THE THINGS THAT WILL NOT STAND BY GERARD BAUER

The Things That Will Not Stand is set during a university open day. Seb and Tolly are two sixteen-year-old semi-nerdy boys exploring their future career options. Tolly’s dad is a film buff, so Tolly and Seb have seen plenty of old films, obscure films and films not normally viewed by anyone under seventy.

That is why we find Seb standing in the foyer of the campus cinema waiting for the girl of his dreams to join him at a viewing of the classic film, Casablanca. Not that Seb actually asked her. He referenced it in a conversation that mainly revolved around borrowing a pen. Seb is saved by Frida from an embarrassing encounter with his Taylor Swift look-alike and her boyfriend.

Frida and Seb spend the day together exploring the campus and each other’s lives. Frida is quirky and acerbic and Seb is not quite sure that everything she says is true. She asks questions about his life and dreams and continually teases him about his tentative choice of town planning as a career. In return, she tells him stories about herself that he finds hard to attach to the girl he sees in front of him. During the day, their interactions along with Tolly, create a picture of the possibilities of the future and how our past can impact upon it.

Tolly and Seb have a thing. Whenever they encounter something that needs to be addressed, rather than tolerated or swept under the carpet, they ‘will not let this stand’ – a line from one of their favourite films, The Big Lebowski. When they discover Frida’s archenemy and witness his cruelty, they work to protect her and right some very unfair and emotional wrongs.

Gerard Bauer captures the easy banter of teenagers and creates a thoughtful picture of the tentative beginnings of friendship and trust. Seb is an endearing soul and with Tolly, the pair are an example of a believable and solid friendship. Frida’s life, so different in many ways to theirs, is accepted with an empathy that is sometimes lacking in this modern rocky world.

For Ages: 14 + years

Number of Pages: 217 paperback.

Published: September 2018

Themes: Courage, bullying, trust and resilience.

Rating: 3.5/5