Neurodivergent Moments: Funny, Familiar and Full of Heart – There’s something incredibly comforting about a book that makes you laugh while also quietly making you feel understood, and Neurodivergent Moments does exactly that.
Written by comedians Joe Wells and Abigoliah Schamaun, the book takes real-life experiences of autism and ADHD and turns them into stories that are funny, chaotic, honest and, at times, surprisingly emotional. Based on their hugely popular podcast of the same name, it feels less like sitting down to read a “book about neurodivergence” and more like having a conversation with two people who are finally saying the things many others have been thinking for years.
What I loved most is that it never tries too hard. There’s no heavy-handed message or self-help checklist. Instead, Joe and Abigoliah simply share their lives as they are, messy, hilarious, awkward and very relatable.
From accidentally booking the wrong train almost immediately after an ADHD diagnosis to navigating weddings, pubs and airports with sensory overload, the stories are written with such warmth and self-awareness that I found myself laughing out loud one minute and nodding along thoughtfully the next. The chapter about forgetting to eat for hours because of becoming completely absorbed in baking an elaborate cake felt particularly familiar, and there’s a brilliantly random story involving a tortoise at a school assembly that somehow captures the wonderfully specific nature of childhood memories.
What really stayed with me after finishing the book, though, was the honesty around masking and trying to appear “normal”. There’s a gentleness in the way both authors talk about growing up feeling slightly out of step with everyone else, and I think that will resonate with a lot of readers, whether they’re neurodivergent or not.
The timing of this book also feels important. Conversations around adult autism and ADHD diagnoses have become far more visible in recent years, especially among women who may have gone unnoticed for decades. But while a lot of books in this space lean heavily into clinical explanations or advice, Neurodivergent Moments takes a completely different approach. It reminds us that neurodivergent people are not problems to be solved. Sometimes life is difficult, yes, but it can also be funny, creative, absurd and joyful.
Joe Wells is already well known for his stand-up comedy about autism, particularly his viral routines online, and Abigoliah Schamaun brings a brilliant energy and openness that balances the book perfectly. Together, they’ve created something that feels genuine rather than polished, and all the better for it.
This is the kind of book you dip into for “just one chapter” and suddenly realise you’ve read half of it. It’s witty, affectionate and wonderfully human.
Neurodivergent Moments is published on 18th June, and for anyone interested in the growing conversation around neurodivergence, or simply looking for a genuinely funny and thoughtful read, it’s well worth picking up.
Poppy Watt