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Weaving Us Together
A sharp and insightful coming-of-age story about all the ways we find home from an exciting debut author and 2022 black&write! Fellow.
When I look back, I realise everything I needed was there all along.
I'm Jean O'Ryan and this is my story. I didn't know who I was or where I belonged when I moved with my dad to a little town surrounded by hills. In that valley where the rivers meet the sea, Seraphina Landry found me fallen over on a road. With a hand from Seraphina and the rest of The Crew, we weave our lives together using threads of hope, grief, joy and love. Never alone, I find my mob, face the worst of days, search for answers, and figure out what kind of person I wanna be.
A sharp and funny Australian YA about a non-binary Aboriginal person as they transverse the ups and downs of life, including finding their family, healing from trauma, and figuring out who they are.
From Gumbaynggirr and Gunggandji writer and black&write! Fellowship winner Lay Maloney.
'A story that will grab your heart with both hands. Poetic, hilarious and heartbreaking in turn, this book is a gift for blak kids and young readers everywhere' Grace Lucas-Pennington, black&write!
When I look back, I realise everything I needed was there all along.
I'm Jean O'Ryan and this is my story. I didn't know who I was or where I belonged when I moved with my dad to a little town surrounded by hills. In that valley where the rivers meet the sea, Seraphina Landry found me fallen over on a road. With a hand from Seraphina and the rest of The Crew, we weave our lives together using threads of hope, grief, joy and love. Never alone, I find my mob, face the worst of days, search for answers, and figure out what kind of person I wanna be.
A sharp and funny Australian YA about a non-binary Aboriginal person as they transverse the ups and downs of life, including finding their family, healing from trauma, and figuring out who they are.
From Gumbaynggirr and Gunggandji writer and black&write! Fellowship winner Lay Maloney.
'A story that will grab your heart with both hands. Poetic, hilarious and heartbreaking in turn, this book is a gift for blak kids and young readers everywhere' Grace Lucas-Pennington, black&write!
278 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 30, 2025
1 person is currently reading
90 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 26, 2025
Strong authentic voice, full of warmth and humour.
September 28, 2025
im a sucker for anything queer and YA, so it was a given that I'd enjoy this book and it exceeded expectations. the prose is a nice balance of poetic and funny, bringing forth Jean's voice and sense of humour then making you cry a few pages later.
they navigated shades of light and dark in this story with a grace and pacing that impressed me especially for a debut novel. I was totally hooked on the characters' growth from pre-teen to 17 and appreciated Jean being able to spend time picking apart their feelings.
the care taken to depict many different family structures and histories, kinship and Country was striking. the section contrasting Reidville and Pirri, with Jean feeling drawn to both and feeling the pressure of wanting to take care of their dad and wanting to be with their best friend, was really visceral.
the side characters are developed and their stories are woven through the text in a way that easily lends itself to a re-read. Antony especially.
I also enjoyed the nods to fanfiction and pop culture which placed the story in a very particular time - i see you "battled for dominance" 😅
they navigated shades of light and dark in this story with a grace and pacing that impressed me especially for a debut novel. I was totally hooked on the characters' growth from pre-teen to 17 and appreciated Jean being able to spend time picking apart their feelings.
the care taken to depict many different family structures and histories, kinship and Country was striking. the section contrasting Reidville and Pirri, with Jean feeling drawn to both and feeling the pressure of wanting to take care of their dad and wanting to be with their best friend, was really visceral.
the side characters are developed and their stories are woven through the text in a way that easily lends itself to a re-read. Antony especially.
I also enjoyed the nods to fanfiction and pop culture which placed the story in a very particular time - i see you "battled for dominance" 😅
August 9, 2025
This narrative is beautifully balanced and impeccably paced. It’s a young adult book, but I immediately sensed its potential to resonate beyond that reader demographic. Maloney handles a myriad of complex themes — grief, finding where we belong, the often long and painful road to self-understanding and acceptance — and they do so with great respect for the characters and their stories. I flew through this gorgeous and thoughtful book. At times, I paused between chapters so I could reflect more deeply on things this book reminded me about my own life — the challenges of growing up in a small town as an Aboriginal kid, trying to work out where you belong, how to best respond when the people you love fall short (even temporarily). The stand out message for me is that none of us becomes who we are without the love and help of those we trust. All together, it is a profoundly human story, one that I will absolutely be reading again.
July 22, 2025
Not out until the end of July, I grabbed this because I'm always on the lookout for teen Indigenous voices. This combines being non-binary with an Indigenous voice which you don't get often. Cool, edgy, deals with belonging (or not), identity, family and grief. Would be a great school mentor text.
Read by Belinda
Read by Belinda
January 3, 2026
An incredible First Nations YA read! It certainly was hard hitting in terms of what the main characters and their friends had to endure but it had moments of light too that made it feel balanced and not too overwhelming for a teen reader. It could be triggering for some readers though so always do your research!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews