The first humorous moment in "Strong Female Character" is when Fern, a thirty-something woman, tells her father that she has recently been diagnosed with austim. and walks us through her life chapter by chapter, pointing out the now-obvious indicators that she was autistic: "meltdowns," self-harm and depression, compulsive language acquisition, working at a strip club while attending college, etc. But 'Strong Female Character' is not just a biography; it also explores the ongoing stigma and discrimination that autistic women experience from society, as well as how misogyny has contributed to the incorrect diagnosis of hundreds of autistic women. It's not only really amusing, but also incredibly thoroughly researched.

Fern's life has a lot to unravel, including her Scottish heritage, her comedy career, and her diagnosis of autism in her 30s. 'Strong Female Character' skillfully strikes a balance between all of these aspects of Fern, summarising her life to date and illuminating the ways in which these disparate strands of her character connect.

I think Fern Brady is fabulous and one of my favourite comedians. So I was pleased to get a eARC for this! Loved it!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my eARC

Strong Female Character by Fern Brady
5/5

Like most I saw Fern Brady on Taskmaster and immediately became besotted, I began following her on insta and soon learned of her upcoming memoir about her life growing up as a female with undiagnosed autism. I knew I needed to get my hands on her book but in all honesty I didn’t expect it to be one of my favourite reads of 2023! For those with a short attention span, TLDR - the book is epic, go buy it!

I’ve recommended this to one or two people who stated they’d probably not pick it up as they didn’t fancy reading a book that’s ‘just about autism’ and while yes autism is a HUGE proportion of this book, Fern tells her story in such a charming and brutally honest way that it’s almost impossible not to be engaged!

Fern experienced quite a tough time growing up and she holds nothing back about what it was like growing up in working class Scotland experiencing those struggles. She discusses many situations in which she felt she just didn’t fit in and that no one liked her and also details the thought processes she was experiencing in those scenarios.

In Fern’s later life some of her autistic traits seem in a way to give her a level of freedom to live her life in a way she feels is comfortable rather than follow society's (quite broken) stereotypical template however she’s first to admit how this too can be a daily struggle. She goes into depth about autistic meltdowns and honestly if you were to pick up this book even for just one chapter, read this (chapter 13).

The book is full of humour, and I will admit to laughing at some bits I probably shouldn’t have, but even in the darkest moments of Ferns retellings there's always a glimmer of her natural comedian (deliberate or not).

At times it is a tough read but I found it hugely insightful and so damn entertaining that I encourage everyone to pick it up.

Fern reads the audiobook herself which I think is by far the best way to experience this book as how she delivers each line is just sheer perfection.

“I was continually over-identifying with fiction to try and find a template for myself and my story”

Thank you to Brazen Books for an advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review!

If you enjoyed this review come follow me on instagram @TravelsEatsReads for more.

I'd seen Fern Brady on various TV shows and doing stand up on places like Live at the Apollo, so I knew a bit about the Scottish comedian before I read this book. Unsure as to whether we really *need* another comedy memoir, I dove into listening to the audiobook on Spotify and immediately realised how desperately needed this book is.

'Strong Female Character' begins with Fern (in her 30's) telling her Father that she's just been diagnosed with austim (a fantastically hilarious moment to start us off!) and chapter by chapter, takes us back through her life, examining the, now obvious, signs that she was on the spectrum- from obsessive learning of languages, self-harm and depression, 'meltdowns' and working in a strip club through uni. But 'Strong Female Character' is not only a biography, it also examines how misogyny has played its part in preventing hundreds of autistic women from being correctly diagnosed and the constant judgement and stigma that autistic women face from society. It's fantastically well researched, as well as being genuinely really funny.

There's so much to unpack in Fern's life- from being a Scottish, working class women in comedy as well as being diagnosed with Autism in her 30's- and 'Strong Female Character' manages to balance all these facets of Fern, encompassing her life so far and showing how these different threads of her personality tie together.

