do it? And a new challenge presents itself when her friend asks her to cover for her and her boyfriend by pretending Phoebe is with her instead.

As unexpected challenges and problems arise, it was wonderful to see how Phoebe thinks through things and works out a way forward - not always successfully. But that's growing up for you - as well as what adult life is like.

Phoebe and her characterisation impressed me, I loved her. I've enjoyed several of Extence's books before and continue to admire his plots and protagonists. This got quite deep and 'heavy' for a young girl, she took a lot upon herself and by the end proved herself a strong and capable young woman, someone you'd be proud to know.

Wonderful portrayal of autism in adolescence. Loved it.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.

A well-written book where the central character, Phoebe has autism. The author wrote this for his daughter so that she would understand her condition and he has done a great service to others by giving us insight into the thought and feelings of teenager with autism.

An interesting and enjoyable read!

You can tell the author knows just what he is talking about and I undertook this journey with Phoebe and Jessica. Life can be more complicated for anyone on the autism spectrum and this was conveyed brilliantly and the fact that being different can be a positive, too.
You can feel Phoebe mature throughout the year and the way she is able to help her friend is amazing.

I feel as though I want to give this book to anyone who has a child, who might be different in some way. A compulsive read.

I absolutely loved Finding Phoebe from the start, it was an easy read with a wonderful message at its core about accepting yourself for who you are, not trying to change to fit in with others' expectations.

15 year old Phoebe and her widowed dad live on Holy Island; Phoebe has always known that she is neuro-diverse and her dad has championed her, encouraging her to celebrate her unique skills and talents rather than trying to hide away. She loves writing, creating fictional worlds and complex backstories for her books; she plays chess, takes the dog for long walks and is happy living in her comfort zone,

Phoebe has one main friend, Bethany, who lives on Holy Island as well; the girls share a room at boarding school. Bethany has always helped Phoebe navigate neuro-typical life, their friendship is honest and open, Bethany understands Phoebe's communication style and neuro0diversity. When Bethany starts a relationship with Will, Phoebe realises that things may have to adjust, and that despite Phoebe's desires to stick to the rules, it isn't always the best thing to do.

The message about self-acceptance as well as being open to change in life was so beautifully portrayed and very well illustrated. The relationships between Phoebe, Bethany, Will and Hu felt very true to life, with each character being allowed space to develop within the story.

The story is told entirely from Phoebe's point of view; I adored her voice and character, it felt very true to life and the author's note at the end about the real-life circumstances that led him to write the book was a beautiful moment too. I think its so important to have well written, entertaining and light-hearted books like this about young autistic women around.

I will definitely recommend this far and wide

A really beautiful novel that captures the experience of a neurodiverse teen with such respect.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

I have loved Gavin’s other books and so when I heard about Finding Phoebe I wanted to read it, even though I rarely read books within the teen/ young adult genre. I really loved this book and the reasons behind Gavin writing it (for his daughter who has autism). The main character, Phoebe, who is diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder, is finding her way at school and home life on Holy Island. She is now starting year 11 of school navigating difficult social interactions. She is an absolute delight, as is the book (and all of Gavin’s other books). I would highly recommend this book for not only the teen and young adult market, but anyone who likes a good read.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“I’m glad you’re not normal. You’re perfect the way you are… you just accept me as I am and don’t ask for anything more”

Finding Phoebe is a heartwarming book about an autistic girl, trying to navigate the perils of high school and friendships.

Being the parent of an autistic daughter, this felt really close to home. There’s a letter in the early part of the book from mother to daughter and I asked my daughter to read it because it portrayed exactly what I wanted to say. I nearly cried when I read the Author’s note at the end which said it was a true letter.

A must read for anyone wanting to understand neurodiversity a little better.

I’d love to read more of Phoebe’s adventures. Thank you NetGalley and Andersen Press for my advanced copy.

First of all, I loved this book! It was witty, charming, and one of the most heartwarming and emotional books I’ve read in a long time.

The main character Phoebe is autistic, and the we see how she navigates through life and year 11, and the general challenges of being a teenage girl! There were parts that were so relatable for various reasons, and just made me love Phoebe more. Her narration throughout the book is so natural, and we can really easily understand her thoughts and feelings. Definitely one of my favourite characters I’ve read about in a long time, she felt so real, and when the book ended I didn’t want to leave her story. I also love that the author wrote this for his daughter, it made the story much more personal and authentic, and u will definitely be recommending this book, especially for anyone wanting to diversify their reading topics.

My favourite part of the book was the relationships Phoebe has with her dad, and especially Bethany. They were both so special, and it was great to see them develop throughout the book.

Thank you so much to the publishers and netgalley for this arc!

Phoebe lives on Holy Island with her Father after the death of her Mother some time ago. They have a close relationship with Phoebe able to talk to him about most things.
Her only friend Bethany is the daughter of the local vicar and attends church regularly and does everything asked of by her parents.
The girls attend school on the mainland, staying over when tides don’t allow them to return home. Both are used to their routines with these especially important to Phoebe who is autistic.
At the start of term Will starts at their school and is soon asking Phoebe about Bethany who tells him straight out the truth as she sees it. But missing out on nuances of teenage behaviour Phoebe has completely missed her friend’s disguised interest in Will.
Once that is sorted out Phoebe finds herself often accompanying the two besotted teens as Bethany does not want to abandon her friend. So when Bethany needs friendship Phoebe is there for her and her research and planning skills come to the fore, even if the deception does not come naturally.
Life is not black and white and it is not only Phoebe who has to discover this in the subsequent fall out in family and friends relationships.
There is humour in Phoebe’s literal interpretation of what is said to her and of how she sees events, and Bethany is patient with explaining things.
A great story of friendship and the support of families.

I loved this book written by the author for his daughter who is neurodiverse. He wanted to give her some understanding of the challenges she would face through adolescence and how her strengths and gifts would help her through.

Phoebe lives on Holy Island and attends school on the mainland with her only real friend, Bethany, daughter of the local vicar and wife. She lives with her routines - walking her dog, listening to one band and writing. Her mother died 6 years ago and she lives with her father.

Two things change - she meets mystery lady and Bethany meets Will - both will challenge Phoebe’s thinking and her way of managing her life.

She has to be a true friend and rethink her relationship with her father.

A lovely book - subject matter challenging at times but well worth a read.

Although this is marketed as fiction, this book was so much more than a story. Insightful and heartwarming I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading more from this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review.