Phoebe is autistic. She prefers to stay in her comfort zone: walking her dog, writing fantasy fiction, surviving school with as few incidents as possible.

When her best (and only) friend rebels and gets a secret boyfriend, Phoebe reluctantly agrees to cover for her. Before long, Phoebe’s dealing with all sorts of things she’d rather not, like deception, fashionable jackets, and the bewildering politics of the school chess club. Breaking the rules has never been Phoebe’s thing, but as events take a seriously unexpected turn, she realises there’s more to her than she ever imagined . . .

Finding Phoebe is a heartwarming, poignant, funny, and stunning book about a teenage autistic girl who is learning to navigate life as a teenager and everything that comes with it, from mood swings, periods, friendships, and covering for her best friend.

The book felt so familiar being the mother of an autistic son. The way Phoebe views the world was so wonderful to read. The book opens with a stranded car on a beach as the tide is coming in. I love how Phoebe navigates this situation as best she can and with plenty of facts that she thinks will help the driver and his passenger, Alas they didn’t but she did manage to get them some help.

It was lovely to watch Phoebe grow as the story went on and how she processed situations that were out of her comfort zone. I also loved her relationship with her father.

Finding Phoebe was a complete joy to read. I loved every minute of it and was sorry to reach the end, though I did rush through it as I couldn’t put it down.

Gavin Extence was born in 1982 and grew up in the interestingly named village of Swineshead, Lincolnshire. From the ages of 5-11, he enjoyed a brief but illustrious career as a chess player, winning numerous national championships and travelling to Moscow and St Petersburg to pit his wits against the finest young minds in Russia. He won only one game.

Gavin’s first book – The Universe versus Alex Woods – was a Richard & Judy Book Club choice and one of the Waterstones Eleven; it was also shortlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize, sold over 100,000 copies and is being developed for the big screen. He lives in Sheffield.