Future Girl

Publisher's synopsis

Future Girl explores what it means to come of age as a Deaf teenager, against the backdrop of a near-future Melbourne on the brink of environmental catastrophe.

Piper’s mum wants her to be ‘normal’, to pass as hearing and get a good job. But when peak oil hits and Melbourne lurches towards environmental catastrophe, Piper has more important things to worry about, such as how to get food.

When she meets Marley, a CODA (child of Deaf adult), a door opens into a new world – where Deafness is something to celebrate rather than hide, and where resilience is created through growing your own food rather than it being delivered on a truck.

As she dives into learning Auslan, sign language that is exquisitely beautiful and expressive, Piper finds herself falling hard for Marley. But Marley, who has grown up in the Deaf community yet is not Deaf, is struggling to find his place in the hearing world. How can they be together?

Future Girl is the art journal of sixteen-year-old Piper, a visual extravaganza of text, paint, collage and drawings, woven into a deeply engaging coming-of-age story set in near-future Melbourne.

Awards

Shortlisted, Young Adult category, Indie Book Awards, 2021, AU
Shortlisted, Book of the Year for Older Children, ABIA Awards, 2021, AU
Longlisted, Book of the Year, Older Readers, CBCA Awards, 2021, AU
Shortlisted, Best Young Adult Novel, Aurealis Awards, 2020, AU
Winner, Readings Young Adult Book Prize, 2021, AU
Official selection, White Ravens list, International Youth Library Foundation, 2021, DE
Winner, Best Book for Teens, American Library Association (ALA) Schneider Family Book Award- THE WORDS IN MY HANDS (US title), 2022, US
Official Selection, Read for Empathy Book Collection secondary schools list, Empathylab, 2022, GB
Official Selection, Best 100 Young Adults Books of 2021 list, Kirkus Reviews – THE WORDS IN MY HANDS (US title), 2022, US
Official Selection, Best Young Adult Fiction of 2021 list, Kirkus Reviews – THE WORDS IN MY HANDS (US title), 2022, US
Official Selection, Great Books Guide, BookTrust, 2022, GB
Official Selection, IBBY Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities, 2023, AU

Other Recommended Titles

Eat the Sky, Drink the Ocean

The End of the World is Bigger Than Love

Growing Up Disabled in Australia

This Is How We Change the Ending

Asphyxia

Asphyxia is an artist, writer and public speaker. Author of the much-loved junior fiction series The Grimstones, Asphyxia has also been a circus performer and puppeteer. An avid art-journal creator, she loves to share her process and help others benefit from this amazing tool for self-expression, problem-solving, planning, goal-tracking and self-esteem.

Deaf since the age of three, Asphyxia learnt to sign when she was eighteen, which changed her life. She is now a Deaf activist, sharing details of Deaf experience. She raises awareness of oppression of Deaf people and what we can do to change this. Her free online Auslan course has had over 15,000 students.

Asphyxia is kept busy with her small farm where she combines food-growing with art – creating a magical aesthetic with plants and natural elements. Her novel for teens, Future Girl, combines all these passions.

Bio and photo: Allen & Unwin

A life-changing book for young Deaf and disabled people.

Carly Findlay, OAM

Further Details

Author Asphyxia

Publisher Allen & Unwin

Date of Publication 2020

ISBN 9781760294373

Category Young Adult

Pages

384