Catch opens with Beth walking home one afternoon, minding her own business on a busy sidewalk, when a sudden and intense urge to throw up hits. Instead of bending over, she looks up and a man falls from a ladder into her arms. Beth is sixteen and a recent growth spurt means everyone is looking at her differently, but no one notices her catching a grown man on the sidewalk. Her sister Meg announces her pregnancy and plans to keep the baby while finishing year 12, so more focus shifts away from Beth. When the nausea keeps returning and Beth realises it’s a sign she needs to catch someone, Beth’s best friend Lin takes a special interest in what’s happening.
Beth’s neighbour, Etienne, also has a new interest in her, encouraging try-outs for basketball and helping her train. It seems like there might be more there, but managing school, basketball, family, Lin, and nausea and catching pulling her at all hours, everything starts to get away from Beth. What would happen if she didn’t follow the pull to catch? Can she get back on top of school? What will happen if everyone finds out about the catching?
Catch is the quirky third book by WA author Sarah Brill, running a fine line between speculative and contemporary fiction with a knowing wink and nod. With humble and fallible characters, a city that could be home to many readers, and a family dynamic full of as much awkwardness as love, readers will be swept up in Beth’s life as she grapples with some big decisions and the consequences they come with.
A fabulous new read for YA fans of all ages, Catch makes readers think about some big, heavy topics without dragging you into darkness or pulling you out of the story. Personal and societal expectations, gender roles, and physical vs emotional vs intellectual strength are all packed into this tidy, entertaining, tough and enlightening book, accessible and ready to meet all readers where they’re at.
