Concentrate

Figments #2

by Darren Groth

The Greenhill cricket team’s new kid, Dane Faulkner, is angry, Aboriginal, doesn’t wear a helmet, and cherishes an old bat dubbed ‘Concentrate’ due to the scrawled message on its spine. He’s also a phenom. Michael Duffy wants to figure out what makes the strange, gifted newcomer tick, but has his own problems – a blinkered father, an overprotective big sister, and impaired vision that is threatening his baggy green dream.

When a bigoted, bullying opponent is trumped using the Concentrate, a bond between the boys is forged and the source of the new kid’s freakish performances is revealed: a powerful, mystical presence within the willow itself. It is a presence Dane believes comes courtesy of his full-blood father, severely head-injured in a construction accident and rehabilitating in the family home. Michael - empathetic due to his own mother’s battle with leukaemia and the only other person ‘chosen’ to experience the Concentrate’s supernatural gift - is convinced of Dane’s claims during a late-night experiment at the local nets. Then the cricketing miracle begins to give way to the medical variety and Michael understands that, in Dane Faulkner’s world, nothing is impossible.

But what about his own world?

Convinced of Destiny’s mean streak during a disastrous audition for higher honours, and having abandoned his promises of playing for Australia, Michael carries the dormant bat into his last ever innings – the district grand final. Is there life still remaining in the dream? Is there alchemy still to be witnessed?

Perhaps if he can concentrate...

'Concentrate' is a story of faith after loss, determination after setback and hope after defeat. Combining the best elements of magic realism and young adult literary fiction, it contends there is no more powerful thing in this world as heartfelt belief.

'Concentrate' was shortlisted in the 2009 Text Prize for Young Adult and Children’s Writing.

103 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 17, 2012

About the author

Darren Groth is a Vancouver author and citizen of Canada, having moved from his native Australia in 2007. His novels include 'Kindling', 'Boy in the Blue Hammock' and the acclaimed YA works, 'Are You Seeing Me?' and 'Munro vs. the Coyote'. His new memoir, 'Marooned: A Memoir of Fandom, Fatherhood and the Far Side of the World', will be out May 20, 2026.

Darren has been a winner in the South Australian Literary Awards and a finalist in numerous other prestigious prizes including the Governor General's Literary Awards (Canada), the OLA White Pine Award (Canada). the CBCA Book of the Year (Australia), and the Prime Minister's Literary Awards (Australia).

For fun, he watches 'American Ninja Warrior' with his beautiful Canadian wife and eats Fatburger with his wondrous twins.