Description
Hilzy's life is forever coming undone - and so is her body. Friendship is just one more thing she can't count on...until she has to. A wonderful YA novel that explores found family and forgiveness from the CBCA shortlisted author of Peta Lyre's Rating Normal.
It's Year Twelve exam time, and Hilzy has a lot on her plate. She's just lost her job, she and her sister Max are struggling to make ends meet, and her childhood best friend Imogen recently dobbed them in to child services. The friendship is over.
There's a new spark of joy when Hilzy grows closer to Dawn, the hippy girl who's had a crush on her for ages. But when Hilzy ends up in hospital with a busted knee, it's only Imogen who understands what it's really like living with an invisible disability. Things are falling apart, but maybe it's not all on Hilzy to put them back together again.
A smart, funny and profound exploration of the messiness of love, friendship and bodies from the author of Peta Lyre's Rating Normal.
Review
Anna Whateley, whose previous novel Peta Lyre’s Rating Normal was CBCA shortlisted, draws from her own personal experience of living with ADHD and the debilitating Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome to give readers this wonderful and heartfelt story.
Hilary Russo, aka Hilzy, suffers from a rare connectivity disease that makes it easy for her joints to dislocate. She is quite literally falling apart!
Hilzy is almost at the end of school. Her larger-than-life Mum has a pokies addiction and spends her time working as a performer on cruise ships, and she is absolutely no use to them. Luckily, she has her older sister Max who works, budgets and scrambles to keep Hilzy on track. But life is far from easy, especially with her constant medical bills.
She used to be close to Imogen, but not anymore - not since Imogen overshared, and Hilzy can’t forgive her. But Imogen has new cancerous growths appearing on her body that need to be removed - and she could really use her ex-best friend right now.
Hilzy has a growing relationship with Dawn, but will Hilzy ever be able to let her guard down long enough to share a true loving relationship with anyone?
This is a terrific novel that deals with the challenges faced by those suffering from debilitating illness. It has themes of love, family, especially finding your true family and friends, and living with ADHD and the serious disorder that is Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. All of this is encompassed in a wonderful contemporary coming-of-age novel, and it will most appeal to readers aged 13 to 17 years.
