Our Chemical Hearts

August 1, 2016
Anyone who has felt the ache of first love will relate to Henry Page, a bookish high school senior unexpectedly swept off his feet. Henry, who has never had a girlfriend, isn’t immediately attracted to new student Grace Town, who enters the school with a conspicuous limp, “dressed head to toe in guys’ clothing” (“I’d seen junkies that looked in better shape than she did that morning,” Henry says). Yet after Grace and Henry are asked to co-edit the school newspaper, his interest in her grows, fueled by Grace’s on-again-off-again flirting. As romance blossoms, secrets about Grace’s past and current situation emerge, and Henry begins to think that Grace may be beyond his help. Eloquently conveying the complexity of love and grief, debut novelist Sutherland creates a story filled with intriguing and memorable characters. Henry’s quirky friends, dry-witted parents, and rebel-turned-neuroscientist sister (who offers sage advice on matters of the heart) add touches of brightness to this dark romance. Ages 14–up. Agent: Catherine Drayton, Inkwell Management.

July 11, 2016
When Henry Page meets Grace Town it’s not exactly love at first sight, but he is immediately drawn to her. Grace is beautiful and damaged and mysterious—she walks with a pronounced limp, wears ill-fitting men’s clothes and disappears every afternoon after school. Henry develops intense feelings for her, but as he starts to learn more about Grace, he can’t tell if he’s falling in love with who she is or who he wants her to be. On plot alone, Our Chemical Hearts could seem too over the top or dramatic. But it is saved by Krystal Sutherland’s writing, which is clean and youthful. It also helps that the characters—not just Henry and Grace, but Henry’s best friends Lola and Mac—are deeply suspicious of the kinds of soap-opera romance that seems to be unfolding between Grace and Henry. The relationship between Henry and his friends also steers the story away from being just a standard romance, and Sutherland opts for a refreshingly realistic ending. Our Chemical Hearts is an easy book to lose yourself in, with plenty of drama to catch your heart and an entertaining cast of characters. Bec Kavanagh is a Melbourne-based writer, reviewer and schools coordinator for the Stella Prize