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Jordan A. Lopez on Writing Luke Ramirez, an Autistic Teen Facing a Life-Changing Revelation
In a July 2026 Literary Titan interview, YA author Jordan A. Lopez discussed building an autistic Puerto Rican hero whose world breaks open when he learns where his father is.
What did Jordan A. Lopez say about the book? In a July 27, 2026 interview with Literary Titan, Jordan A. Lopez discussed the decisions behind Looked Down Upon: The Exiled Kin, a young adult thriller about Luke Ramirez. The following summarizes the main points from that conversation, with context for writers developing similar characters.
A hero defined by routine
Luke is an autistic Puerto Rican teenager living in Tennessee in the late 1990s. Lopez stated that the story's engine is a single revelation: Luke finds out where his father is. For Luke, whose stability depends on routine, that news does more than raise questions about family. It shatters the order he relies on and collides with his strong sense of what is fair. The thriller plot grows out of that disruption.
Representation as a starting point
Lopez discussed why representation mattered to the book. Luke's identity is layered: neurodivergent, Latino, and an outsider in a Southern town. The interview touches on the idea that young readers who share any of those identities rarely see them combined in a lead character, and that a thriller, rather than a quiet issue novel, can bring that representation to readers who would not pick up a book about autism on purpose.
Where the story is going
Lopez also described plans for the series. The story is meant to continue across three books, with the finale following the characters into adulthood and working life. That is an unusual arc for YA, which tends to end at graduation, and it reflects a wider push among autistic advocates for stories that show autistic people as adults with jobs and relationships rather than as perpetual children.
Lessons for writers
Three craft points stand out for authors writing neurodivergent characters:
- Let the trait drive plot, not decorate it. Luke's need for order is why the revelation hurts, which is why the story moves.
- Layer identity. Culture, class and place change how a neurodivergent character is treated and how they cope.
- Think beyond adolescence. Planning an adult future for a character signals respect to readers who share that identity.
About the book
Looked Down Upon: The Exiled Kin was first published on August 12, 2023 and is the opening book in the series. Our separate overview covers the plot, themes and edition details. More information is on the author's website.