A Modern Caulfield Meets Harold and Maude with an ADHD Twist-Raw, Darkly Witty, Achingly Real
BookLife Reviews Editor's Pick - BlueInk Review Notable Book (Starred) - Kirkus Reviews "Get it"
Oscar Danielsson is eighteen, brilliantly ADHD, and about to ruin his life-again.
He looks like a promise waiting to be kept. His biggest fear is everyone discovering he's not what they expect at all. Between his spectacular mistakes, self-medicating, and overwhelming existential dread, hiding in his room feels safe, even if it means blowing high school graduation. Then one hazy mistake too many launches Oscar on a mysterious cross-country road trip with his free-wheeling Grammy, who's done playing by the rules... and living a lie. Leaving behind his girl crush, beloved dog, and all his comforting vices is torture. But Grammy's secret changes everything-and Oscar discovers one of his own.
Oscar is the defiant anti-hero you can't stop rooting for. Grammy is his unlikely wingman.
Together they're almost okay.
2026 In the Margins Top 10 Fiction Book, Promising Young Man is a powerful exploration of belonging, societal expectations, and the loss of innocence that doesn't shy away from the messy truth of growing up or growing older. Perfect for readers who loved: The Perks of Being a Wallflower
The Virgin Suicides
I'll Give You the Sun
And anyone in high school, college, or deep in their career who's ever felt like a square peg in a round world or watched someone they love struggle to fit in.
"The writing and dialogue are so on point... the book is sweet and endearing with something for everyone." - BlueInk Review (Starred Review)
"Axel's writing crackles with energy and hard-won insight, capturing Oscar's inner monologue in a way that feels both authentic and deeply relatable." -BookLife Reviews (Editor's Pick)
"(Henry Fielding's) Tom Jones suggested that the world, no matter how messy, ultimately has answers. Promising Young Man does the same." - Windy City Reviews (Recommended)
"I love this book." - Jill Wine-Banks, author, The Watergate Girl, MS NOW legal analyst
"Beautiful read... Oscar's voice is unforgettable." - Doug Bolton, author, Untethered: Creating Connected Families, Schools, and Communities to Raise a Resilient Generation
"Oscar is breathtakingly real and appealing" - The BookLife Prize
"A deeply moving, sharply observed account of a troubled young boy's journey of self-discovery on the cusp of adulthood. With its candid, absorbing, and often witty intergenerational plot, Promising Young Man is truly enjoyable and will appeal to readers of all ages." - Sarah C. Maza, Member American Academy of Arts & Sciences, Professor of History Emerita Northwestern University
"a quiet masterpiece" - Samuel Durr, Learning Specialist, William C. Goudy Technology Academy (a 2025 Top Magnet School of Excellence)
"It's a deft portrait that sidesteps stereotypes with sensitivity and skill" Kirkus Reviews ("Get it")
Dark humor ~ Road trip adventure ~ Intergenerational friendship ~ ADHD representation done right
Contains mature themes including mental health struggles, substance use, suicidal ideation, and self-harm.
