Perfect for fans of:
- Slice of life narratives
- First loves
- Tight-knit communities
Ready When You Are is a slice of life story following two Aboriginal boys—Jackson, who’s having trouble accepting himself as gay and Tomas, who comes to live in his house—and room—for the summer and makes him realise who he is. As their friendship evolves during the hot summer on the Mish, Jackson will learn more about himself than he ever thought possible.
Jackson’s journey isn’t an easy one. There’s a lot of prejudice and discrimination towards gay people in Jackson’s hometown, a tight-knit community on Mish where everyone seems to know each other’s business. Jackson deeply respects his Koori culture and the elders that shape his life and the way he grows up—and he fears the repercussions if anyone knew about him liking boys. The book portrays this so clearly, the daily discrimination and racism indigenous Australians face both from within and outside of the community.
I do want to point out that there are a lot of moments of unchallenged homophobia and even the protagonist being part of hazing a gay boy from his school. Obviously, this is internalised homophobia at play and is there for a reason but just as a heads-up for readers who might be triggered.
There’s a quiet power in watching Jackson grow from the closed-up, guarded boy who feels like he needs to make fun of queer people to be accepted in his community to realising that nothing is worth hiding his true self and openly caring for the people that mean the most to him. Moreover, I loved how Jackson’s journey shaped how friends acted later on the novel which was so great to see.
While Jackson’s journey is at times hard to stomach, it’s so worth to stick it out considering the latter half of the novel. You really get to see his and Tomas’ friendship and connection blossom. The more time passes, the more they open up to each other and there are touching, tender moments that are downright heartwarming to read about. Beyond the heartwarming moments, there’s of course also the discussion of systemic racism against Aboriginals. Tomas, for example, is obviously the most innocent cinnamon roll in existence, yet others have painted him as a troubled young boy. He’s been to juvie and as the story unravels, you learn that it’s not so much because of something he did than because of what people said about him. It was as tragic as it was eye-opening to see how people can be painted into corners by the system. Nevertheless, Tomas’ kind spirit wasn’t broken by that and instead, he became all the kinder and loving. Tomas also has passions he pursues, mainly working on a graphic novel and it becomes a beautiful connection point between him and Jackson that I think readers will love to read about.
A quiet yet unflinching slice-of-life story of a first love between two Aboriginal boys, Ready When You Are is a soft-spoken debut that invites readers to explore selfhood, Koori culture, and what it means to be different in a close-knit community alongside its relatable and enlightening protagonist.
Ready When You Are is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of March 1st 2022.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
A remarkable YA love story between two Aboriginal boys — one who doesn’t want to accept he’s gay, and the boy who comes to live in his house who makes him realize who he is.
It’s a hot summer, and life’s going all right for Jackson and his family on the Mish. It’s almost Christmas, school’s out, and he’s hanging with his mates, teasing the visiting tourists, avoiding the racist boys in town. Just like every year, Jackson’s Aunty and annoying little cousins visit from the city — but this time a mysterious boy with a troubled past comes with them. As their friendship evolves, Jackson must confront the changing shapes of his relationships with his friends, family and community. And he must face his darkest secret — a secret he thought he’d locked away for good.
