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Reaffirmation: Coming to terms with an autism diagnosis.
At age 25, the life of comic book artist Rees Finlay was turned upside down when he was diagnosed as autistic. Left isolated, confused and defeated, Rees sets out to dissect who he is, what happened and how to return to his perceived former glory. In a groundbreaking combination of comic book and novella (with the occasional rant) Rees blends humour with heart as he faces his demons head on and steps into an all new world of acceptance and understanding. This is his reaffirmation..
Kindle Edition
Published November 8, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 6, 2019
This book features all of the feels and some interludes in comic book format. I've read a bunch of autism memoirs and this one stands out to me because it's the first time I've seen someone say 'but I don't want to be autistic' and that is a very valid response to diagnosis. It's a big thing to take on board and this book is all about how the author processed that information and how it affected his mental health. While it is not a perfect book, I hope the author will write more.
December 9, 2019
"Reaffirmation" is the story of what it's like to discover yourself and your community, at a time when autism - as explained and explored by autistic people ourselves, as opposed to parents or professionals - is starting to attain true cultural visibility.
While we might make the initial discovery alone, we step out into a multimedia landscape/minefield in which everyone has an opinion about people like us. It's a world where our most famous peer is a 16-year-old climate justice activist who is both praised and jeered by the general public for her ASD traits; where being blocked on Twitter by a beloved yet opinionated sci-fi actor is a badge of pride for autistic self-advocates (one panel of "Reaffirmation" features a pub named "The Shatner's Hubris"; I actually did laugh out loud); where there's an eternal tension between wishing for more media representation, and that representation often being alarmingly stereotypical.
I think the thing that I appreciate most about "Reaffirmation" is that the author lets us witness a process of self-discovery and not just the end result. This is significant - for non-autistic readers especially, and I hope there will be many of them - because so much of living with ASD is masking the huge amount of work it can take just to have a normal day. Whether he's talking about going to an autism expo, the perils of dating or social media debates, this is a book that argues for and the right to change your mind about things as your understanding grows. I think that's very valuable at a time when the neurodiversity movement is still learning, sometimes messily, not to replicate in our own community the politics of exclusion which do so much harm in the world in general.
What this book also makes clear is how vulnerable we are while dealing with all of the above. As well as autism diagnosis, it's also the story of surviving a suicide attempt (with the method depicted, something to be aware of if this is an area of personal vulnerability for you as a reader), a relationship break-up, and the challenges of an indie comics career, and how Rees factors all these things into a coherent understanding of who he is.
I think a lot of us have asked ourselves the question Rees seeks to answer here: "How much of me is me, and how much is the autism?" That we even have that question is a result of living in a world not made for people like us (you don't get neurotypical people asking, "How much of me is me, and how much of me is just the default human brain settings?"), and "Reaffirmation" is candid about how much in life, work and family gets reappraised in the light of an autism diagnosis. I think if this book has a central argument, it's that this questioning process can ultimately be a healthy and empowering thing.
While we might make the initial discovery alone, we step out into a multimedia landscape/minefield in which everyone has an opinion about people like us. It's a world where our most famous peer is a 16-year-old climate justice activist who is both praised and jeered by the general public for her ASD traits; where being blocked on Twitter by a beloved yet opinionated sci-fi actor is a badge of pride for autistic self-advocates (one panel of "Reaffirmation" features a pub named "The Shatner's Hubris"; I actually did laugh out loud); where there's an eternal tension between wishing for more media representation, and that representation often being alarmingly stereotypical.
I think the thing that I appreciate most about "Reaffirmation" is that the author lets us witness a process of self-discovery and not just the end result. This is significant - for non-autistic readers especially, and I hope there will be many of them - because so much of living with ASD is masking the huge amount of work it can take just to have a normal day. Whether he's talking about going to an autism expo, the perils of dating or social media debates, this is a book that argues for and the right to change your mind about things as your understanding grows. I think that's very valuable at a time when the neurodiversity movement is still learning, sometimes messily, not to replicate in our own community the politics of exclusion which do so much harm in the world in general.
What this book also makes clear is how vulnerable we are while dealing with all of the above. As well as autism diagnosis, it's also the story of surviving a suicide attempt (with the method depicted, something to be aware of if this is an area of personal vulnerability for you as a reader), a relationship break-up, and the challenges of an indie comics career, and how Rees factors all these things into a coherent understanding of who he is.
I think a lot of us have asked ourselves the question Rees seeks to answer here: "How much of me is me, and how much is the autism?" That we even have that question is a result of living in a world not made for people like us (you don't get neurotypical people asking, "How much of me is me, and how much of me is just the default human brain settings?"), and "Reaffirmation" is candid about how much in life, work and family gets reappraised in the light of an autism diagnosis. I think if this book has a central argument, it's that this questioning process can ultimately be a healthy and empowering thing.
