Bernard Gallate’s debut novel, The Origin of Me, is a delightful escape that has been released at the exact moment that you want to immerse yourself in a good book.
We follow fifteen-year-old Lincoln Lock who has just begun attending a prestigious private school at a time that coincides with his parents’ separation. Not only must he navigate the treacherous waters that come with parents whose marriage has broken down, but he must navigate the treacherous waters of a new institution, trying to fit in while also avoid falling in with the ‘wrong’ crowd. These elements on their own might leave the story somewhat run-of-the-mill within the context of a coming of age narrative, but the additional issue Lincoln faces is the recent emergence of a ‘stub’ at the base of his spine, and the crippling embarrassment that it causes him. This inclusion within the framework of Lincoln’s character offers an added dimension into the social difficulties he faces, both at home and at school, and while not necessarily intentional, the language used makes an interesting point about the shame teenagers (and let’s face it, adults) feel about their bodies, and the difficult relationship with the self this can cause.
I wish all parents who were separating read this book, because one of the things which Gallate captures so perfectly is the selfishness with which parents can act when they are going through a divorce or separation. Obviously, it’s not that simple, and the experience of a marriage’s dissolution is a fundamentally unpleasant one, but the way in which children are so often caught in the middle – trying to play diplomat, trying to play counsellor, and also trying to articulate their own needs which often go unfulfilled – is perfectly captured by Gallate’s description. What’s more is that Gallate doesn’t demonise Lincoln’s parents but rather offers a portrait of them as people, something with which Lincoln struggles, as do many teenagers. Lincoln is an unusually compassionate character (perhaps one of the more unrealistic aspects to him, but he also ends up with a tail, so perhaps the suspension of disbelief can also encompass a fifteen year old boy who is unusually kind), especially when it comes to his parents. I was left feeling as though he should perhaps feel more resentment towards them than he ultimately does, although the novel’s enduring point is about acceptance, and part of that acceptance is understanding that his parents do love him, even if they are imperfect individuals.
The only significant critique I’d have for the story is that some of the things which bring the disparate aspects together do seem a tad overly convenient. While stories inherently work because of convenient (or inconvenient) coincidences, the manner in which Lincoln stumbles in to certain things which later turn out to be significant and connected to him does seem a little contrived. However, The Origin of Me is a surprisingly long book which has quite a few thematic threads, all of which ultimately come together in the end. The complexity of achieving such a feat might explain why Lincoln so conveniently encounters things which later turn out to be of relevant to him specifically.
Gallate writes with the kind of clear yet eloquent prose that writers envy. While one occasionally encounters criticism of highly articulate teenage boy protagonists, I don’t find this overly troubling, and indeed, I delighted in the at times scalding and verbally dexterous way in which Lincoln provides commentary on the world around him. Lincoln is clearly very well read, and while it might have been nice to throw in a comment about how this very broad general knowledge was acquired, as neither of his parents seemed to be the kind of person that encouraged that kind of behaviour in their children, it makes him a very engaging character to read, and brings to life parts of the story which otherwise might drag.
Ultimately, The Origin of Me is an enjoyable story and has just enough unusual elements to make it an engaging read. I certainly never found myself bored with it, even if I occasionally wondered where exactly it was going. If you’re keen for something a bit different, this is definitely the book for you.
The Origin of Me is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
Lincoln Locke’s fifteen-year-old life is turned upside down when he’s thrust into bachelor-pad living with his father, after his parents’ marriage breaks up, and into an exclusive new school. Crestfield Academy offers Lincoln a new set of peers – the crème de la crème of gifted individuals, who also happen to be financially loaded – and a place on the swim relay team with a bunch of thugs in Speedos. Homunculus, the little voice inside his head, doesn’t make life any easier; nor does Lincoln’s growing awareness of a genetic anomaly that threatens to humiliate him at every turn.
On a search for answers to big LIFE questions, he turns to the hallowed school library, where he spies a nineteenth-century memoir, My One Redeeming Affliction by Edwin Stroud, a one-time star of Melinkoff’s Astonishing Assembly of Freaks. As Lincoln slowly reads this peculiar, life-changing book, the past reaches into his present in fascinating and alarming ways.
Ways that defy imagination…
Audacious, funny and wonderfully inventive, The Origin of Me is a song to friendship, to young love, to the joy of imagination, and to celebrating differences.
