by Gary Crew (c) 2023
It has been a long time since I have read an engaging story
which I would class as ‘gentle’ in its tone. ‘In the Secret Place’ has all the
hallmarks of a good story without any of the angst and desperation of the
hard-hitting issues of today which are so prevalent in YA Fiction In that
regard, I think students from Year 5 – Year 8 (10 – 13 year olds) would
appreciate this novel.
The story is about Ben Gardner, likeable and smart (he’s
good at chess) yet carrying a painful secret which is somehow tied to his
mildly crippled foot. Of course the bullies (called The Six, or, The Stupid
Six!)) smell his fear and often torment him about his disability. Ben finds
solace in his new friendship with Sonya (she doesn’t judge him) and the fact he
has found a secret place down by the beach – a cave, which was only discovered
by him because of a ‘disappearing’ fox.
Yes,
the fox had gone but, as he groped, pressing his fingertips against the chilly
rock, all of a sudden, he fell forward.
No
cliff.
No rock.
He pulled back ono the track,
lowering his backside onto the cushioning mac, crumpled there. His hand went to
his mouth. The thought dawned: ‘There’s a hole behind there. A hole no one can
see. The fox’s den, I bet…
In the deeper dark behind the bush,
and with his torch battery useless, it wasn’t easy to access this secret place.
(pp.73-4)
Crew has ensured that there are many plotlines that are all
deliciously tied together by the final pages. The protagonist is ‘everyboy’ (as
opposed to everyman) whose ‘coming of age’ embraces concerns ranging from the
need to find your people, to self-worth, to the maybe flourishes of a first
crush, to navigating a broken family, to the classic avoidance of the ‘mean
boys’, to making your own adventure, to finding your inner strength, all of which are gender neutral, making
the story ideal for all readers.
If I have one criticism, it would be that the protagonist’s
dad drinks. Beer. Every time he is mentioned (it seems) and his lady companion is also usually
chugging down wine when she isn't riding her Harley. The couple cannot 'do life' without downing a cold one. Crew does not comment on this, and it is certainly not
key to any part of the plot – I am just on a bit of a bandwagon
personally in a bid to stop the cultural acceptance of drinking. That
aside, a do give this book a hearty recommendation. It is no wonder that Crew
is heralded as ‘award-winning’.
