I received a free copy of, Nowhere Girl, by Carla Ciccone, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is a book about ADHD, how even adults can be diagnosed with it, men and women, kids of all ages, have been diagnosed with this disease. This is an interesting book, with one women's account of having ADHD.

More and more of my adult friends are letting me know about their new diagnosis of ADHD. I’m fascinated by this, and I often think I could explore it for myself. Reading "Nowhere Girl" was extremely helpful in understanding the process of how an adult receives a diagnosis and how to cope with it. Ciccone’s writing is detailed and authentic. I appreciated her honesty. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Out September 9th, 2025
Nowhere Girl by Carla Ciccone is one of those books that makes you feel seen—especially if you've ever wondered why everything felt harder than it should’ve growing up. It's raw, honest, and deeply relatable for anyone navigating life with ADHD, especially those who never got the memo (or diagnosis) until adulthood.

Carla shares her journey with wit and vulnerability, unpacking years of confusion, coping mechanisms, and that haunting feeling of always being just a bit off-track. Her writing doesn’t sugarcoat the struggle—but it also celebrates the beauty of understanding yourself for the first time. This book isn’t just a memoir—it’s a lifeline for the “lost generation” who slipped through the cracks before ADHD was better understood.

Whether you’ve been officially diagnosed or just suspect your brain likes to zig when the world zags, Nowhere Girl hits home in all the right ways.

Thank you to NetGalley and The Dial Press for this relatable ARC!

**Nowhere Girl** by Carla Ciccone is a sharp, witty, and wonderfully honest novel about finding yourself when you feel completely lost. Ciccone’s voice is fresh and relatable, blending humor and heart in a way that makes you root for the main character from page one. It’s a story about identity, growth, and embracing the messy, beautiful chaos of life. If you enjoy character-driven stories with a strong, authentic voice and plenty of emotional depth, this one is a joy to read.

Unfortunately I could not get into this. I wasn’t aware of the author enough to truly value the experiences being talked about and didn’t find it interesting enough to keep reading. I’m sure many other people would love this but it just didn’t keep me engaged.

This book truly made me feel so seen. As a woman born in 93 diagnosed at 29 I really resonated with nearly every page. There were moments I found myself laughing and moments I felt myself wanting to cry and hug younger me for not knowing what we know now. Overall a really great read.

The memoir aspect of this book stood out to me far more than what others have called the scientific or academic part of it. It was readable and would be a good fit for women diagnosed with ADHD later in life who are looking for validation and camaraderie. For those who already have a decent amount of knowledge on the topic, this won't reveal anything earth shattering.

As another woman who is in her early thirties and recently diagnosed with ADHD, this book resonated with me. The author balances emotional beats with a quirky comedic timing while still ensuring that the message is received.

As a woman that didn't get diagnosed with ADHD until my late twenties, I deeply resonated with this book.
Some moments quirky and comedic, some emotionally-moving and heartfelt.
This described in detail what it feels like day to day in today's world to be so stuck in one's mind while wanting to live life adventurously.

Thank you Net Galley for this copy!

As a millennial mother with ADHD, I related to this memoir in so many ways. I appreciated that it covered the scientific and research-based territory of ADHD.

Insightful, candid memoir - Nowhere Girl by Carla Ciccone explores ADHD’s hidden impact with raw honesty and compelling storytelling. Ciccone’s journey offers validation, connection, and hope for the ‘lost generation.’

I feel this is quite relatable, and a really compelling read. The cover is AMAZING, and I loved the way the author shared her own story and experiences, while also portraying a greater story of ADHD, the ways its often undiagnosed in women and girls, and the reasons why. This is a smart, impactful, and really engaging read. Not the most relatable in a broad scope, but those who need it will love it.

A very eye-opening and enlightening memoir about the lost generation of women with ADHD. I really enjoyed the author’s weaving of her own story with very real statistics and stories about the overlooked neurodivergent women in our society. Solid as a memoir, and solid as a resource for these women.

Nowhere Girl


ADHD is currently being recognized as being a problem that is not just something for young middle-class white boys. White women and girls, and people of a variety of ethnicities, also have these issues.

