Book Review: Funny, You Don’t Look Autistic by Michael McCreary

Title: Funny, You Don’t Look Autistic

Author: Michael McCreary

Genre: YA Memoir

Number of Pages: 166

Rating: A-

Recommended?: Yes

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Going in, I expected to end up comparing this book harshly to a few of the best autism spectrum memoirs I’ve read (particularly Look Me in the Eye by John Elder Robison and Parallel Play by Tim Page) but ultimately I realized there’s not much bad to say about this book. Actually, it’s pretty much delightful. I want to meet this guy just so I can stand there awkwardly and tell him how cool he is. I have read and loved a LOT of books over the course of my life, but it’s less common for me to think an author is someone I would like to know, and maybe be friends with so we can talk about nerdy shit together.

 

Michael McCreary is a young comedian who got into his vocation doing stand-up about autistic stereotypes. Since he was diagnosed with high-functioning autism in grade school, people still can’t wrap their heads around the person he has become- self-aware, mostly independent, and possessing an outstanding sense of humor. He seeks to show that being on the spectrum, while not without it’s share of challenges, doesn’t equal a human tragedy.

 

He writes about getting bullied throughout school, struggling to find a ‘group’ to fit into, and his complicated but loving relationship with his late brother, you had a more severe form of autism. Funny, You Don’t Look Autistic is honest and full of helpful information yet it doesn’t have a clinical bone in it’s body, everything is presented in a super conversational style and shows the many pitfalls of growing up awkward that I think a lot of people can relate to, whether they’re on the spectrum or not. It was crazy thinking about how young the author is and I liked that he provided lots of credit to the people who helped him get the opportunities he did so early in life. I wasn’t familiar with this author’s work as a comedian before I read this book but I sincerely hope he continues to write in the future.