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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
medium-paced
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This piece originally appeared in the Washington Independent Review of Books:
Moving from California to New Jersey is a great chance for 15-year-old Harris Jacobus to reinvent himself. After growing up surrounded by inaccessible beaches and being defined by his wheelchair, he’s ready for some more traditional high-school experiences. Having spinal muscular atrophy means he’ll never be able to do some things the way other people do, but it doesn’t mean he can’t use this move to try to become more popular, go to parties, and maybe find a girlfriend.
Honestly, he’d settle for finding any real friends.
Unfortunately, using a wheelchair in a school that’s supposedly accessible is still hard. And working with the school on an individualized plan for his disability is met with resistance; a lot of people need to understand that “inclusivity was not making someone feel uncomfortable for the enrichment of others.”
Instead of finding a cool crowd, Harris finds himself sitting at the loser table with Zander, a freshman who turns to “Mean Girls” for wisdom since the film “provides all the answers to our adolescent questions. How do I determine the cliques? What will it take to become popular? When do I wear pink? You see, it’s not just a movie, but a guide for the weak and afraid. Not to mention a great resource for devastating comebacks.”
Then there’s Nory, the cute girl who refreshingly treats Harris like any other guy who blocks her locker or flirts badly. (In his defense, have you ever tried to flirt while your mom — saying she’s your executive assistant — accompanies you to school?)
Harris has a foolproof strategy for gauging whether he’ll get along with someone: Ask their favorite color. “I thought about colors a lot, actually,” he explains. “Especially when I was about to meet anyone new. It was always the first question I asked them. A person’s favorite color says a lot about who they are.”
A blue himself, Harris knows that greens and purples are too close on the color wheel to make good friends, while yellows like Zander can encourage a more outgoing nature. But Nory won’t tell Harris her favorite color, leaving him unsure if it’s worth pursuing her.
After struggling to find a nurse young enough to blend in around school (and that insurance will cover), Harris’ family hires Miranda, a nursing student as eager for the work experience as she is to help Harris on his mission of reinvention. She seems perfect. Her favorite colors are orange and red, and she even graduated from Harris’ new school.
With Miranda’s help, Harris figures out how to flirt with Nory, starts sitting with the popular kids, and even gets invited to his first party. But as she pushes him to try newer, riskier things, it becomes clear that having complementary favorite colors might not be enough for a lasting relationship in The First Thing About You (2022) by Chaz Hayden.
Find it on Bookshop.
Hayden channels his own experiences growing up with spinal muscular atrophy into this contemporary debut. Harris's wry, matter-of-fact narration clearly outlines how Harris navigates the world with his disability including daily nebulizer treatments to clear his lungs, using a laptop to complete all of his classwork, and how he eats: "My disability makes it difficult for me to life my arms and feed myself. Even small things like a piece of cereal or a plastic spoon pose a challenge. I used to have the muscles to eat independently, but over time I’ve lost them."
This narrative lens hints at how the rest of the Jacobus family adjusts to the move, with Harris’ father balancing a big promotion with a long commute, and his mother taking on more work than ever before as Harris’ de facto nurse both at home and (later in the story) at school. Meanwhile, Harris’ older brother, Ollie, is trying to fit in at his own new school, where his lacrosse teammates resent his rising-star status and his willingness to speak out against their ableist comments.
As Harris learns more about Miranda and her history — which includes the death of a close friend and an abusive relationship — he begins to realize that growing closer to her might mean losing his friendships with Nory and Zander. It’s a loss he must weigh against Miranda’s ability to pull him out of his shell and toward the kinds of encounters he thinks he wants.
While Hayden teases out the complicated dynamic between these two characters, the questionable nature of Miranda’s behavior as an adult working with a teen — she not only encourages Harris to take risks but fosters an inappropriate bond between them, such as when she climbs into his bed after he gets sick — is never fully addressed.
