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Wrong Turn
In a world emerging from nuclear winter.
It has been a decade since a nuclear war decimated the northern hemisphere, and the long nuclear winter has finally begun to fade. A generation of children born in the shadow of the war had never known rain or sunlight until now. As the world slowly begins to heal and rebuild, the future of the next generation remains terrifying and uncertain, and no one knows that better than eleven-year-old Ciarán O'Malley.
An autistic child who keeps to himself, Ciarán struggles to navigate a world that is alien and hostile. At home, the O’Malley family fractures. Ciarán’s brother, Aidan, resents Ciarán for all the attention he receives, while his parents do their best to support a son they love but ultimately can’t understand. The O’Malley family’s tensions are not everyone in the town of Wentworth is doing their best to cope with the bleak circumstances of their lives.
To manage his constant anxiety and self-loathing, Ciarán retreats into the fictional cartoon world of Boxbeasts, where the heroes consistently defeat the villains and creatures roam forests and meadows unscarred by nuclear winter. When a spider crawls into his life, he is given the opportunity to try to take care of a creature like his cartoon heroes care for their beasts. In doing so, he forces himself to pursue improvement so he can be someone others can depend on.
Wrong Turn is a coming-of-age story about an autistic child trying to find purpose and developing resilience in a world that’s trying to pull itself back from the apocalypse. Perfect for readers who enjoy character-driven novels and dystopian fiction
Perfect for readers who Character-driven dystopian fictionStories of resilience and identityEmotional, introspective storytellingNeurodivergent protagonists and authentic perspectives
It has been a decade since a nuclear war decimated the northern hemisphere, and the long nuclear winter has finally begun to fade. A generation of children born in the shadow of the war had never known rain or sunlight until now. As the world slowly begins to heal and rebuild, the future of the next generation remains terrifying and uncertain, and no one knows that better than eleven-year-old Ciarán O'Malley.
An autistic child who keeps to himself, Ciarán struggles to navigate a world that is alien and hostile. At home, the O’Malley family fractures. Ciarán’s brother, Aidan, resents Ciarán for all the attention he receives, while his parents do their best to support a son they love but ultimately can’t understand. The O’Malley family’s tensions are not everyone in the town of Wentworth is doing their best to cope with the bleak circumstances of their lives.
To manage his constant anxiety and self-loathing, Ciarán retreats into the fictional cartoon world of Boxbeasts, where the heroes consistently defeat the villains and creatures roam forests and meadows unscarred by nuclear winter. When a spider crawls into his life, he is given the opportunity to try to take care of a creature like his cartoon heroes care for their beasts. In doing so, he forces himself to pursue improvement so he can be someone others can depend on.
Wrong Turn is a coming-of-age story about an autistic child trying to find purpose and developing resilience in a world that’s trying to pull itself back from the apocalypse. Perfect for readers who enjoy character-driven novels and dystopian fiction
Perfect for readers who Character-driven dystopian fictionStories of resilience and identityEmotional, introspective storytellingNeurodivergent protagonists and authentic perspectives
Kindle Edition
Published March 24, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 24, 2026
Wrong Turn by Doran Lyons is an exceptionally written and deeply personal novel that offers an authentic and emotional look into the life of an autistic boy navigating his way towards adulthood.
What makes this book stand out is the honesty behind the main character's thoughts and experiences. His journey feels real, full of uncertainty, growth, and the challenge of trying to understand both himself and the world around him.
Set against the backdrop of a wold recovering from nuclear war, the story is less about external environment, and more about the internal one. I highly recommend this book.
What makes this book stand out is the honesty behind the main character's thoughts and experiences. His journey feels real, full of uncertainty, growth, and the challenge of trying to understand both himself and the world around him.
Set against the backdrop of a wold recovering from nuclear war, the story is less about external environment, and more about the internal one. I highly recommend this book.
May 3, 2026
The struggle of autism
This is a fantastic book I highly recommend it. It shows the struggle of someone with autism trying to fit into a world that doesn't quite make sense to them. The fact that it is written by someone who has autism just gives it that extra touch of realism.
This is a fantastic book I highly recommend it. It shows the struggle of someone with autism trying to fit into a world that doesn't quite make sense to them. The fact that it is written by someone who has autism just gives it that extra touch of realism.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews