In the Secret Place

In the Secret Place by Gary Crew (Hawkeye Publishing) PB RRP $24.99 ISBN: 9780645714937

Reviewed by Kellie Nissen

Kids can be cruel – especially younger teens – but not all of them are. Some of them are quiet. Some like books and chess rather than football and swimming. Some have secrets; and some of these secrets make them strong.

Ben Gardiner has navigated his way through school with no friends. He spends lunchtimes in the library or out behind the old fig tree in the school grounds. Before and after school, much of his time is taken up avoiding ‘The Six’ – sporty, muscle-bound boys who find delight in picking on Ben for his limp. A limp that is the result of the crushed and disfigured foot that was, in Ben’s mind, caused by his mother just before she left, taking his younger sister, Carrie, with her.

But Ben is relatively content. He doesn’t mind his own company. He gets on well with his father, Gray, and his Gray’s ‘lady friend’, the Harley-riding, straight-talking Lorna. He’s made a friend in Sonya, the school library monitor, and allows himself to cautiously accept that others, like Simon (Noddy), are not always as they seem on the surface. And he’s discovered a ‘secret place’; an unknown cave in the Australian bush where he can just ‘be’ and where he feels strong.

Author Gary Crew is one of Australia’s most awarded children’s authors and he does not disappoint in this early young adult story that champions themes of independence, self-awareness, family, friendship and self-belief. Readers are drawn into the setting right from the opening lines, which succinctly describe the beauty and history of the Australian bush, along with a touch of its magic and power. In this opening chapter, we come to understand Ben’s mindset and then, by the end of the second chapter, we ‘know’ Ben – we’ve either been him or are close to someone like him.

Too often, stories that deal with adolescent bullying feature a protagonist whose character arc is to move from a state of fear and powerlessness, to one of resilience and confidence. While this is important, Ben’s arc is more subtle. His internal strength and maturity are already there; he already deals with the bullies in his own way. Instead, Ben’s growth is more about acceptance of self.

For readers of In the Secret Place, both the intended audience of 12-16-year-olds and older readers, you will ‘know’ every one of the characters and will be able to relate to their experiences and their lives.

At a personal preference level, I struggled a little with the omniscient narrator, but the strength of Gary Crew’s storytelling in this quiet yet powerful narrative of finding your own voice and being true to yourself won me over. Highly recommended for both individuals and the school setting.