After I saw Fern on Taskmaster, I immediately added her book to my to-read list.

Fern's life has been wild, varied and, at times, quite difficult to read about. This book made me laugh, gasp and read bits out to my husband. I bookmarked some of the YouTube videos and added books to my to-read list (I appreciated the citations).

I don't usually rate memoirs but I need to for NetGalley.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.

A perfect look at ASC and how it can affect people, especially women. I work with neurodiverse children, and I read a paragraph from Fern’s book to a 13 year old I know. This child is struggling with meltdowns, and the part of Fern’s book I read out loud made them feel a bit less alone and a bit more understood <3

Unflinching memoir of Fern's experiences of growing up undiagnosed and trying to mask her way through school, university and a long line of jobs. I've had this on Netgalley for a while but bumped it up my list as I've recently come to realise that I think I am autistic, and wanted to read books with autism as a focus. There is a lot in here which I could relate to.

This is an absolutely outstanding memoir. It's very personal and honest and I learnt so much about autism and how difficult it is for younger girls to get diagnosed through our 'healthcare' system.

Fern's 'issues' throughout her life all stemmed back to the (undiagnosed) autism, although she obviously didn't realise it at the time 💔

This is probably one of the best memoirs I've ever read. Everyone should read this and I really hope people with autism feel more seen and understood from this book being published.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book.

Fern Brady always felt different from everyone else. As she struggles to fit into a world where she feels she doesn't belong, she resorts to smashing things up when she gets frustrated, learning languages via verb drills to satisfy her brain's need for repetitive processes and struggling to understand why her unnerving ability to be brutally honest with people doesn't always land right.
A gifted student, she struggles at university as she doesn't understand how to submit essays, where to sit exams and can't possibly ask anyone for help. In the workplace, she struggles to hold down a job for any amount of time, as inappropriate behaviours repeatedly raise their unacceptable heads.
Eventually, 20 years after Brady first told a doctor she felt she might be autistic, she finally gets diagnosed and receives treatment to help her with her condition. She also becomes a successful stand up comedienne and TV star, finally finding a degree of acceptance from the world in which she felt alien for so long.
This is a fascinating memoir that pulls no punches, You may feel uncomfortable, you may get frustrated as Brady seems to deliberately make life harder for herself, you may laugh, you may cry. You will definitely get a much better understanding of life as a woman with autism. If you're anything like me, you'll really love Brady by the end of this book. She's a truly incredible woman, and this is an excellent read.

I read Fern's book in a day. I wouldn't describe it as a 'page turner' in the traditional sense but it was just that, it was a learning experience for me, who knows very little about ASD or Asperger's Syndrome. I admired her honesty throughout the book. Her life and indeed the lives of anyone with ASD is a sort of psychological and social minefield or no man's land, every step has to be learned and learned again. There are no 'rules' for every person; they truly are unique and have to find their own way. I'll never take for granted things like social cues or the way my own brain is already regulated to make decisions because I understand things.

I had a lump in my throat at the end after her meeting up with her mam and her finally realising her mam had tried everything to support her when she was a bright but difficult child. Some of her behaviour led to family squabbles and something family still talk about years later. But Fern was just being herself. She did not know why wearing a bridesmaid's dress made her feel itchy, uncomfortable and unwell but she responded as only she knew how - by melting down. Her mam was trying to do her best, the only thing she didn't do was take her to the GP to have her examined. This was probably down to not understanding her behaviour and perhaps having no knowledge of ASD.

Fern has had a successful career in spite of being ASD. As a child she learned multiple languages to a high level and is clearly a very intelligent woman who shines all the brighter considering everything she's been through. Her diagnosis as an adult must have been both shocking but also edifying - it explained so much to her but autism is a way of life and has to be lived every day by defining challenges, understanding people and situations and by being frustrated and overwhelmed.

