Children’s Book Week review
Social Queue by Kay Kerr
This book is notable for the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Book of the Year 2022 – Older Readers.
“Zoe Kelly is starting a new phase of her life. High school was a mess of bullying and autistic masking that left her burnt out and shut down. Now, with an internship at an online media company—the first step on the road to her dream writing career—she is ready to reinvent herself. But she didn’t count on returning to her awkward and all-too-recent high-school experiences for her first writing assignment.
When her piece, about her non-existent dating life, goes viral, eighteen-year-old Zoe is overwhelmed and more than a little surprised by the response. But, with a deadline and a list of romantic contenders from the past to reconnect with for her piece on dating, she is hoping one of her old sparks will turn into a new flame.
– PUBLISHER’S BLURB
Social queue by Kay Kerr is the story of a young woman navigating the world after school – dating, work, friendships, and the impact of her autism on day-to-day life. The writing style is easy to read and also educational, helping readers to better understand autism and the language around it.
The main character, Zoe, has recently finished high school and started an internship at ‘Bubble’, where she pitches her idea to write stories about her experiences dating online with no previous romantic relationships – ‘I missed out on teen romance and now I’m drowning on the apps’. Her belief that nobody has ever been romantically interested in her is quickly dispelled when five of her old classmates and friends respond to her first article saying that they had a teenage crush on her.
Zoe then decides to meet up with each of these people and the majority of this story is about these dates, her feelings about them, and the articles she writes to share these encounters. This book is written in an open and authentic way that makes the story and the characters very believable. Zoe’s personal development and that of her relationships is a great read, and the descriptions of life as a young autistic person are a natural part of the story.
This book is recommended for ages 14+
Prefer e-books? This title is also available on BorrowBox or Overdrive!
Enjoy this book?
You can reserve the author’s debut novel by clicking on the cover.
You can also learn more about Kay Kerr on her website.
WHAT IS #OWNVOICES ?
Basically, this means that an author writing a character from a marginalised group comes from that group themselves. This can be diverse groups such as LGBTQ+, people with disabilities, people with different backgrounds, religious minorities, and more. These voices provide a more diverse perspective. You can read more about own voices here or search the hashtag online.
