Synopsis

A Catcher in the Rye for the ADHD Generation—Raw, Darkly Witty, Achingly Real
BookLife Reviews Editor’s Pick — Windy City Reviews Recommended — Finalist 2025 IAN Book of the Year

Oscar Danielsson is eighteen, brilliantly ADHD, and about to ruin his life—again.
He’d rather hide in his room than face high school graduation. Between his spectacular mistakes, self-medicating, and overwhelming existential dread, getting out of bed feels as hard as getting into Northwestern. His biggest fear? Everyone finding out he’s not as promising as they expect. Then, after one mistake too many, a lie veers his life onto an unwelcome detour with his free-wheeling Grammy, who’s secretly done with playing by the rules.

Oscar is the defiant anti-hero you can’t stop rooting for. Grammy is his unlikely wingman.
Together they’ll melt, break, and then repair your heart.

Promising Young Man is a powerful exploration of belonging that doesn’t shy away from the messy truth of growing up or growing older. Perfect for readers who loved The Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Virgin Suicides, On the Road, Harold and Maude, and anyone — in high school, college, or deep in their career — who’s ever felt like a square peg in a round world or watched someone they love struggle to fit in.

“I LOVE THIS BOOK.” — Jill Wine-Banks, author, The Watergate Girl, MS NOW legal analyst

“Oscar is breathtakingly real and appealing…” — The BookLife Prize

“Beautiful read… Oscar’s voice is unforgettable.” — Doug Bolton, author, Untethered: Creating Connected Families, Schools, and Communities to Raise a Resilient Generation

“a quiet masterpiece” — Samuel Durr, Learning Specialist, William C. Goudy Technology Academy (a 2025 Top Magnet School of Excellence)

“Deeply moving… absorbing… truly enjoyable” — Sarah C. Maza, Member American Academy of Arts & Sciences, Professor of History Emerita Northwestern University

“Promising Young Man utilizes elements from both [Fielding’s Tom Jones and Goethe’s Wilhelm Meister], while keeping the integrity of the protagonist’s challenges with ADHD intact… The reviewer was impressed by the emotional richness of the characters, the tackling of ADHD, and the well-constructed plot.” — Windy City Reviews (Recommended)

“a powerful story of survival, resilience, and hope” — Nathan Chung, Founder and Host #DisabilityDisrupted Podcast

“the kind of book that sticks with you” — Hollie Smurthwaite, author, The Psychic Colors Series