Declan Someone (The Journey of Declan Noone) – Foreshore Publishing
Kate McElderry’s Declan Someone – Foreshore Publishing
Finding who you are can change everything.
Declan Someone is a neurodiverse teenager from New York who has spent his life feeling slightly out of sync—with other people, with expectations, and with himself. When an unexpected opportunity takes him to Ireland, Declan steps into a landscape shaped by story, memory, and myth, and begins a journey that quietly challenges everything he believes about identity and belonging.
Set between contemporary New York and Ireland, Declan Someone is a lyrical coming-of-age novella that blends modern literary fiction with subtle elements of Irish folklore. As Declan navigates new relationships, creative pressure, and unresolved questions from his past, myth becomes a gentle lens through which he begins to see himself differently.
Written with warmth, clarity, and emotional insight, this is a hopeful story about neurodiversity, self-worth, and the courage it takes to grow into who you already are. Accessible yet richly layered, Declan Someone will resonate with teens and adults alike.
Declan will launch at The Ivy: Ivy Bookshop – Kate McElderry and Martha Sweeney: DECLAN SOMEONE
Praise for DECLAN:
Prose drives this story forward and the book works at a very high level. The language and imagery are fresh and musical. The speaker’s voice is quiet, tender, enthusiastic, even disarming—a perfect fit for a coming-of-age tale. Crisp and well-crafted, the development of Declan’s character is beautifully sketched.
Jason Gordon, author of Many Appetites
Spellbinding with myth and magic woven into reality. Declan’s journey becomes our journey and one that matches real life with the ups and downs, challenges and advantages of ADHD.
Sean Murphy
Declan Someone (The Journey of Declan Noone) is a helpful story to young adults thinking they are alone, stupid or incapable with an ADHD, neurodiverse diagnosis. It reads beautifully and the play with words and language is really fun for young adults and adults to read.
Liz Cannon, CCC SLP, teacher
Powerful mindset work and teachable moments.
Sally East, MSc BSc PGCE GMBPsS
Magical. Relatable.
Will, 17
A work of art.
Lorna H.
Kate McElderry’s coming-of-age tale beautifully captures the nuanced journey of building confidence from within and realizing one’s own potential. A must-read for any teen or adolescent with ADHD, dyslexia, or anxiety, who is struggling to find where they fit in, ‘Declan Someone’ is relatable, validating, and inspirational with neurodiversity, Irish culture, and complicated family dynamics woven together naturally.
Jessica Platt Eyring, M.Ed., LGPC
KMcE Writing 