Please Don’t Hug Me (2020)
‘The most stressful interactions for me are ones like this, where the person’s face says one thing but their words say another. Which one am I supposed to believe? Faces seem to be more truthful, but people always act as though their words are the only things that matter.’
ERIN is looking forward to Schoolies, at least she thinks she is. But her plans are going awry. She’s lost her job at Surf Zone after an incident that clearly was not her fault, and now she’s not on track to have saved enough money. Her licence test went badly, which was also not her fault: she followed the instructor’s directions perfectly. And she’s missing her brother, Rudy, who left almost a year ago. But now that she’s writing letters to him, some things are beginning to make sense.
Kay Kerr’s Please Don’t Hug Me depicts life on the cusp of adulthood—and on the autism spectrum—and the complexities of finding out and accepting who you are and what’s important to you.
Please Don’t Hug Me was shortlisted for an Australian Book Industry Award (ABIA), and was a Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) 2021 Notables book.
What People Are Saying:
‘This book is beautifully intimate, and so authentic. You’re going to love getting to know its central character, Erin. I’m so thrilled this book exists.’
– Claire Christian
‘This own-voices Australian debut about a young woman who is shaped—but not defined—by her autism, balances its funny and serious sides perfectly, and is a heartwarming read about self-acceptance and authenticity.’
– Leanne Hall
‘Kay Kerr is a skilful writer who deftly balances the serious and the light in this coming-of-age narrative…This is another exciting release in Australian young adult fiction that I can’t wait to recommend to a host of sharp and curious minds.’
– Books+Publishing
‘Essential reading.’
– CBCA Victoria
‘A moving and insightful story about finding your place in the world.’
– Nina Kenwood
‘Funny & Serious.’