FUTURE GIRL BY ASPHYXIA

Future Girl is a great read on so many levels. It falls into the late Middle Grade/ YA category and tells the story of Piper who lives in Melbourne in a future that is bleak. Piper is an oral Deaf girl of 16. This means she wears hearing aids, can lip read and speak “normally”. Her mother raised her this way as she truly believed this would be best for Piper and her chance at life in a hearing world.

Piper goes to school with her best friend Taylor who looks out for her and has done for years. Piper depends on Taylor because she is the only person who likes her as she is. Piper believes she will never have a normal life or relationship due to her deafness. Her coping mechanism is to write and draw in her journal. It is the one thing that makes Piper feel good about herself.

The world is suffering from climate change and the consequences. In Australia, food has been replaced by ‘recon’ packages that contain nutrition, vitamins and medicines created in laboratories by a large corporation. It also controls the government.

When Piper’s mum loses her job and money becomes tight, Piper decides to get a bike to save on tram fares. She makes friends with Marley who runs a recycled cycle shop and finds out he is the child of a Deaf adult. When he realises she is deaf he immediately starts using sign language to talk with her. Piper never learnt Auslan (Australian Sign Language) and is excited to discover this new way of communicating.

But Piper’s world is collapsing around her and she is struggling. Taylor is ignoring her and spending all her time with her new boyfriend. School has become an isolating space and Piper feels lonely and abandoned. When their ‘recon’ delivery is halved Piper decides to learn how to grow real food. Marley’s mum Robbie, teaches Piper and through these new friendships Piper becomes involved in a growing movement of real food campaigners. The government is cracking down on civilian unrest and Piper is arrested. Her life is getting more and more complicated and soon she will have to explain to her mother about her choices around being a Deaf girl in a hearing world.

Asphyxia has written a book that has so many worthwhile messages. The themes of climate change, belonging and finding your tribe flow beautifully in this exciting urban adventure. Her insight into how it is to be Deaf is sensitively done and is a welcoming invitation to understand another person’s journey. The format of an art journal is beautifully executed. The images and imagination help the story along as well as creating tension. It is one of the best books I’ve read this year.

For Ages: 12+ years

Number of Pages: 380

Published: September 2020

Themes: Deafness, belonging, climate change

Rating: 5/5