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Antony John
- Reading
- Consider reading alongside Noah rather than treating recovery as a simple success story. Pause around the crash, grief or therapy if needed, and discuss whether humour helps him cope or sometimes hides what he feels.
- Themes
- Grief and changed identity: Noah loses his father and the use of his legs in a car accident, then fears he will never feel like his former self. The story appears to take Noah’s grief and altered identity seriously while leaving room for humour and gradual change.
- Support and independence: Noah’s mother, friends, teachers and physical therapists support him, while he resents dependence and being treated as helpless. Support is presented as important, but the situation includes frustration, conflict and the question of who controls Noah’s choices.
- Humour beside pain: Sarcastic or witty humour accompanies Noah’s grief, pain, defensive behaviour and difficult experiences. Humour seems to give the story energy without removing its serious subjects, but its effect on Noah’s coping is open to discussion.
- Worth knowing
- Expect direct treatment of bereavement and disability, including the described car crash, physical injury, physical therapy, conflict and occasional fights. There is also mild sexualised language and uncomfortable looking at a peer’s body.