Something Somewhere by Richard Yaxley

"From his earliest memory, it had always been just his mum and him. Which was not perfect by any means, but it was okay because there was a pattern to how everything operated. Malt understood the dips and rises. ... 

How to recognise his mother's, her shifts between flashing anger or deep love, 

her wins and losses, her desire for something somewhere."

It has always been just Malt and his mother Bonnie. Their lives are unsettled, chaotic and fragmented.  Then one day she declares they are moving to Pembrook her childhood town and they are moving in with Malt's Grandmother. Malt, aged eleven, has never met his grandmother Zelda Zeglar. She lives alone in an old house with a small cherry orchard. So much is left unsaid in the relationship between this mother and daughter. It is clear Bonnie does not like her mother. There are some obviously heart-wrenching topics that neither will discuss. 

Bonnie decides Malt will not go to school so his days are spent wandering alone in the bush. He is free to roam but he is forbidden to visit a place called Bushman's Valley.

Malt and his dog Banjo enjoy exploring the countryside. Then out of the corner of his eye he thinks he sees someone. A girl appears in front of him.

"He was about to move forward when he glanced slightly to his left and saw her: a girl in a pale dress. She was standing within the trees looking in his direction. She seemed older than him, maybe fourteen or fifteen. ... She was very still and vigilant, like a wild animal checking it's surrounding. Her face was so white and expressionless ..."

At home, Bonnie declares Malt will now meet his father. Willo is the name of Malt's father. Bonnie tells Malt his father in in Greece, Alaska and other wildly fanciful places:  "his mother would spin the world globe, she'd been given as a gift on her last day of being a cleaner. when the globe stopped spinning she'd point to a country. 'There.' ... 'Don't tell anyone, but he's fighting a secret war ... "

Thinking about this book - How do you create a memorable character? 

• Give him an interesting name - as I have already said - in this book the main character is a boy named Malt. (I love the way Emily calls him Malteser).
• Give him a problem or worries or some difficulty in his life - in this case throughout his whole life Malt has tried to please his mother. He has learnt to read her moods and he knows how to carefully answer her questions. He endures her bad television and movie taste and worse, he somehow copes when they constantly have to pack up and move on in the hope of finding something somewhere. Malt has had to become a loner because they move way too often for him to form friendships. He also has no compass that might allow him to check the validity of the tales his mother spins especially about his absent father. 
• Give your readers reasons to feel deeply compassionate about, in this case, Malts welfare and awful live circumstances.

Add this this a wonderful, loving and wise grandmother and, as is often the case in books like this, add that she is able to cook delicious food which goes beyond just nourishment.

This is a thoroughly engrossing story with a plot line that you may have encountered before but that does not take away from this wonderful reading experience.

Familiar pieces of the plot that I am sure I have read in other stories:

• A lonely child encounters another child in a remote location - probably in a place he has been forbidden to visit
• The lonely child does not tell any adults about this new friend - there is strong sense this should all be kept a secret
• The new friend is somewhat mysterious. There are small pointers that something is not quite right but this is usually knowledge reserved for the reader and not the main character of the story
• The clothes of the other child are often slightly strange or old-fashioned or perhaps their manner of speaking is different (other worldly)
• The new friend is often braver and more fearless - the sense of danger is strong
• Through the course of their friendship the main character changes, growing more confident or gaining a stronger identity
• The lost child (the new friend) needs to complete a tasks or tasks to be 'set free'
• There can be themes of grief, mental health, missing children, mystery, and the setting is usually a forbidden bush land or forest

I did put the label 'ghost' on this post but please do not think of it as a lighthearted simple 'ghost' story. In fact Emily herself says she is not a ghost:

"Are you a ghost?' he whispered. 'Not in the way that you're thinking. Ghosts like that are a human invention. Believe me, there are no ghosts, not like people imagine them. None of that silly haunting stuff, like eerie noises and clanking chains ... I'm in between.  ... Ever since I left, I've been stuck in the middle."

"I'm a Middle ... which means my body isn't alive anymore, but my other part is. The trouble being, it hasn't been released to wherever the other parts go. Certain things need to happen, and until they do, I'm stuck."

