Nowhere Girl by Carla Ciccone

Publisher: The Dial Press

Expexted On Sale Date: September 9, 2025

Pages: 288

I reviewed a digital review copy from the publisher

Freelance journalist Carla Ciccone became a mother at the age of thirty-nine when she found out that she was different. For her whole life until then, she had trouble keeping jobs, and she also had trouble managing her intense emotions. Now, as she had to raise her child, she decided to see a therapist, and found out that for her whole life, she had undiagnosed ADHD.

In this book, Carla tells her personal story together with academic research into ADHD, and tells the reader why ADHD is so often un- and misdiagnosed in women, and the gender expectations and stereotypes behind this.

This is a book that I have mixed feelings about. It was good, but not great. It is a personal memoir and an research into ADHD blended in one book, and it leans to much on both of these two sides to stay interesting. I thougt both lacked depth and wat was told about ADHD was sometimes very repetitive, at many points I thought that I had read something similar in a previous chapter. The personal story parts of Carla's life where okay, but it never truly kept me interested as a reader.

Overall this was an okay read, but I found it at some points not entertaining or interesting.