December 2, 2019
Rees delivers something rare in autism related literature in more ways than one. Firstly, his book focuses on the impact of an autism diagnosis for an adult, and having been through the same experience I feel Rees is spot on in how he explains the impact it has. Secondly, this understanding comes from his own, real experience and his bravery in creating the book during such a difficult personal time is remarkable. Rees is an intelligent, talented and very relatable individual who’s book will help many, many autistic adults. It is funny, sad, scary and hopeful. His glorious illustrations make the subject far more accessible for readers and his writing is powerful, honest and inspiring. In a world of autism myths, Rees is an autism LEGEND. I cannot convey how wonderful this book is other than to say I recommend it to any adult given an autism diagnosis. It’s a pivotal and accurate book on a subject that is usually dominated by people who don’t have a clue what they’re talking about. Reaffirmation is a breath of fresh air that this autistic reviewer is grateful to have read.
December 9, 2019
Hugely relatable tale of an adult autism diagnosis and all the emotions and feelings that are brought up alongside it. He's also a very talented illustrator, with an acerbic wit.
July 19, 2020
Enjoyed it
As someone who is on my own path of self-diagnosis of autism, I related so much to Rees’ words and felt a little less alone. The combination of words, pictures, and comics made it even better.
As someone who is on my own path of self-diagnosis of autism, I related so much to Rees’ words and felt a little less alone. The combination of words, pictures, and comics made it even better.
August 27, 2020
Rees Finaly's book is unique in terms of many books about autism because he takes the time to pick apart the experience of being diagnosed with autism and how this reflexively influenced his past and future. Rees explores the world of bullying and false advice that often surrounds autism, and tries to shed some light on managing the sometimes toxic culture of divergent ideas on what autism is and how it should be managed or treated.
A very personal perspective, but also one informed by the latest medical and psychological research into autism, Rees gives a human face to the everyday of autism and encourages humility and understanding in how people on the non-divergent spectrum can be supportive without judgement.
A very personal perspective, but also one informed by the latest medical and psychological research into autism, Rees gives a human face to the everyday of autism and encourages humility and understanding in how people on the non-divergent spectrum can be supportive without judgement.
March 14, 2020
In Reaffirmation Rees Finlay takes you on a journey of self-discovery as he is diagnosed, in adulthood, as autistic. His skill and experience with comic book drawing allows this novel a rare perspective of being part graphic novel.
Rees has previously tweeted that he is ‘going to make you cry and laugh while I share my rollercoaster life with you’ and that he certainly does. I found myself laughing out loud as I related to his jokes and furrowing my brow as I connected to moments of deep sadness. He manages to balance humour with the heart-breaking reality of autism.
Rees’s journey was anything but easy and he certainly faced his share of obstacles. Reaffirmation tells his personal story as well giving insights into more general areas of autism, or as Rees is first to say, his ‘rants’. Where it starts to stick on description there is soon a witty quip or comic strip to pick up the pace.
Reading Rees’s reflection on how being autistic affects his relationships felt like putting my own experiences under a harsh spotlight. While not always comfortable, it pushed me to question how much I still don’t understand about myself.
As reaffirmation alludes to, if you have met one person with autism, you have met one person with autism. This book won’t defog autism for readers, and it won’t guide you to accepting being autistic. However, if you are autistic, then it might, like for me, make you feel a little less alone in that journey we all go on when we are given a formal diagnosis.
Every single autistic person’s journey is valid. It was a pleasure to step into the journey of Reaffirmation.
Rees has previously tweeted that he is ‘going to make you cry and laugh while I share my rollercoaster life with you’ and that he certainly does. I found myself laughing out loud as I related to his jokes and furrowing my brow as I connected to moments of deep sadness. He manages to balance humour with the heart-breaking reality of autism.
Rees’s journey was anything but easy and he certainly faced his share of obstacles. Reaffirmation tells his personal story as well giving insights into more general areas of autism, or as Rees is first to say, his ‘rants’. Where it starts to stick on description there is soon a witty quip or comic strip to pick up the pace.
Reading Rees’s reflection on how being autistic affects his relationships felt like putting my own experiences under a harsh spotlight. While not always comfortable, it pushed me to question how much I still don’t understand about myself.
As reaffirmation alludes to, if you have met one person with autism, you have met one person with autism. This book won’t defog autism for readers, and it won’t guide you to accepting being autistic. However, if you are autistic, then it might, like for me, make you feel a little less alone in that journey we all go on when we are given a formal diagnosis.
Every single autistic person’s journey is valid. It was a pleasure to step into the journey of Reaffirmation.
