Aster’s Next, Good Thing

Written by Kate Gordon

Reviewed by Jenny Ruge

Aster’s Next, Good Thing is the last in Kate Gordon’s award winning series of books that introduced us to Aster and her friends Xavier, Indigo and Esme. The first, Aster’s Good, Right Things, won the CBCA Book of the Year for Younger Readers in 2021. Fans of Gordon’s emotional and heart-rending, but ultimately uplifting, earlier novels won’t be disappointed in this latest offering.

Change is seldom easy but for twelve-year-old Aster, whose brain has always been ‘too noisy’, too many changes are happening at once. Dad’s new love, Nella, has moved in and now there’s a baby on the way. With Aunt Noni and her foster daughter Indigo staying as well, the house seems crammed with people, where once it was just Aster and her Dad. Dad can’t possibly have enough love for all of them, can he? And why is Indigo so angry with her? Determined to do the right thing, Aster decides she should leave — a decision that risks everything. But as her friend Xavier explains: ‘Everything doesn’t exist. It’s just a name we have for the things that overwhelm us’ (p.71). And as Aster eventually discovers, the thing you fear the most might just be the thing that saves you.

Kate Gordon’s close first person writing style keeps us firmly planted in Aster’s mind — for good or bad — in a way few novels do. We not only understand Aster’s fears, and her often-flawed but always relatable reasonings, we feel them, right along with her. Several chapters are written in the style of a free verse novel, but its sparing use gives this technique greater emotional impact.

Aster’s Next, Good Thing ties together elements from the previous novels in the Aster series, but also stands alone, giving us unique insight into the mind of a troubled child. Some adults may shy away from sharing it with vulnerable readers, but that would be a mistake. For every child who sees a little of themselves in Aster, or Indigo, or even little Armelle, this book can be a warm hug: a reminder that you are seen, you are loved. A reminder that there is always joy in the world, often in unexpected places.

This is a haunting, beautiful, wise novel that brings much-needed light to mental illness in children. Recommended for readers aged 10+, it’s a must read for every child (or adult) who’s ever felt lost, or abandoned, or simply ‘different’.

Riveted Press 2025

Kate Gordon