Might Cry Later (Kay Kerr, Macmillan)

In Kay Kerr’s adult fiction debut, Might Cry Later, Nora Byrne is burnt out and struggling to reclaim herself after blowing up her life in Melbourne. By Christmas, she’s back living with her parents in Queensland, where her family’s many dysfunctions are on full display. But it’s Nora, still coming to terms with her recent autism diagnosis, who becomes the family scapegoat. To complicate matters, her childhood best friend, Fran, is back in town for the holidays, and Nora desperately wants to make amends after breaking his heart. But how do you repair relationships with the people you love while you’re still learning to care for yourself? As with Kerr’s young adult novels (Please Don’t Hug Me, Social Queue), Might Cry Later explores the experiences and challenges faced by a neurodivergent woman. Nora, at 21, is older than Kerr’s previous protagonists, and her story tackles weightier themes of depression and substance abuse. The novel traces Nora’s journey of self-reclamation as she revisits her childhood memories, newly aware of how they’ve defined her in adulthood. Kerr strikes a healthy balance between emotional scenes and moments of simple joy. Nora’s humour remains a constant thread throughout, alternating between self-deprecating comments and witty, if blunt, observations about the people around her. Might Cry Later is a messy and tender neurodivergent coming-of-age story, perfect for fans of Emily Austin and Meg Mason.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Lisandra Linde is an author and reviewer based on Kaurna country. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

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