The Book of Chance by Sue Whiting

Title: The Book of Chance

Author: Sue Whiting

Genre: Mystery

Publisher: Walker Books

Published: 1^st April 2020

Format: Paperback

Pages: 288

Price: $18.99

Synopsis: Chance is a black-and-white thinker until she realises that sometimes there are shades of grey.


Chance is in Year 7 and thinks she has it all – a loving mother, dog Tiges, best friend and almost-sister next door. But when a reality TV team makes over her house, she discovers newspaper cuttings from the past that cause her to question the world as she knows it and everyone in it. Then she finds herself caught between two realities, identities and worlds. Face-to-face with the truth, Chance has a very difficult decision to make, which almost splits her in two.

This powerful story explores what is true and what is fake in today’s world. And while Chance is all about the truth, she ponders whether “Maybe being truthful was really just a big lie.”

The Book of Chance by Sue Whiting, Highly Commended, 2021 Davitt Awards Best Children’s Crime Book

~*~

For the past 13 years, Chance has lived with her mama near Wollongong, her dog Tiges, and a community of refugees mama helps with English lessons, and anything they need. They’ve built their own family this way, and Chance is best friends with Alek, whose family has come from Sudan. Chance calls Alek’s mother Missa-D, and together they’ve hatched a plan with a renovation reality TV show to do something to thank Chance’s mother. Yet, during the renovation, Chance finds newspaper clippings in the journals her mother has kept – articles that hint at a different story and past, at things that have been hidden from her.

As Chance unravels more, she finds herself caught between two identities, two realities and two worlds – and she knows she needs to do something, but who? In a story about truth and lies, and how people shape, create, and control what people know about them and their realities, how does Chance reconcile the lies she has been living with the lies that everyone tells daily?

Chance’s story kicks off as rumours swirl around school, where everyone has been kind to one of the girls in Chance’s group after she posted something tragic, that was later exposed as being a lie – resulting in the student leaving and Chance’s class taking part in a Digital Citizenship class. It is Chance’s black and white view of the world, her distinct idea of what is right and wrong that sets her off questioning why they are there, why it is okay for people to lie on social media, and why people are punished when they uncover the truth – and the consequences of people lying. As the story goes on and Chance starts digging around, she finds out that she may not be who her mother says she is.

This mystery is the backbone of the story, where the clues are slowly revealed, and Chance finds ways to continue her investigation. She is determined, and this ensures that the tension is always there, and grows throughout the novel. Amidst a storm of emotions, the media getting onto the story, and Chance wanting to know the truth about her birth and father, relationships are strained, which evokes a sense of how lies, truth, and trust. These major themes shape how Chance relates to the people around her, how she reacts to things, and some of the risks she takes as she tries to uncover her own identity and work out what really happened thirteen years ago. In a world where lies and truth seem to continuously be questioned, where we can’t always tell what is true, and what is fake, Chance’s story highlights a very real need to be honest, and to not hide behind a lie. And I found the way it questioned how we deal with lies and the truth to be interesting. Why do we accept some things as truth, even if there is no evidence of the truth? Why do some lies get dealt with by punishing the people who exposed the lie? What role does social media have to play? And most importantly: what lengths will some people go to so they can maintain their version of the truth, even when they are caught out in a lie? This is a fantastic young adult book that will make readers look at the way they represent themselves and how they respond to what other people say. I found it engaging and well-deserving of its CBCA Shortlisting from 2021.

Another thing I liked was the examination of identity, the creation of families, and the diverse community Chance lives in – it was beautiful and welcoming, and I loved Missa-D and her family. They’re so supportive and such a powerful presence in the book, the kind of people you’d want on your side during a tricky situation, and I am glad Chance had them around to help as things got more and more complicated. It celebrates community and diversity amidst a compelling mystery, and with an examination of identity and what makes us who we are as well in another fantastic book from the versatile Sue Whiting.