How do you tear yourself together? First, maybe, you need to allow yourself to be torn apart. Only then can you make sure it’s just the pieces that really fit that will be stitched back in.
Hilzy is struggling. Coming up to year twelve exams, losing her job, scraping by with her older sister Max to manage a life that is threatening to capsize the tiny boat they’re working hard to keep afloat. The waters seem to be calming, and maybe there’s a new spark between her and Dawn, so it feels like maybe there’s a bit of smooth sailing ahead.
A knee injury lands Hilzy in a lot of pain, and no one understands exactly what she’s going through because living with an invisible disability can make it hard to open up about even the smallest part of your life, let alone something that feels like a never-ending storm. Imogen, her childhood best friend, was the only person who understood, who Hilzy could talk to about anything, but they don’t talk anymore. When all of Hilzy’s pieces are tearing apart, could there be a space where Imogen still fits?
Tearing Myself Together is the second release from Brisbane author Anna Whateley. Not afraid to dive into the discomfort of hard topics, Whateley throws her characters into the deep end of teenage angst amid neurodiversity, the very visible injuries some invisible disabilities can cause, and a two-tiered medical system. Add crushes, love, friendship and the confusion of whether you’ve read every situation correctly, and you’ve got an honest and emotional ride through the eyes of one unique teenage character.
It’s been five years since Peta Lyre’s Rating Normal showed us that trying to fit a star-shaped mind around the square peg of societal expectations only appears to work on the surface. Tearing Myself Together tackles concepts such as moral ambiguity, sympathy versus empathy, what really makes a family, and how our societal systems may work for one but not for all. Whateley offers so much vulnerability to the characters she creates that it’s hard at times to remember they’re not real people, just relatable words on a page. Full of inclusive language, sharp wit and a resonating reminder of how different every experience can be for others, this book is a great read for anyone looking to paddle a bit harder against the current for insight into the different journeys many people face every day.
How do you tear yourself together? First, maybe, you need to allow yourself to be torn apart. Only then can you make sure it’s just the pieces that really fit that will be stitched back in.
