Description
One Day Soon is an emotional verse novel about how, when illness strikes, a few special moments can matter most.
What if one day soon never comes?
When Alex's parents receive a message that brings shocking news, his whole world is turned upside-down - Alex's uncle has been diagnosed with a genetic form of Motor Neurone Disease. The ripple effect is immediate - it means his dad has a fifty per cent chance of carrying the fatal gene. And if Dad has the gene, Alex has a fifty per cent chance of carrying it, too.
But even as Alex grapples with mortality, he discovers the unexpected joy, deep love and impromptu dance parties that come from living closer to death.
Told in verse, One Day Soon is a story of how, ultimately, a few special moments can matter most.
Review
Alex is a typical middle school kid growing up in Western Australia. He lives with his Mum and Dad and younger brother Archie, and his grandparents are close by.
Alex’s Uncle Rohan is a terrific musician. He lives all the way across Australia in Melbourne, and they only see him about twice a year. Their world is shaken when Uncle Rohan is diagnosed with MND - motor neurone disease. He quickly deteriorates, but they all go to Melbourne to spend some quality time with him.
Being a genetic disease, there is a 50% chance that Alex’s Dad also has the gene and, if so, then there is a 50% chance that Alex and Archie could be carrying the gene too. This is a particularly scary time for them all, and Alex decides to carry this burden around with him, rather than share the news with others.
Told in verse, this at times makes the content more striking, and at other times seems to soften it. I loved this story, and it has been written with first hand experience from the author's own family. It contains themes of genetic diseases, mortality, family and importantly sharing good times and creating memories together. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and, although the topic is a serious one, I am sure that it will be enjoyed by readers in the upper primary years.
