Quick Bright Things

“Everyone hears voices. I’m treated like I’m broken for admitting it.”

Can a weekend trip to visit family ever be smooth? 

Nick was hoping for a quick dinner at his brother Reid’s house when he stopped by with his seventeen-year-old adopted son, Gerome, on their way to meet Gerome’s birth mother. Gerome was recently diagnosed with schizophrenia, and he wants to know more about his family history. Though Reid and his family wreak havoc with their well-meaning but misguided ideas about Gerome’s diagnosis, they manage to convince Nick and his son to stay the night, even after they find Gerome on the roof ready to demonstrate backflips. The dinner pit stop becomes a tense weekend-long event full of claims and questions as the family attempts to “un-crazy” Gerome, leading them all to a dangerous breaking point.

With truth, humour, and pathos, Quick Bright Things explores a family’s struggle with understanding mental health, their ways of expressing love, and what it ultimately means to be “okay.”

Reviews

“Funny and disturbing.”

Awards

  • Governor General’s Literary Award 2020, Nominated
  • Excerpts & Samples ×

    Reid: (to Nick) You’re a fucking layabout now?

    Nick: I’m home-schooling Gerome.

    Reid: (to Gerome) What’s he teaching you?

    Michael: (to Nick) Have you taught him black holes?

    Marion: Michael did a presentation on black holes in science today.

    Nick: We haven’t done—

    Gerome: (quickly, softly) Black holes: leftover star bits with gravitational tidal forces strong enough to crush everything while tearing it to nothingness at the same time.

    Marion: Wowzers, there’s our A+ student!

    Michael: Actually, they’re black and they suck up light is the answer. “Black hole.” Can you do like a backflip?

    Gerome shakes his head.

    How about a front flip?

    Gerome shakes his head.

    Gawd, what’s wrong with you?

    Marion: There’s nothing wrong with him, hun. I can’t do a backflip either.

    Michael: We know you can’t Mary-rion. But what’s he got?

    Marion: Why don’t you tell Geromey about gymnastics?

    Reid: Hey, how ’bout we not call it that? “Gymnastics.” He’s not hanging out with a bunch of six-year-old girls and doing somersaults.

    Marion: (to Nick) We signed him up for after-school gymnastics, and he loves it.

    Reid: Acrobatic Arts! Your nephew—my son—is a competitive gymnast. No joke, this kid—prodigy. You didn’t hear it from me cuz I’m biased, but put these words together in your head: Michael Pinel—Pommel Horse Genius—Olympics 2028, Los Angeles. Be there—he’s gonna get a gold for his ol’ man, I swear to god!

    Michael: Can you do a backflip, Uncle N?

    Nick: No.

    Michael: I can.

    Gerome puts his hand up.

    Marion: Uh—yes, Geromey?

    Reid: Look at that plate! Pile of meat—decimated! My man, you’re kicking a vegan’s ass right now. This is you getting better.

    Marion: But save room for dessert—

    (announcing) Everyone save room for dessert! We’re having pineapple!

    Reader Reviews

    Accessibility Detail

    Accessibility summary
    EPUB Accessibility Specification 1.0 AA
    Table of contents navigation
    Single logical reading order
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    Details

    Dimensions:

    152 Pages
    8.38in * 5.38in * 0.36in
    0.25lb

    Published:

    May 20, 2020

    ISBN:

    9780369100863

    Book Subjects:

    DRAMA / Canadian

    Language:

    eng

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