"There's something different about my body. It's not something I'm proud of either, not something I show anyone. It's like the missing piece of a jigsaw you can't take your eyes off. If I were to take off my shirt you wouldn't see my face, my freckles or ratty hair. You'd just suck your cheeks in and stare. All you'd see is the depression in the middle of my chest."
A realistic story about cars, footy, a love interest, and the commonly forgotten ingredient: a young man's emotions.
Ages 12+
Kim Miller
It's part of being human that we try to fix the things that seem wrong in our life. Even if we go about it in the wrong way, the effort put into fixing things can be significant. But sometimes the thing' is just a bit too hard. What then? Shane Thamm has written a book about a boy trying to fix something that's just a bit too hard. He's got a physical condition known as Pectus Excavatum. My Private Pectus is the story of a teenage boy struggling with a physical condition, but underneath there is the archetype of a father / son struggle for dominance. The toxic nature of this particular story is that each one is trying to define himself in terms of what the other is not. It's normal for the son to do that, but not the father. Shane Thamm has given us a story peppered with the good natured humour of teenagers who just want to be mates without the complications of responsibility, parents, or school. Between the beer, the bong, and the talk about girls, things seem to go along easily enough most of the time. But there are a few crunch times along the way. The voice of Sticks is realistic as we see his inner conflicts and frustrations boil over into some pretty dicey behaviour. The story is well told and holds together well, taking us through some unexpected territory in the telling.
Guest, 14/05/2010
Honest.
On reading the back cover blurb I groaned inwardly.
But what a surprise this story was! Thamm's dry, no nonsense, almost factual narrative creates a refreshing contrast to complex, well-rounded characters that I actually found myself caring about.
If I only had one word to describe this story it would have to be: 'honest'. Thamm's honesty and insight into the male condition no doubt come from his years of experience working in high school outdoor education--as well as his study of masculinities as part of an Arts degree at Brisbane's QUT.
An ode to manhood, My Private Pectus is bound to attract a predominately male readership, though girls should be encouraged to give this one a go as well, if only in the name of research.
Frank, hard-hitting and edgy: My Private Pectus should be compulsory reading for anyone who wants to understand what it means to be male.
Guest, 15/12/2009