Despite this plot hole, The First Thing About You presents a well-rounded story about first love, friendship, and high school with disability representation that will serve as a much needed window (or mirror) for all readers.
Moving from California to New Jersey is a great chance for 15-year-old Harris Jacobus to reinvent himself. After growing up surrounded by inaccessible beaches and being defined by his wheelchair, he’s ready for some more traditional high-school experiences. Having spinal muscular atrophy means he’ll never be able to do some things the way other people do, but it doesn’t mean he can’t use this move to try to become more popular, go to parties, and maybe find a girlfriend.
Honestly, he’d settle for finding any real friends.
Unfortunately, using a wheelchair in a school that’s supposedly accessible is still hard. And working with the school on an individualized plan for his disability is met with resistance; a lot of people need to understand that “inclusivity was not making someone feel uncomfortable for the enrichment of others.”
Instead of finding a cool crowd, Harris finds himself sitting at the loser table with Zander, a freshman who turns to “Mean Girls” for wisdom since the film “provides all the answers to our adolescent questions. How do I determine the cliques? What will it take to become popular? When do I wear pink? You see, it’s not just a movie, but a guide for the weak and afraid. Not to mention a great resource for devastating comebacks.”
Then there’s Nory, the cute girl who refreshingly treats Harris like any other guy who blocks her locker or flirts badly. (In his defense, have you ever tried to flirt while your mom — saying she’s your executive assistant — accompanies you to school?)
Harris has a foolproof strategy for gauging whether he’ll get along with someone: Ask their favorite color. “I thought about colors a lot, actually,” he explains. “Especially when I was about to meet anyone new. It was always the first question I asked them. A person’s favorite color says a lot about who they are.”
A blue himself, Harris knows that greens and purples are too close on the color wheel to make good friends, while yellows like Zander can encourage a more outgoing nature. But Nory won’t tell Harris her favorite color, leaving him unsure if it’s worth pursuing her.
After struggling to find a nurse young enough to blend in around school (and that insurance will cover), Harris’ family hires Miranda, a nursing student as eager for the work experience as she is to help Harris on his mission of reinvention. She seems perfect. Her favorite colors are orange and red, and she even graduated from Harris’ new school.
With Miranda’s help, Harris figures out how to flirt with Nory, starts sitting with the popular kids, and even gets invited to his first party. But as she pushes him to try newer, riskier things, it becomes clear that having complementary favorite colors might not be enough for a lasting relationship in The First Thing About You (2022) by Chaz Hayden.
Find it on Bookshop.
Hayden channels his own experiences growing up with spinal muscular atrophy into this contemporary debut. Harris's wry, matter-of-fact narration clearly outlines how Harris navigates the world with his disability including daily nebulizer treatments to clear his lungs, using a laptop to complete all of his classwork, and how he eats: "My disability makes it difficult for me to life my arms and feed myself. Even small things like a piece of cereal or a plastic spoon pose a challenge. I used to have the muscles to eat independently, but over time I’ve lost them."
This narrative lens hints at how the rest of the Jacobus family adjusts to the move, with Harris’ father balancing a big promotion with a long commute, and his mother taking on more work than ever before as Harris’ de facto nurse both at home and (later in the story) at school. Meanwhile, Harris’ older brother, Ollie, is trying to fit in at his own new school, where his lacrosse teammates resent his rising-star status and his willingness to speak out against their ableist comments.
As Harris learns more about Miranda and her history — which includes the death of a close friend and an abusive relationship — he begins to realize that growing closer to her might mean losing his friendships with Nory and Zander. It’s a loss he must weigh against Miranda’s ability to pull him out of his shell and toward the kinds of encounters he thinks he wants.
While Hayden teases out the complicated dynamic between these two characters, the questionable nature of Miranda’s behavior as an adult working with a teen — she not only encourages Harris to take risks but fosters an inappropriate bond between them, such as when she climbs into his bed after he gets sick — is never fully addressed.
