Author: Eve Thomson
Publisher: Echo Publishing
Reviewer: Louise Cipta
Whilst on the surface, Smother is a legal thriller, it is way more than that.
The story revolves around the court case of Grace Dooley versus her college and her football coach after she suffers a catastrophic head injury during an inter-college AFL match.
Who was to blame?
We watch the facts unfold through transcripts from the trial and events leading up to the trial.
I loved the characters, and as a parent of a child that played elite sports, I reflect on us making similar decisions throughout her playing career without fully considering the risks and possible consequences.
The characters were relatable. The career woman who put her career first and her personal life second, until she suddenly realised what she may have been missing out on.
The teenagers who were conflicted between dealing with what was being forced on them, wanting to be true to themselves as well as please all the adults around them.
The retired footy player who was struggling to find out where he might fit now his footy playing days were in his past, whilst dealing with failing health as a result of the game that gave him his life.
The book looks at relationships that come in all shapes and sizes and how we need to nurture these at all stages of life.
This is a must-read – an enjoyable and thought-provoking story.
Publishers blurb
Winning isn’t everything. It’s more.
Bruce College, a private school in a leafy Melbourne suburb, is a place for winners. Affectionately known as Bruisers, its boys’ football program has a reputation for pumping out superstars. But when its girls’ team pushes for glory, sixteen-year-old Grace Dooley is left with a catastrophic brain injury, and her parents want someone held accountable. The school points the finger at the coach, Brick Hannaford, a former professional player who is struggling with the legacy of his lauded, 300-game career. Brick says he was coaching the kids exactly as the parents and school demanded: hard.
In a rut, questioning her single-minded pursuit of a career at the expense of her personal life, lawyer Romola Cross takes on Brick’s case. She soon finds herself caught up in the complex and disturbing fallout of school sport turned toxic. As Romola investigates the reasons Grace played that day, she begins to understand the pressures bearing down on the girl – from peers, teachers, coach and parents. But who should take responsibility? What will the Court’s judgment be? And, once the case is over, will Romola find what she’s been searching for?
Smother is a novel about chasing dreams, and how the quest for victory can risk losses far beyond those on the scoreboard. It’s a story about the forces of love, ambition and fear, and finding the right balance before it all comes undone.