The Whole of the Moon

Duncan Stuart

Pan 1997

199p pbk $14.95

This book is a moving but very depressing insight into cancer through the eyes of a teenage boy. 

Kirk Mead is a normal teenager with friends, a girlfriend and a passion for roller-blading, until he has an unfortunate accident. The x-ray of his leg showed a blurry haze, which after a few tests was found to be cancer. Kirk lost his friends and his girlfriend in the most traumatic of situations.  He fought with depression, rejection and the fear of losing his leg, or his life, to his cancer. 

The one thing that kept him going was Marty. At the Starship Children's Hospital, Kirk made firm friends with three cancer patients. Stevie a mate with a sense of humor, Owen the terrible who was constantly playing chess with 'Owen the American' after a good day and Marty were the three friends. Kirk's best mate in the end was Marty, the streetwise, mean and tough kid, who won his heart.

In the beginning Marty stole Kirk's tapes, his in line roller-blades and taunted him but over time she taught him that he could do whatever he wanted. Marty got Kirk moving again, by firstly pushing him into the physio pool and then making him earn his roller-blades back by walking for them.  From then on a strong friendship was formed. Marty and Kirk ran away together to the streets, Marty's home, then to an island where Kirk had been when he was growing up. Together they saw the whole of the moon and that was when Marty started to give up on life.

This book gives you an understanding of a traumatic situation that few teenagers are faced with.  I would recommend this book to 13-15 year olds who are going through the same sort of thing and to anyone who has an interest in how people handle major traumatic life events.

Marguerite, Year 9, Canberra, ACT