Ciccone’s narration about her life with ADHD is more than just a confession of messy housekeeping or disorganization because ADHD has further reaching origins and consequences than that. It is a disorder with roots in neurological functioning. She openly shares her experiences and opinions.

How she deals with the challenges of motherhood, having ADHD etc. makes a gripping story.

This book merges memoir and science, weaving the author’s personal journey with broader research on ADHD, especially how gender bias has long masked symptoms in girls. This blend keeps the narrative engaging and accessible, avoiding purely clinical language.

The book traces the author’s life from childhood through growing up, becoming a mother, trying various medications, and learning to love herself. The author specifically talks about their therapy experience going back and forgiving or helping their younger selves heal. This is very much how this book read, as an exploration and processing of how ADHD was present and could have been addressed throughout the author’s life if diagnosed properly earlier.

This book is highly relatable and deeply moving, including likely familiar experiences for most as this spans from childhood to age 40. This is also recent, so impacts like COVID isolation are also included in the discussion. The way this memoir blends memoir with science makes these complex topics emotionally approachable.

Overall, I applaud the author’s ability to share their experience and struggles so transparently and the research they brought into their memoir. I think this is an educational and relatable read, especially for the “nowhere girls” who grew up unseen. If you appreciate heartfelt memoirs that illuminate overlooked aspects of mental health, this is a great read to offer both intellectual insight and emotional resonance.

I received a copy for review. All opinions are my own. This is a MUST read for any woman with ADHD. Finally a book that shows what it’s like for us and an up close look at how the author navigated her own life before and after diagnosis. There was a lot of good information and facts included in this book. The stories and struggles of the author made me feel much less alone. I am so grateful this book exists!

I like nonfiction books that deal with mental health. Nowhere Girl is a well written account about ADHD, but unfortunately, suffers from repetition. This book needed to be more precise and shorter in length. I think the subject matter is a very important topic for a book, but after the halfway point, I felt like the rest of the narrative dragged. The author did a great job outlining what the symptoms are for ADHD. I don’t suffer from the disorder, but I have a family member who does, and she was misdiagnosed in her early teens. Very informative book, but needed an editor.

This was a great and informative read. Not only does it provide information on ADHD, it does so in a refreshing and easy to read way that provides solidarity. As a librarian, I see great value in adding this book to the collection. As a woman with ADHD, I greatly appreciated the effort put into this book to relate experiences, symptoms, and emotional life challenges to an often missed diagnosed area in women. I will highly recommend this to women with similar experiences to myself.

Thank you so much to @randomhouseca and @netgalley for the advanced copy of "Nowhere Girl: Life as a Member of ADHD's Lost Generation" which will be published on September 9th, 2025. September 9th is also my birthday, I was also diagnosed with ADHD at 40, so I am a serendipitous card carrying member of the "lost generation." There are many places where I felt very connected to Ciccone, and our similarities jaw-dropping. But I think any overachiever, talks too much Canadian gal who grew up in the 90s would feel the same way. Ciccone provides a good mix of her own experience with information about ADHD, making the whole book very palatable. She also explores the history of women’s mental healthcare and the pressure to perform our gender in a certain way, in molds we can't and don't always fit into. I learned a lot about my recent diagnosis, including somethings about myself that sure do make a whole lot of sense, like how I have always been a klutz but that people with ADHD have "impaired proprioception" which means we are less aware of how our bodes fit in any given space. Ding ding! How about the "otherhood", meaning we are always ready to judge ourselves against everyone else, ding a ling! Or the part about the travel to avoid reality, but what is reality anyways? Lots to chew on for sure, and more to learn about yourself, if you too have ADHD and are working on acceptance and understanding.

Carla Ciccone's book offers an insightful blend of memoir and non-fiction, providing a powerful look into her life with ADHD, particularly as a woman of color. Her personal stories resonate deeply, highlighting the challenges faced by women in getting diagnosed and treated for ADHD. Ciccone's candid reflections on her experiences, combined with interviews and research, make this book both relatable and informative. The book also sheds light on the unique struggles of BIPOC individuals with ADHD, adding an important perspective to the conversation. It's a valuable read for anyone looking to understand ADHD better, especially those who have lived with it without a diagnosis.