After reading Something Somewhere please go back and read the first chapter 'Before'. 

One of the powerful parts of the writing in this book come from the descriptions of Bonnie and her driving. I was so sure on many occasions that Bonnie would have a major car accident. Her driving filled me with real terror. And if you need a scene for a book talk read the Christmas scene in the chapter entitled 'Puppets'. 

Another strength of this book is the way a fragment of an idea or a few words in phrase resonate with meaning. Look at these sentences:

This is the scene in his grandmother's kitchen - you can feel the possibility of kindness and comfort: "Inside the vase was a single flower, its pink petals basking within a final ray of sunlight."

And these words confirm her kindness: "she put her hand on Malt's shoulder ... It felt odd to be touched  in that way by someone else, but good because his grandmother's hand was light, like having a tiny friend perched there."

These words hint at the transience of their lives: "his mother was leaving ... Only the faint smell of her perfume lingered, and then not for long."

This is beyond my expertise, but I think Richard Yaxley included the owl as a visitor to Malt because in some mythologies such as Celtic mythology the owl "is a messenger from the otherworld, bringing knowledge and insight to humans." (Source). I also read this: "In Greek mythology, owls are associated with the goddess Athena, who is often depicted with an owl on her shoulder. Owls are seen as symbols of wisdom, knowledge, and protection in Greek mythology."

I am certain Something Somewhere will be a 2025 CBCA Younger Readers Notable title, and I do hope it is also shortlisted. In some ways this book made me think of the famous Australian movie Picnic at Hanging Rock.

It is both compelling and poignant, and the mystery unravels in a hugely satisfying way. Most of all, the reader will feel like cheering when realising that Malt will stay with his grandmother, safe and loved and nurtured, while his mother flits off into the sunset. I know I did. Just so Stories

Yaxley’s voice is compelling, you feel like you are experiencing what Malt does. ... Yaxley has a way with words that creates a world that is both believable and immersive. He knows and understands the dynamics of relationships between people and how their own life experiences and circumstances determine how they interact with others. His language choices and dialogue are strong and placed expertly in the right place at the right time. Malt has learnt to act small and knows how to react to his mother and her actions. As the story unfolds, and more characters are woven into the story little pieces of the puzzle slowly unfold. The reader is left asking the same questions as Malt. ... It is a gripping read that will not disappoint its young readers. Buzz Words

Companion books:

Sunshine

Waiting for Normal

Small as an elephant

The Midnight Children

Pieces of Georgia

Being Jimmy Baxter

The Book of Chance

Who is Richard Yaxley?

Richard Yaxley lives in Queensland. His main writing is for Young Adults. WriteLinks have an event with Richard Yaxley in February 2025. 

• Leonardo Forever (Scholastic 2023)
• Harmony (Scholastic 2021; Long-listed for the ARA Historical Prize – CYA Section)
• A New Kind of Everything (Scholastic 2020)
• The Happiness Quest (Scholastic 2018; CBCA Notable Book for Older Readers 2019)
• This Is My Song (Scholastic 2017; ACU Book Of The Year 2019; Winner of the 2018 Prime Minister’s Literary Award for Young Adult Literature; Finalist in the 2017 Queensland Literary Awards; also published in the Czech Republic by Albatros Media)
• Joyous and Moonbeam (Scholastic 2013; Finalist in the 2014 West Australian Premier’s Awards for Young Adult Literature)
• Spring Rain (Self-published 2011)
• Drink the Air (Strictly Literary: Winner of the 2010 Queensland Premier’s Award for Young Adult Fiction)
• Bloodlines (Strictly Literary 2009)
• The Rose Leopard (University of Queensland Press 2003)

Awards

• Medal in the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2011 for services to education, literature and performing arts
• Winner of the 2024 StoryLinks Short Story Competition for Fly High
• Recipient of the 2022 Queensland Writers Centre – Varuna Fellowship for Established Writers
• Judge for the 2021 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards (Children’s and Young Adult Literature)
• Recipient of a 2015 May Gibbs Literature Trust Creative Time Fellowship for the creation of This Is My Song
• Winner of the 2016 FAW NSW Walter Stone Award for Life Writing for Homecoming