About the Author

Ryan O'Connell is a writer and professional feeler of emotions living in Los Angeles. He's written for Thought Catalog, Vice, The New York Times, Medium, and other publications, as well as for MTV's Awkward. I'm Special is his first book.

Reviews

"Like a younger, gay version of Mary Karr's Lit, [I'm Special] earnestly details the complexities of [having cerebral palsy] while also making the kind of hilarious politically incorrect jokes you rarely hear thanks to today's outrage culture. Most importantly, O'Connell knows how to tell a story. ... Like the best personal essayists, [O'Connell] possesses the rare talent of making the most obscure personal event relatable to any reader, and he writes like he talks." * Vice *
"A special and hilarious star in a sea of same-y Millennial memoirists. I would call this book 'fresh' and 'touching' if that didn't sound so dirty, so I'll just say it's great." -- Diablo Cody, screenwriter

"O'Connell amassed a following for candidly blogging about his life on the Internet. Now he brings his sharp wit to a memoir about growing up gay and with cerebral palsy."
* Time *
"Ryan O'Connell is so funny that you might not notice that he's a seriously good writer. His tales of twentysomething traumas-ranging from concealing a serious disability to surviving in a world of cutthroat internships and internet bitchiness-are made special (really) by his one of a kind voice." -- Emily Gould, author of Friendship
"Impressive... addictive and easy to read." * Publishers Weekly *
"Ryan O'Connell has written a book that's fun, funny, biting, confessional and necessary. It's like the Bible, but gay. Well, gayer." -- Megan Amram, author of Science . . . for Her!
"Wonderful... O'Connell's life lessons are valuable, and his tone - which is as smart as it is smartass - is what distinguishes I'm Special." * Philadelphia Gay News *
"Hilarious.... I'm Special is delightfully fun and... easy to read in one fell swoop." * Advocate.com *
"This book is completely unique and painfully universal. Identifying yourself in Ryan O'Connell's writing is to understand that you may not be special, but you are human." -- Jake Shears, lead singer of Scissor Sisters
"O'Connell finds humor in the very ordinary experiences of his generation." * Newsday *
"Deeply revealing in the most casual manner." * Salon *
"Brutal and delicious." * Readerly Magazine *
"Brutal and delicious." * Readerly Magazine *