Previously known for his work in children’s literature, Bernard Gallate brings a lightness and sense of play to his debut adult novel, The Origin of Me.

Things aren’t going too well for fifteen-year-old Lincoln Locke. Following the breakdown of his parents’ marriage, Lincoln is pulled from his laidback, idyllic northern beaches lifestyle and thrust into the sound and fury of his dad’s new inner-city Sydney bachelor pad. Awkward father-son moments aside, Lincoln has to try to find a way to fit in at his new, exclusive, and elitist school, to resist the orders of Homunculus (the voice inside his head) and hide ‘the nub’ – a peculiar growth at the base of his spine.

The Origin of Me walks the winding but well-trodden path of coming of age novels by authors past, but it manages to be charming enough to feel like something new. Lincoln’s struggles with change, identity and self-image make this novel a great fit for teenage readers. However, it is through its satire of Australia’s ‘nonexistent’ class system that The Origin of Me really shines. While one could certainly not call them subtle, Gallate’s characterisation of old-boy-cum-teacher Nigel Lethrige is hilariously accurate.

The Origin of Me is a bouncing debut novel whose youthful energy is powered by a satirical undercurrent that will reward those willing to float with the tide.

Barney Pollock works as a bookseller at Readings Carlton.