Upward Bound: A Read with Jenna Pick

“Implosive and wonderfully inspirational, Upward Bound is acutely aware that be it indigo, autism, social class, or the gamma ray, everything and everyone is on the spectrum.”—Paul Beatty, Booker Prize–winning author of The Sellout

“Great characters, great pace, great story—reading Upward Bound is a complicated joy.”—Roddy Doyle, Booker Prize–winning author of Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha

“Brown has created a wonderful portrait of the lives of people destined to be misunderstood by virtually all of us.”—The Guardian

“Told from multiple viewpoints in a series of interlinking stories, [Upward Bound] is compassionate, insightful, funny—and at times quietly, righteously angry at the slights and prejudices the community faces. Just beautiful.”—Marie Claire

“An interlocking, polyphonic portrait of a community often overlooked . . . It’s a startlingly unique and fresh perspective on the world: we’re lucky to exist inside Brown’s creation, a deeply heartfelt exploration of humanity.”—Literary Hub, “Most Anticipated Books of 2026”

“With remarkable poise, generosity, and humor, Woody Brown has created a dazzling array of characters so real that I rooted for them, laughed and cried with them, and fell in love. Reading Upward Bound is deeply moving and wholly immersive, an experience that will change the way you look at the world. This novel is a gift, and I want to put it into the hands of every reader I know.”—Angie Kim, New York Times bestselling author of Happiness Falls

“A moving, illuminating glimpse into a world we rarely have access to.”—Good Housekeeping

“A wondrous and distinctly brilliant debut novel, Upward Bound gives us the world from the perspective of someone rarely noticed or understood, who in turn understands and notices most everyone. Generous, witty, expansive, and insightful, this novel is an unparalleled achievement and a treasure.”—Rivka Galchen

“Upward Bound is a highly original, captivating, brilliantly observed novel about the power of human relationships and the complexities of communication.”—Caolinn Hughes, author of The Alternatives

“Upward Bound offers an illuminating chronicle from inside the world of adult daycare for so-called disabled adults, many of whom cannot speak. Woody Brown accomplishes the seemingly impossible: He gives voice to a character with a sensibility both intelligent, ironic, and loveable, who cannot himself speak.”—Mona Simpson

“Brown’s compassionate debut delves with great insight into the lives and minds of the disabled residents of an adult day care center in Southern California. Each chapter tells a client or staff member’s story, and together they reveal a hidden world of the disenfranchised . . . This captivating work illuminates a world too often ignored.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review

“An explosive novel.”—Ron Charles

“Reading Upward Bound reminded me of why stories matter. Woody Brown’s writing carries an earned wisdom that remains with us long after the final page.”—Jacqueline Crooks, author of Fire Rush

“[A] tender and important novel.”—Service95

“Stunning and eye-opening.”—Columbia Magazine

“Brown—who was the first nonspeaking autistic graduate of UCLA—offers a vanishingly rare glimpse of the interiority of nonverbal autistic adults and a critique of the well-meaning but often misguided able-bodied people in their orbits. . . . Full of humor and charm . . . a debut novel that truly breaks new ground.”—Kirkus Reviews

“The residents and staff of an underfunded adult care center in Los Angeles form the core of Brown’s singular debut novel. . . . Brown’s sly sense of humor and ability to inhabit, without condescension, the experiences of those often marginalized, including the bumbling but well-intentioned caregivers, make the novel both quietly surprising and gently enlightening.”—Booklist

“Deft, wry, gorgeous, and, most important, humanist, Upward Bound is one of those novels you want to give to everyone in your life. To help them understand the world a little better, to feel more deeply, to laugh, to know they are part of something greater.”—August Thompson, author of Anyone’s Ghost