I wish Fern all the luck the world. She is still struggling but she is working hard at being herself with autism and is also helping others who are like her. This is a good book, autobiographical but filled with important knowledge for the rest of us.

This is an amazingly brilliant book. Funny at times, slightly heartbreaking at others. A book everyone should read to gain a little more understanding of women and autism.

I love Taskmaster – it’s the perfect daft and gentle antidote to the stress and worry and sadness of life. The five contestants are usually a good mix of familiar and new funny folk and series 14 was my introduction to Fern Brady. (Incidentally, what a great series 14 was – it was also the first time I saw John Kearns who was fantastic - I already liked Sarah Millican and Dara Ó Briain.) Fern was immediately appealing. She has this absolutely gorgeous raspy Scottish accent, her make up and clothes were colourful and she’s refreshingly blunt. I didn’t know that she was autistic until I started following her on social media. Strong Female Character is the perfect title for her memoir – it’s so exactly who she is. It shouldn’t be surprising to read such an honest account and yet it is. Crikey, I wish more of us were courageous enough to say here I am, this is me. If we were all open about the realities of life perhaps there would be more understanding and compassion.
Fern’s story is not an easy one – her adult diagnosis of autism is such a long time coming she endured years of pain, meltdowns, behavioural issues, and distress despite repeatedly trying to access support and help from family and professionals. The assumption that because someone is intelligent and can make eye contact they can’t be autistic is so reductive. There’s a lot of damage here – from Fern’s parents’ treatment of her to the casual indifference of a variety of health professionals. It could be a bleak read but as you’d expect there’s also plenty of dark humour with lines like, “Prozac didn’t stop me from insulting people in everyday conversations; it just lent a zen-like calm to my delivery.”
Brady employs all the tools she has to get people to read this book and gain an understanding of autism – her candour embraces details of stripping, relationships, sex, the difficulty of being a female Scottish comedian, her parent’s apparent inability to see who she is. There are heart-breaking descriptions of not understanding social rules, of taking comments at face value and responding, of sincere efforts to fit in and do the right thing only to have others assume rudeness. The meltdowns are truly shocking. Brady does all of us a massive service by sharing her personal experiences. The idea that this attractive, successful, smart, and hilarious woman goes home and smashes her furniture and screams shines a light on a world which forces neuro-diverse people to mask their behaviours in order to be seen as neuro-typical. In my lifetime there has been a lot of progress in accepting humans don’t come cookie cutter shaped. Dare to delve beneath the surface of any of us and you’ll discover we are a mash of our own curious thoughts and behaviours. However, it doesn’t take much difference for a group of people to start commenting on it – ooh, she’s so loud, they’re too fat, why does he do that weird thing with his mouth? For a neuro-diverse person to say so clearly that they are ND takes so much courage in a world where we are still constantly drip-fed ideals to aspire to on social media, TV, newspapers etc. What an eye-opener of a book. And bravo Fern Brady!

Fern Brady is fucking fabulous! I love her honesty and candour on stage, and her book is a turbo-charged version of that. I imagine she would cringe at this but I really do think she's brave, to put herself out there so completely. I have absolutely no doubt that this book will help a lot of people. It certainly did me. It's a superb way of getting information across, through razor-sharp humour. Can't recommend it highly enough. Get it read, fuds!

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from NetGalley. Unfortunately I didn't finish this book, as the formatting of the ebook made it difficult to read, and then it expired. I enjoyed Fern Brady on Taskmaster and heard fantastic things about this book, but unfortunately it wasn't for me. Although it was well written, I struggled to engage or relate to the author, and I didn't find the oft-cited humour. However, it brings an important topic to the fore, and I'm pleased others have found it so helpful.