Despite this plot hole, The First Thing About You presents a well-rounded story about first love, friendship, and high school with disability representation that will serve as a much needed window (or mirror) for all readers.
challenging
emotional
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I saw this in another person's review and I think it captures my thoughts as to why I did not love it, regarding Harris and Miranda's relationship.
"Why would a twenty-something woman climb into bed with a 15 year old boy??? …. A boy that admitted he loved her, by the way. And this is not a plot device or something that we circle back to later. It is just.... left there. Miranda also trauma dumped on him of her friend overdosing on heroin (like… are you serious? To this 15 year old boy?), kissed him, and was jokingly flirting back." -Alexandra
I liked a lot of aspects of it and liked reading his story but I feel like everything with Miranda was off and was not really wrapped up well. The representation was great and I loved reading his pov.
"Why would a twenty-something woman climb into bed with a 15 year old boy??? …. A boy that admitted he loved her, by the way. And this is not a plot device or something that we circle back to later. It is just.... left there. Miranda also trauma dumped on him of her friend overdosing on heroin (like… are you serious? To this 15 year old boy?), kissed him, and was jokingly flirting back." -Alexandra
I liked a lot of aspects of it and liked reading his story but I feel like everything with Miranda was off and was not really wrapped up well. The representation was great and I loved reading his pov.
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Harris moves from California to New Jersey because of his dad's job (which also provides his brother with better lacrosse opportunities). He thinks he can reinvent himself as more than "the wheelchair kid" and lucks out into getting a young nurse, Miranda. Miranda has her own baggage, however, and while she expands Harris's horizons and sees him as more than his wheelchair, she offers some dangers too.
Harris thinks he can learn a lot about people by color theory, which is expressed in the book. I could kind of see where he was going with that--it wasn't a lot different than horoscopes honestly. It made me think a lot about my own internal biases about people in wheelchairs and the life they live. I appreciated seeing Harris through their lenses. It also made me wonder what happens to people who don't have fierce advocates like Harris with his mom.
Harris thinks he can learn a lot about people by color theory, which is expressed in the book. I could kind of see where he was going with that--it wasn't a lot different than horoscopes honestly. It made me think a lot about my own internal biases about people in wheelchairs and the life they live. I appreciated seeing Harris through their lenses. It also made me wonder what happens to people who don't have fierce advocates like Harris with his mom.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use, Alcohol
Minor: Death
I looooved this gorgeous YA Fiction about a smart young man, who just happens to have SMA, and his first year at a new High School. It’s sweet, funny and has a wonderful cast of characters. Special mention to Harris’s mum - who is loving, stressed, and tired as hell. It’s such a realistic portrayal of a mum with a child with super high care needs as she tries to find that balance between fear and letting Harris grow up. I loved her.
.
I was a bit nervous about some boundary issues (well very nervous) but if anyone knows this stuff it’s the author who also has SMA so I had to trust where it was going.
.
Overall I just loved seeing Harris grow over the time, and I loved the insights into life with a high care physical disability. Accessibility issues, the time it takes to get ready, how quickly mild illness can turn life threatening. But I also loved how these weren’t the main focus of the story too.
.
I’ll be encouraging some mates of mine with disabilities to read this and I’ll be very interested to see what they think. I hope they love it too.
.
Thanks @harpercollinsaustralia for my gifted copy, and to @thechazhayden congratulations on your debut! ❤️
.
I was a bit nervous about some boundary issues (well very nervous) but if anyone knows this stuff it’s the author who also has SMA so I had to trust where it was going.
.
Overall I just loved seeing Harris grow over the time, and I loved the insights into life with a high care physical disability. Accessibility issues, the time it takes to get ready, how quickly mild illness can turn life threatening. But I also loved how these weren’t the main focus of the story too.
.
I’ll be encouraging some mates of mine with disabilities to read this and I’ll be very interested to see what they think. I hope they love it too.
.
Thanks @harpercollinsaustralia for my gifted copy, and to @thechazhayden congratulations on your debut! ❤️
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated