Award-Winning Author Elias Axel Gifting 1,250 Copies of ADHD Novel Promising Young Man to Raise ADHD Awareness During Holiday Season

Sometimes it feels like you're just going through life disappointing people all the time.”
— Elias Axel, author and person with ADHD

CHICAGO, IL, UNITED STATES, December 18, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- In the true spirit of the gift-giving season, author Elias Axel is giving away 1,250 copies of the award-winning novel "Promising Young Man" through January 19, 2026 to raise awareness about ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), a widely misunderstood neurological condition affecting millions.

Axel knows firsthand that ADHD is so complex and misunderstood that even its name is misleading. While "Attention Deficit" suggests an inability to focus, the reality is far more nuanced. ADHD is a binary condition—you either have it or you don't—but it presents differently in each person and comes with varying levels of severity. What's more, people with ADHD face significantly higher risks of depression, addiction, and suicide.

"Sometimes it feels like you're just going through life disappointing people all the time," Axel says.

This personal understanding became the catalyst for Promising Young Man, a novel six years in the making, written by, for, and about people with ADHD and those who love them. Axel believes entertaining fiction is one of the most powerful tools for building empathy: "Stories let you live in someone else's mind. That's what people with ADHD need most—for others to understand what it's actually like."

"The holidays can be especially hard for families with ADHD kids," Axel adds. "The disrupted routines, the pressure to perform at social gatherings, the sensory overload. I want to give something that might help parents, teachers, and teens understand each other better—when they need it most."

A STORY THAT BALANCES HEART AND HUMOR

"Promising Young Man" is a poignant, darkly funny work of contemporary Midwestern fiction about a disaffected teenager's extraordinary mind and his struggle to find his place in a confusing world.

Samuel Durr, Learning Specialist at William C. Goudy Technology Academy (a 2025 Top Magnet School of Excellence), calls the book "a quiet masterpiece that sneaks up on you—not with grand plot twists or loud declarations, but with deep emotional honesty, gentle humor, and a profoundly human perspective on neurodivergence."

Durr adds, "What makes this novel truly shine is how it balances its emotional weight with lightness. There's humor, warmth, and a deep sense of humanity in every chapter. Axel's prose is both lyrical and grounded, offering insight without preaching, and creating a story that feels personal without being self-indulgent."

Brian Bennett, a Chicago Public Schools high school teacher, notes that the novel goes beyond ADHD: "Promising Young Man vividly reflects the pains and pleasures of adolescence, the teenager's navigation toward a place where they matter and have agency. Its zipping plot combines the relatable details of a frustrated, working life with the need for adventure and meaning. As it progresses, the story's scope opens for a look at intergenerational reliance and understanding, and suggests our need to fulfill the promises in life at any age."

RECOGNITION FROM EDUCATORS AND LITERARY COMMUNITY

Since its February 2025 publication, Promising Young Man has earned four book awards—including the Readers' Favorite Silver Medal, Kirkus Reviews "Get it", and BookLife Reviews Editor's Pick—along with endorsements from people with ADHD, parents of children with ADHD, and educators from:

• Northwestern University
• Lake Forest College
• Oak Park and River Forest High School
• William C. Goudy Technology Academy (2025 Top Magnet School of Excellence)
• Chicago Public Schools

FREE THROUGH JANUARY 19th—A HOLIDAY GIFT OF UNDERSTANDING

• Free eBook by request* – email [email protected] with Subject Line "Free Promising Young Man eBook"
• Limited-time StoryGraph eBook Giveaway (250 copies)
• Free to borrow with no end date at select libraries and through Hoopla and Libby (with a library card)

*Up to 1,000 eBooks will be distributed securely in ePub format.

The paperback edition is available at select bookstores and major online retailers, including Amazon. The audiobook and hardcover editions are targeted for release in 2026. The hardcover will feature specialized formatting designed for readers with ADHD and dyslexia.

BOOK DETAILS
Title: Promising Young Man
Author: Elias Axel
Tagline: A boy. A lie. And the Great American highway.
Genre: Coming-of-age (intergenerational contemporary realistic fiction with elements of humor)
Themes: Finding Purpose in Modern America, ADHD, Intergenerational Family Issues, Self-Acceptance, Living Authentically, Road Trip
Publication Date: February 11, 2025
Publisher: My Delightful Life Press
Length: 250 pages | 74,000 words
Age Rating: 16+ (contains sensitive topics)
ISBN (Paperback): 979-8-9920656-0-2 | US $17.99 | 240 pages | 5.5" x 8.5"
ISBN (Kindle eBook): 979-8-9920656-2-6 | US $9.99
ISBN (eBook): 979-8-9920656-1-9 | US $9.99
Distribution: Ingram & Amazon

Media materials available upon request.
Learn more: eliasaxel.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Elias Axel is an award-winning author who draws from personal experience with ADHD to create authentic, compassionate narratives about neurodivergence. Promising Young Man is Axel's debut novel.

For paperback review copies, interview requests, or more information, contact [email protected].

Note to editors: Promising Young Man deals with sensitive topics including self-harm, substance use, and mental health struggles. It is recommended for readers ages 16 and up. High-resolution cover image and author materials available upon request.

Source data for more information:
"Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and suicide: A systematic review" NIH Citation Link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5371172/

"Adult ADHD and comorbid anxiety and depressive disorders: a review of etiology and treatment" NIH Citation Link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12179154/

"Exploring the Relationship of Smartphone Addiction on Attention Deficit, Hyperactivity Symptoms, and Sleep Quality Among University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study" NIH Citation Link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11583478/

Patricia Stankovic
My Delightful Life Press
+1 847-877-3311
email us here

"18 Blows" "Promising Young Man" book trailer

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