Could Try Harder: An Illustrated Journey Through an Undiagnosed Autistic Adolescence, by Eliza Fricker, is a graphic memoir tracing the author's teenage years through secondary school, college, and into early work life. Published by Little, Brown, with a foreword by Laura James and an afterword by Emma Offord, it explores what it meant to navigate adolescence as an autistic person without knowing why meeting other people's expectations felt so difficult.

Fricker was diagnosed with autism as an adult, and the book reflects on her earlier experiences with what she describes as more understanding and compassion for her younger self. As a follow-up to her earlier book Thumbsucker, this illustrated memoir encourages readers to reflect empathetically on their own neurodivergent experiences, rather than presenting a single, tidy narrative of diagnosis and resolution.

For parents and home use

• Gives parents of autistic or possibly-autistic teenagers an honest, first-hand account of what an undiagnosed autistic adolescence can feel like from the inside.
• Its graphic memoir format makes it accessible for older teenagers themselves, not just the adults supporting them.
• Offers a compassionate, non-judgemental perspective that can help families understand a teenager's experience without needing clinical language.
• Useful for families exploring a late or adult autism diagnosis, as the book reflects on that experience directly.

For schools

• Useful for secondary and sixth-form settings supporting pupils who may be undiagnosed or newly diagnosed as autistic.
• Gives staff insight into how difficult it can be for an autistic pupil to meet expectations without understanding why, informing a more compassionate approach to behaviour and expectations.
• Its illustrated, graphic memoir format makes it more approachable for pupils and staff than a dense academic text on autism.
• Can support staff CPD on autism awareness, drawing on genuine lived experience rather than case study summaries alone.

For autistic readers, particularly those who were diagnosed later in life or are still undiagnosed, Could Try Harder offers something rare: a first-hand account of adolescence that names the specific difficulty of trying to meet expectations without understanding why they felt so hard to meet. For parents and school staff, it offers insight into that same experience from the other side, which can inform a more compassionate, less judgement-led response to an autistic young person's behaviour.

Graphic memoirs written by autistic authors are an increasingly recognised way to build genuine understanding of the autistic experience, offering a first-hand perspective that complements clinical and educational literature rather than replacing it.

Whether you are a parent trying to understand a teenager's undiagnosed or newly diagnosed autism, or a school building genuine understanding of the autistic experience among staff and pupils, Could Try Harder is an honest, illustrated account worth considering.

• Written and illustrated by Eliza Fricker, with a foreword by Laura James and an afterword by Emma Offord, published by Little, Brown.
• Format: paperback, illustrated graphic memoir, 144 pages.
• Subject: an undiagnosed autistic adolescence, spanning secondary school, college, and early work life, through to an adult autism diagnosis.
• Reading age: not specified by the publisher; the content and themes suggest suitability for older teenagers and adults.
• Follows on from: the author's earlier book, Thumbsucker.
• Dimensions: approximately 232mm to 233mm x 152mm to 153mm, spine width 12mm to 16mm depending on retailer listing.
• Weight: 186g.
• Publication date: 14 May 2026.

• A genuine first-hand account. Eliza Fricker writes from her own undiagnosed autistic adolescence, not as an outside observer.
• Accessible to teens and adults alike. Its graphic memoir format makes difficult, honest content approachable for older pupils as well as parents and staff.
• Builds genuine understanding. Useful for staff CPD or family reflection, offering insight clinical literature alone cannot give.
• From a recognised trade publisher. Published by Little, Brown, with a foreword by Laura James and an afterword by Emma Offord.

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• What is Could Try Harder about?
  It is an illustrated graphic memoir by Eliza Fricker about her undiagnosed autistic adolescence, following her from secondary school through college and into early work life, up to her adult autism diagnosis.
• Is Could Try Harder suitable for autistic readers?
  Yes, it is written from the author's own autistic experience and is particularly relevant to autistic readers who were diagnosed later in life or are still undiagnosed.
• What age is Could Try Harder suitable for?
  The publisher does not give a specific reading age, but the content and themes, spanning secondary school to early work life, suggest it is best suited to older teenagers and adults.
• Can Could Try Harder be used in schools?
  Yes, it is useful in secondary and sixth-form settings for building staff understanding of the autistic experience and can support pupils who are undiagnosed or newly diagnosed as autistic.
• Is Could Try Harder suitable for families to read at home?
  Yes, it offers parents an honest, first-hand account of an undiagnosed autistic adolescence, and its graphic memoir format also makes it accessible to older teenagers themselves.
• Who wrote Could Try Harder?
  It was written and illustrated by Eliza Fricker, with a foreword by Laura James and an afterword by Emma Offord, published by Little, Brown.
• Is Could Try Harder related to any of the author's other books?
  Yes, it follows on from Eliza Fricker's earlier book, Thumbsucker, continuing her illustrated exploration of the autistic experience.