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Sara Gibbs was diagnosed with autism at the age of 30, after spending her whole life never quite fitting in. Her memoir, Drama Queen: One Autistic Woman and a Lifetime of Labels, reflects on the various labels other people applied to her - crybaby, chatterbox, show-off, and many more - as she tried to make her way through life while constantly feeling that everyone else had been given a manual and she hadn't.
I bought this because, as someone who's currently (and finally) on the waiting list for an autism assessment, I'm extremely interested in the accounts of (other) autistic AFAB people, especially those diagnosed in adulthood. I expected to find Gibbs' story relatable, and I absolutely did; I wasn't quite prepared for the flood of often intensely uncomfortable memories it released. Despite this, I enjoyed the book; Gibbs' background as a comedy writer is evident in the book's humour, and even when she's describing very difficult times in her life the book never feels miserable or self-pitying. Highly recommended, especially for anyone who thinks they may be autistic, or knows someone who is.
I bought this because, as someone who's currently (and finally) on the waiting list for an autism assessment, I'm extremely interested in the accounts of (other) autistic AFAB people, especially those diagnosed in adulthood. I expected to find Gibbs' story relatable, and I absolutely did; I wasn't quite prepared for the flood of often intensely uncomfortable memories it released. Despite this, I enjoyed the book; Gibbs' background as a comedy writer is evident in the book's humour, and even when she's describing very difficult times in her life the book never feels miserable or self-pitying. Highly recommended, especially for anyone who thinks they may be autistic, or knows someone who is.
