Promising Young Man

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 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)

"a powerful story of survival, resilience, and hope" — Nathan Chung, Founder and Host #DisabilityDisrupted Podcast

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.