White Noise
Raelke Grimmer
Fifteen-year-old Emma is woken up by her dad’s nightmares. Again.
On Friday evenings they go running at East Point Reserve to escape. Escape the ripples of grief that still chase them three years after her mum’s death; escape Emma’s autism diagnosis; escape her dad’s work as an emergency room doctor.
At school, Emma has won a spot on the beach volleyball Sports Institute program. The spot that her best friend Summer desperately wanted. And Summer’s family are moving away to the other side of town. Their friendship has kept Emma going since her mum’s death but now things are changing between them – and change isn’t something Emma can outrun.
Set in tropical Darwin, White Noise is an achingly true portrayal of girlhood, grief, and autism from the authentic and gripping voice of debut author Raelke Grimmer.
Praise for White Noise:
“An incredible debut novel about the journey of a father and daughter navigating adolescence, autism, and a way through the choppy waters of grief.”—Graham Akhurst, author of Borderland
“A captivating debut YA novel. Grimmer deftly handles an achingly moving story about loss and teenage confusion with nuance and confidence. White Noise is an assured and wonderful debut...for fans of Helena Fox's How It Feels To Float and Cath Crowley's Words in Deep."—Marissa Kyriakopoulos, Books + Publishing
"White Noise is a phenomenal debut – like a Justine Kurland photograph in book-form, a bruising mapping of grieving, growing and girlhood. The tropical backdrop of Darwin heightens every emotion and contrasts so wonderfully against protagonist Emma's struggles in the wake of unimaginable loss, and upheaval. Grimmer also deftly threads a needle around discussions of Autistic women and girls, providing a poignant perspective for neurodiverse readers. A wonderfully complex and compelling YA read."—Danielle Binks, author of The Year the Maps Changed, The Monster of Her Age, Six Summers of Tash and Leopold
“Grimmer has created an authentic voice in Emma, and the world she has constructed for Emma rings true too. The pace of the action is compelling, as are the characters, so that putting down the book is not an option.”—Susan Lazenby, English Teachers Association of Western Australia
“This is a terrific novel about growing up and facing the challenges that being a bit different can create. With themes of friendship, change, grief, autism and self-discovery, it is a perfect read for those aged 13 and up.”—Rob, Lamont Books
Download the White Noise teaching notes here.
Book details
PRICE: $26.99 incl GST
FORMAT: B+ paperback, 210x140mm
ISBN: 978-1-76080-285-1 (paperback), 978-1-76080-297-4 (eBook)
CATEGORY: Children's and YA, Fiction, Young adult
RIGHTS: World
PUBLICATION DATE: September 2024