A brilliant story which should be read by anyone who would like to understand a little of what it is like to live with a neurodivergent brain.
Feature image credit: Penguin Books Australia
When I first started reading this book I thought, this was just another middle grade girl’s ‘diary’ story like so many others which have been published recently. Was I wrong! This is NOT the DIARY of Izzy Dobson is such a delight. It should not only be read by young girls, but by teachers, parents, and anyone else who wonders what life might be like for someone who is neurodivergent.
Abigail Balfe is a queer, auDHD (autistic and ADHD combined) author and illustrator based in Brighton, England. She has already written a memoir, A Different Sort of Normal, about her experience growing up with autism. Her new book for young people gives us some idea of what it must be like living with a brain that never stops thinking, and jumps all over the place. It also gives us some idea of the difficulty neurodivergent children have fitting in and making friends.
This is NOT the DIARY of Izzy Dobson is the story of Izzy Dobson who has lost her diary. She needs to find it as soon as possible because the thought of anyone else reading it is horrifying. But who could have taken it? Izzy decides to write a list of possible culprits. Of course, where can she write her thoughts while she is searching? An ordinary notebook will have to do.
Izzy’s diary (notebook) jumps from thought to thought using humour and lots of fabulous illustrations. There are lists, dot points, illustrations, speech bubbles, and assorted other writing techniques which perfectly illustrate a brain that finds it hard to stay on topic. There are also some ideas that can be used by the parents and teachers of neurodivergent children to help them concentrate and maybe even help them find some friends who will accept them for who they are. The illustrations throughout the book help break up the text so it is more accessible for those who are unable to read large swathes of writing. The author’s notes and acknowledgements at the end are also worth reading.
The mostly purple and very tactile front cover gives the reader a tiny idea of the chaos that is to come.
One small part of this diary seems to illustrate perfectly what it might be like looking at life with a different perspective.
‘This is probably what it’s like being a fish in the aquarium where you’re TRAPPED in a place that isn’t natural and you’re surrounded by overlapping muffling voices but it’s a language you don’t speak and the lights are too bright and everyone is flinging their arms around unpredictably….and you just want to be set free back in the sea where there is space and solitude and sky.’
This well-written and very funny book is highly recommended for any library or classroom.
Reviewed by Sue Mauger
The views expressed in this review belong to the author and not Glam Adelaide, its affiliates, or employees.
Distributed by: Penguin Books Australia
Released: April 2026
RRP: $16.99
