The impact of Darren Groth’s charming new Young Adult novel Are You Seeing Me? should be seismic. If it doesn’t cause a major publishing tremor similar to that caused by The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion, I swear I’ll watch Jackie Chan* movies back to back for a week (no cakewalk, for me, I’ve got to say). I laughed a lot and cried buckets as I guzzled this gorgeous and deeply affecting book. You and every young adult you know should read it! Here are six reasons why …
1. Perry and Justine
Perry and Justine, the Brisbane twins at the story’s heart, are marvelously lovable young people. Their road trip through British Columbia and Seattle that culminates in meeting Justine’s “pen pal” is gripping and perfectly paced. Perry has a brain condition that causes him to “feel anxious or upset in different places and circumstances” and his difficulty communicating and mixing “sometimes results in inappropriate behaviours”. Justine has been his carer for some time. When they return to Australia he is registered to move to Fair Go assisted living residence so he can live more independently and Justine can also have a freer life. Their struggles and humour during their travels show a relationship of great intimacy and honesty. From the book’s first pages through to its tense finish it is impossible not to want them to make it.
2. The supporting cast
Without giving too much of the story away, for 17 years and 50 weeks the twins’ father writes a journal to Justine called The Life and Times of a Tree Frog. It is heart-rending. It also transpires that Justine’s “pen pal” is a smoking yogi who has some interesting views and she’s pivotal to the way the story unfolds.
3. What you’ll learn about earthquakes, Ogopogo and Jackie Chan
This novel is full of whimsical and fascinating details that add to the richness of the text and intricacy of plot development. Perry’s father called him “Master Disaster” because he likes earthquakes. He also likes “creatures from the sea that are considered myths”. It’s this interest that leads the twins to visit the Okanagan Lake to see the famous Ogopopo (or “‘lake demon’ in Canadian Aboriginal language” as Perry explains). Perry’s interested in kung-fu master Jackie Chan* because he’s “incredible and does all his stunts” and Perry even channels Jackie’s courage at one crucial moment during the twins’ travels. Perry also carries around a “suitcase of consolations”. The objects in the case help him connect to his favourite things when he’s veering towards meltdown but might still have a chance to avert it.
4. The important issues it broaches
One major theme is that people need people — especially when the going gets tough. Another is that people with disabilities shouldn’t be labelled or patronised. Groth gets some significant points across about this issue without being overbearing. I really loved Justine’s feistiness around Perry — her defensiveness about his difference — and here’s one of her tirades I thought was excellent: “Boy, after all these years, you still want to think of him as a freak of nature. A handicapped freak as a child, a gifted freak as a man. He’s not a circus act … He’s just different. Okay? Unique. He’s loving and caring … The best brother I could’ve ever had. And he shouldn’t be tagged with a label, certainly not one from a bloody chakra chart. Okay? He’s just like the rest of us — amazing in his own right, and no better or worse than anyone else.”
5. The grace and clarity of the writing
Here’s a tiny sample: She pulls the rubber band on her wrist and releases so its whips her skin. I don’t like it when she does that, but it seems to be part of her routine. Her face loosens up and she smiles. It’s not a proper smile, though, — it doesn’t show any teeth. Justine had that face a lot when we were in school. Whenever Dad saw it, he would say ‘Lost your dentures, tree frog?’ or ‘That’s your grin-and-bury-it look, tree frog.’ She points at the seismometer in my lap.
6. The back-story of the author
I wouldn’t normally rate this as a reason to read a book but Darren Groth’s back-story seemed to add to the gravitas and integrity of the novel once I’d heard it. Groth is a former special education teacher and has 12-year-old twins — one of whom has autism spectrum disorder (ASD). He is also passionate about promoting awareness and understanding of ASD and he blogs about it here, where he’s also promising to post more soon about how Are You Seeing Me? “made it over the line” to become a book …
A final clincher
As one of Random House’s Book Buddies (Gemma, aged 15) said of Are You Seeing Me?: “The story really made me think about a lot of different matters to do with families, travelling, disabilities, and earthquakes. I found it very inspiring. Are You Seeing Me? has made ME see things in a whole new light.”
Perry often prefaces statements he wants to reinforce as truthful with the phrase, “No lie”.
No lie. This book will captivate your heart.
Sounds like I’d better get this on my reading list. Thanks for the delightful ‘sell’