4.5 stars
As someone who has always felt and been a bit different and who has suspected that it was very likely that they were on the autism spectrum (most likely with Asperger Syndrome), reading much of Strong Female Character felt like holding up a mirror.
The amount of times that I had to stop and take a moment, because I had had the exact same experiences or behaviours (that I thought were just because I was a bit different to other people my age) was pretty mind-boggling.
Because of this, this was one of the most relatable memoirs that I have ever read.
I don't think a book has ever affected me as much as this one.
I started to look back at my life, especially through childhood and school, where so many people missed the signs that I wasn't 'just a fussy eater' or 'really shy' or 'difficult' or 'academically gifted'.
This book enabled me to understand myself that bit more and I think it's finally inspired me to go and get an official diagnosis of something that I've suspected I've had my whole life.
Growing up in the nineties (as someone of a similar age to Fern) there wasn't a word or explanation for how I felt, so to see Fern speak so candidly is seriously empowering and important, particularly for adult women who have gone undiagnosed.
Thankfully I haven't experienced any of the major hardships that Fern has and even though I didn't know who she was, prior to picking up this book, I'm so glad that I spotted all of the rave reviews because I truly felt seen for one of the first times in my life, while also appreciating Fern's bravery in sharing her own story.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sad, funny, informative!
I've only come across Fern Brady on Taskmaster where I thought her sense of humour was fabulous - now I look back & wonder why I didn't see her autism!
Fabulous brave book to write.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Strong Female Character
by Fern Brady

I was completely unaware of Fern Brady until she was a participant on the 2022 season of The Taskmaster. The first thing I noticed was the outlandish outfit, followed by her unmistakable gruff Scottish accent, but I found her intriguing, I loved how she owned the way her mind worked differently to everyone else's and week by week I came to admire her bolshy intelligence, her literal interpretation of just about everything and her inability to silence herself when her bullshit detector went off.

It was only towards the final episode that I realised that she had recently been late-diagnosed with autism and is now quite the advocate, particularly for females who often arrive at their diagnoses with a history of gender based trauma.

This is her memoir and it is EYE-OPENING. With honesty and vulnerability she outlines all the opportunities that were missed due to family ignorance, social stigma, religious dogma, educational system deficiencies, misunderstandings and social conformity. I can't quite recall if I have ever had the disturbing experience of crying over pain at the same time as laughing because of the voice. So many Aha! moments.

If you know who Fern Brady is, you will know what I mean. If you don't know her but you wish to hear the autistic experience in own-voice, you will hardly do better than this book.

It's a rare book that elicits that book hug feeling, but rarer still is the feeling that I want to hug the author.

Highly recommend.

Thanks to #netgalley and #octopuspublishing for the ARC

#bookreview #irishbookstagram #strongfemalecharacter #fernbrady #taskmaster #memoir #nonfiction #autism #disability #disabilityvisability #ownvoices

Gosh I loved this.

An hilarious and insightful memoir that's full of humour and anger at society/the system/etc.

As entertaining as it is informative to being diagnosed with Autism (or as neurodivergent) as an adult and a woman, *and* a celebrity, and looking back in hindsight.

Would recommend to everyone, but especially those women who are ND, think they may be ND, or are quite sure that are "

Fern Brady is just always excellent, and Strong Female Character just doesn't disappoint.

It's honest, funny, refreshing, and provides such a insightful look into her experience with Autism. Autism in women is so often overlooked, so it's fantastic to see it being discussed so openly.
It's incredibly moving and beautifully written, and whilst she can be brutal and almost shocking with her candour, Brady's voice is just so powerful and important.

I'd recommend this to anyone, but especially to anyone who struggles to understand themselves and their place in the world around them.

This book is a must-read educational masterclass in how autism may present in females. Written with Fern Brady’s trademark stark honesty and unique sense of humour. Every page contains details and anecdotes that are both heart-breaking and enlightening. Her late diagnosis by “professionals” despite her insistence from a young age that she had autism is a travesty. Her meltdowns, coping mechanisms and her attempts to comply with “socially acceptable” behaviour are plainly told and will hopefully help to educate and reform society’s approach to autism particularly for females who have been overlooked and under-researched thus far. Incredible.