March 28, 2016
Twelve-year-old Ethan is extraordinary: he’s always been bright and curious, idolizing Stephen Hawking and easily able to rattle off facts about the stars and planets. No one recognized the extent of his unusual genius, however, until the wake of an unexpected seizure, when he reveals to his neurologist the uncanny ability to accurately visualize various phenomena of physics, including redshift and black holes. This discovery coincides with the return to Sydney of Ethan’s dad, who’s been absent from the family since a tragic incident in Ethan’s infancy that nearly killed Ethan and resulted in the end of his parents’ marriage. That same incident, however, may have resulted in Ethan’s exceptional talents, leading Ethan’s parents to wonder whether this silver lining might hint at other opportunities for redemption and reconciliation. At times, layers of imagery are piled on a little too thickly. But the author’s willingness to engage with ethical and interpersonal complexities and her resistance to too-easy resolutions overcome occasional weaknesses in the prose. With its thoughtful consideration of family dynamics and its strong thematic currents, Hayes’s excellent debut will appeal to fans of JoJo Moyes.
May 12, 2015
Antonia Hayes’ debut novel Relativity is magnetising. Its highly original plot artfully reveals the mysteries behind a family rupture, at the heart of which is adorable 12-year-old protagonist Ethan, a misfit with a genius-like knowledge of physics.
His fiercely protective single mother Claire and his estranged, mysterious father Mark remain haunted by the past: something happened when Ethan was a baby that changed all their lives. Love and hurt are intertwined and Ethan suffers as a result. Paradoxes, forgiveness, guilt and gravity play their parts as each character begins a journey of recovery.
Flawed, real and complex, the characters are one of the book’s strengths. Balanced perspectives make it easy to empathise with them, particularly Ethan.
The author’s talent is displayed through enticing imagery and the timing of the plot’s pacing and revelations. The background discourses of physics and astronomy, while a touch difficult to follow in places, was overall fascinating. Foremost, however, is the sense of familial love that pulsates through the book.
Superbly written and vividly imagined, this Sydney-set novel should have broad appeal to literary and general fiction readers, and fans of science and family drama. It deserves to create quite a buzz.
Joanne Shiells is a former retail book buyer and editor of Books+Publishing.