Could Try Harder: An illustrated journey through an undiagnosed autistic adolescence

Eliza Fricker

Laura James

Emma Offord

You just need to stay calm. You should be able to manage. You should have grown out of that by now. You could try harder.

Eliza Fricker spent her adolescence being told all of these things, until her autism diagnosis as an adult revealed why she may not have met the expectations of others so easily. Equally, the world didn't seem to live up to the expectations she had of it.

Following on from her earlier book Thumbsucker, this graphic memoir narrates the complexities of Eliza's teenage years through to the beginnings of adult relationships; exploring the key stages of life from secondary school to college and then work.

It was only as an adult that Eliza heard autism being talked about and wondered about getting diagnosed. She met others who identified as neurodivergent. They shared similar stories and struggles, and so, with her own eventual diagnosis, she started to process her experiences and write about it. And while diagnosis doesn't bring all the answers, it has allowed her to look back on her younger self with a bit more understanding and compassion - something she now wishes for others.

As more young people explore their neurodivergence, this book will encourage readers to take an empathetic look back at their experiences and honour the identity they have created for themselves, in response to their problematic experiences.