“Admirably unusual”
“Serves real purpose.”
“Written with furious energy.”
“Bonnello is writing the books that teenagers might relate to.”
The Guardian
In addition to my work as an autism advocate, I have published several books (fiction and non-fiction). Here are my works to date: each book has ordering links beneath its description, although I also sell signed copies personally too if you would prefer to get directly in touch.
The Underdogs series
A neurodivergent dystopia series, featuring a diverse cast from a special school as front-and-centre heroes. The first three chapters of book one can be found here.
Underdogs
Unbound, 2019
One million cloned soldiers. A nation imprisoned. A group of neurodiverse rebels fighting back.
Britain as we know it lies destroyed. The hope of a trapped nation lies in a tiny number of freedom fighters hidden in the abandoned countryside – most of whom are teenagers who escaped the attack on their special school.
Seen by many as no more than misfits and ‘problem children’, this band of fighters could never have imagined the responsibility that now rests on their shoulders. After a lifetime of being defined by their weaknesses, the teenagers must learn how to play to their strengths, and become the best they can be in a world that has never been on their side.
Ordering options: Unbound | Waterstones | Amazon UK | Amazon US | Amazon CA
Audiobook available from: Audible UK | Audible US
Signed copies available worldwide by contacting me directly: £10.99 each (whole series for £40) plus postage.
A fantastic twist on dystopia, with edge-of-your-seat thrills and unlikely heroes in a well-realized world. A fun, interesting book. I loved it.
Michael Grant, author of the Gone series
Underdogs: Tooth and Nail
Unbound, 2020
Autism. Dyslexia. Anxiety. A millions cloned enemies. The Underdogs have returned.
Three weeks have passed since the events of Underdogs. The British population continues their imprisonment in Nicholas Grant’s giant walled Citadels, under the watchful eye of innumerable cloned soldiers. The heroes of Oakenfold Special School remain their last chance of freedom.
As a result of their last mission, Grant has been forced to speed up his plans for Great Britain and beyond. Ewan, Kate, McCormick and the rest of the Underdogs must face the horrors of his new research, knowing that it raises the stakes as high as they will go. Failing this battle will not merely result in losing soldiers and friends, but in losing the war entirely.
According to the odds, the Underdogs are near-certain to fail. But they have spent their whole lives being underestimated, and did not survive this long by respecting the odds.
Ordering options: Unbound | Waterstones | Amazon UK | Amazon US | Amazon CA
Signed copies available worldwide by contacting me directly: £10.99 each (whole series for £40) plus postage.
UNDERDOGS: TOOTH AND NAIL WAS JOINT RUNNER-UP IN THE GUARDIAN’S ‘NOT THE BOOKER PRIZE’ 2020 (full review here)
Underdogs: Acceleration
Unbound, 2022
War is raging. Numbers are dwindling. It’s a dangerous world for an Underdog.
The Underdogs of Spitfire’s Rise are falling apart. In the series’ penultimate novel, the remnants of Britain’s last army are called into battle again – this time to avert the violent deaths of tens of thousands of prisoners. The neurodiverse skills and defiant bravery of the Underdogs are pitched against the might of military science, and the terrifying Acceleration project.
Meanwhile, Oliver Roth has been offered a promotion that would make him the second most powerful person in Britain. But it’s conditional on the success of his next mission… the discovery and annihilation of Spitfire’s Rise.
The Underdogs fight for the safety of countless prisoners, clueless that their home is being hunted. As each side launches their respective attacks, it’s only a matter of time until one side triumphs decisively over the other.
Ordering options: Unbound | Waterstones | Amazon UK | Amazon US | Amazon CA
Signed copies available worldwide by contacting me directly: £10.99 each (whole series for £40) plus postage.
“This filmic, page-turning, edge-of-the-seat dystopian masterpiece does exactly what its title suggests—propel the reader straight into the action. Ambitious, brutal and brilliant: Bonnello’s best book yet.”
-Patience Agbabi, author of the Leap Cycle series, Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature
Underdogs: Uprising
Unbound, 2024
It’s the last days of the war. Humankind hangs in the balance. The stage is set for the Underdogs’ final battle.
After thirteen months of vicious warfare, the fight between the surviving Underdogs and the forces of Nicholas Grant is almost at an end. And everything in the world is at stake.
Beaten down but not destroyed, the neurodiverse heroes of Spitfire’s Rise have fought a war to be proud of. Thanks to their sacrifices, Grant is finally in a position where he could theoretically be defeated – but only if the Underdogs strike quickly and with everything left in them, and overcome the odds which have been against them since day one.
The remains of the Underdogs and the remains of Grant’s empire engage in a cataclysmic showdown, not knowing what the country – or the wider world – will look like once the dust settles around the survivors. The only certainty is that the final night of the war will decide the fate of the human population.
Ordering options: Unbound | Waterstones | Amazon UK | Amazon US | Amazon CA
Signed copies available worldwide by contacting me directly: £10.99 each (whole series for £40) plus postage.
“A singular achievement – a taut, thrilling, fully-rendered vision of dystopia that teaches valuable lessons about the contributions that people with atypical minds can make when given the chance. Bonnello’s pacing and action will keep you on the edge of your seat.”
-Steve Silberman, author of NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and How to Think Smarter About People Who Think Differently
Children’s fiction
Alfie Smith the Speedcuber
Collins Learning, 2023
Illustrated by Tim Stringer.
Alfie had a lot to worry about, as the end of Year Six approached and his new school was on the horizon. But just when he needed it most, he discovered a new interest – one which built his confidence and changed his life.
Ordering options: Collins | Amazon UK | Amazon US | Amazon AU | HarperCollins Canada
Signed copies available worldwide by contacting me directly: £8.25 each plus postage.
“My son literally takes his copy to bed with him and sleeps with it next to his pillow.”
-Parent of an autistic 12-year-old boy
“I saw many similarities between me and Alfie so seeing him helped me feel confident.”
-Young reader
Non-fiction
What Do You Love Most About Life? Insights from 150 autistic minds
Self-published, 2023
Designed by Nancy Price.
We asked the question in this book’s title to 150 autistic children, teenagers and adults from 22 countries around the world. Here are their uplifting, insightful answers.
An overtly, shamelessly positive autism book about autistic people. Because the world needs more of those.
Funded through a successful Kickstarter campaign.
Ordering options: this book is a self-published effort and not available on Amazon. To obtain a copy (£12 plus postage), please email me or message me through one of my platforms.
“When I bought this book from you at the conference, the first thing I did was go to my hotel room and call my wife – I was reading pages to her with genuine tears, because I was seeing how there really is a happy future for my son!”
-Conference delegate and care professional
Other works
A full list of my published short stories can be found here, and are accessible to all of my Patreon supporters.
Similarly, I am writing an Underdogs-related anthology called Tales of the Underdogs, where each character gets their own short story. The stories available so far are available here.
Finally, I am honoured to have received not just kind comments from my readers, but fan content too! This fan works page shows fan-fiction, fan-art and various other interpretations of the Underdogs universe.