Xavier in the Meantime (Kate Gordon, Riveted Press)
Xavier in the Meantime is the new companion novel to Kate Gordon’s CBCA award-winning Aster’s Good, Right Things. Focusing this time on Xavier, Aster’s best friend, the story takes a sensitive but unflinching look at Xavier’s experiences with mental illness, which he calls ‘the black dog’. While Xavier is trying his best and using strategies he has learnt to cope with his depression, sometimes he still feels hopeless. The black dog is his constant companion that never truly goes away. So, he comes up with a plan to make the most of the moments in the meantime, the bits of his life in between the struggles. Gordon’s writing is as exceptional as it was in Aster’s Good, Right Things and the central friendship continues to be a joyful read. Fans of Aster will enjoy seeing her again, as well as other characters including Aunt Noni and Indigo, while both previous and new readers are given plenty of chances to empathise with Xavier as a loveable protagonist. The plot gently incorporates a number of topics in an age-appropriate way, including depression and anxiety, gender expression and animal rights. It offers young readers the opportunity to educate themselves on such issues without feeling preached to. Gordon also explores the pressure to be ‘cured’ or ‘normal’ and how mental illness doesn’t define who we are but shouldn’t be hidden away as something shameful. Xavier in the Meantime is perfect for sparking wider discussions with young people, while also being a hopeful and enjoyable read.
Karys McEwen is the library manager at Prahran and Richmond High School and the president of the CBCA VIC Branch. Read her interview with Kate Gordon here.