March 1, 2020
The best book on adult autism diagnosis that I have read. Less of a graphic novel, more of autobiographical essays with graphic… hmm… interludes (the Amazon preview is somewhat misleading when it comes to proportions between text and graphics). Very personal, very real, brave and inspiring – not in the "a disabled person makes a thing" way, but in the "I am who I am and I'm not going to continue pretending at the cost of, possibly, my own life that I am who you want me to be".
I'll be re-reading it, because I swallowed the whole thing within eight hours and it deserves much more attention.
One remark (not complaint, just FYI): the Kindle edition is a "print replica", meaning that the text displays as graphics. On my laptop that sometimes made the text somehow difficult to read, not to mention that you can't highlight anything, and I can't imagine reading it on a phone. I definitely recommend a full-sized tablet – or just a print edition.
I'll be re-reading it, because I swallowed the whole thing within eight hours and it deserves much more attention.
One remark (not complaint, just FYI): the Kindle edition is a "print replica", meaning that the text displays as graphics. On my laptop that sometimes made the text somehow difficult to read, not to mention that you can't highlight anything, and I can't imagine reading it on a phone. I definitely recommend a full-sized tablet – or just a print edition.
December 26, 2021
Wow. I burned through this book in two sittings (would’ve been one sitting if I didn’t have to get off the train!)
This is a raw and brutally honest account of navigating an autism diagnosis as an adult and how it can shake apart your entire world, paired with comic strip intervals and comedy. I laughed, I cried, I gasped. I felt my heart break and my heart swell a couple of pages later. I felt it all!
Coincidentally, I am also 25 (same age as the author when he was diagnosed) and coming to terms with being autistic. It was like this book was written just for me - I couldn’t believe how similar Rees’ experiences and traits were to mine, and at times were exactly the same, word to word! This book is the one I didn’t realise I so desperately needed while I’m on this crazy journey of figuring out what autism means to me individually, and I am so grateful that I found it.
I can’t recommend this book to late-diagnosed autistics enough, and to those close to them who want more of an insight of what it’s like be diagnosed later in life. How much you can relate to Rees’ experiences and interests will of course vary from person to person, but the honesty of the intensity of emotions most of us experience as late-diagnosed autistics is certainly one we can all appreciate.
This book helps me to feel less alone in who I am, and who I’m figuring myself out to be. I have been on my journey of self-discovery since early October, soft diagnosed last week and have my full assessment in March, so I still have a long way to go before I am fully at peace with myself. But I feel so lucky I have this book by my side to reread whenever I need it, to remind me I’m not as lonely as my brain would like me to think.
Thank you Rees!
This is a raw and brutally honest account of navigating an autism diagnosis as an adult and how it can shake apart your entire world, paired with comic strip intervals and comedy. I laughed, I cried, I gasped. I felt my heart break and my heart swell a couple of pages later. I felt it all!
Coincidentally, I am also 25 (same age as the author when he was diagnosed) and coming to terms with being autistic. It was like this book was written just for me - I couldn’t believe how similar Rees’ experiences and traits were to mine, and at times were exactly the same, word to word! This book is the one I didn’t realise I so desperately needed while I’m on this crazy journey of figuring out what autism means to me individually, and I am so grateful that I found it.
I can’t recommend this book to late-diagnosed autistics enough, and to those close to them who want more of an insight of what it’s like be diagnosed later in life. How much you can relate to Rees’ experiences and interests will of course vary from person to person, but the honesty of the intensity of emotions most of us experience as late-diagnosed autistics is certainly one we can all appreciate.
This book helps me to feel less alone in who I am, and who I’m figuring myself out to be. I have been on my journey of self-discovery since early October, soft diagnosed last week and have my full assessment in March, so I still have a long way to go before I am fully at peace with myself. But I feel so lucky I have this book by my side to reread whenever I need it, to remind me I’m not as lonely as my brain would like me to think.
Thank you Rees!
July 1, 2023
Just Brilliant !!
WOW!!!!
Rees shows authenticity and vulnerability in his deeply exposed thoughts and fears of living a life with ASD. Loved it!!!
Cathartic for me in many ways. His style of writing and his drawings kept my brain engaged throughout. Rees writes with such passion, intelligence, and with wonderful use of literacy. Comic style pictures were just superb.
Rees I promise you that you will meet the love of your life. It took me 51 years to meet mine, and it was worth that wait.
I hope you write another book as this one is one of the best books I've read in a long time.
WOW!!!!
Rees shows authenticity and vulnerability in his deeply exposed thoughts and fears of living a life with ASD. Loved it!!!
Cathartic for me in many ways. His style of writing and his drawings kept my brain engaged throughout. Rees writes with such passion, intelligence, and with wonderful use of literacy. Comic style pictures were just superb.
Rees I promise you that you will meet the love of your life. It took me 51 years to meet mine, and it was worth that wait.
I hope you write another book as this one is one of the best books I've read in a long time.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews