The First Thing About You, Chaz Hayden, Walker Books Limited (2022).

Reviewed by: Chris J Kenworthy, for Armadillo magazine.

‘The First Thing About You‘ follows 15 year old Harris, who has Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) and wants to reinvent himself when his family moves from California to New Jersey – meaning a new high school, a new nurse, and a fresh start.

Fascinatingly, Harris judges people by their favourite colours, knowing if they are too close to his ‘blue’ then their friendship likely will not work. Weeding out the incompatible greens and purples, he works through the novel to surround himself with ‘outgoing’ yellows, ‘adventurous’ oranges and ‘thrilling’ reds.

His new nurse Miranda sees him for who he really is – funny and smart – and with her beauty and confidence, she is a perfect blend of orange and red. Although she has her own complicated history, when she realises Harris is smitten with a girl at school, she makes a pact with Harris to help him with girls if he can help her to become a better nurse.

Carer and disabled person romance story this is not, but it is beautiful to see their friendship blossom. In particular, when Miranda helps Harris realise that others are not focused on his wheelchair, but his personality.

The most eye-opening parts of the story are the brutally honest truths regarding family dynamics. Claire is not a bad mother to Harris, but is not perfect either – she symbolises the often frustrating and messy relationships between a disabled person and their families in reality. Ultimately, however, what shines through is the love that they share. Particularly at school, when she is simply ‘Claire’ – she knows how it would affect Harris if his classmates discovered his mum had accompanied her son to school.

It is worth noting that author Chaz Hayden also has SMA, so readers can be sure that the story is accurate with its details. While ‘The First Thing About You‘ is fictional, Hayden’s personal experience makes the novel as informative as a non-fiction book. It is an easy read that at times is humorous, but also very moving and heart-warming. Hayden knows his subject, and with this beautiful but powerful story, he reminds readers to treat wheelchair users with respect.