Getting her last name out there

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This article was published 12/06/2017 (3014 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

What’s in a last name? Quite a lot for Thea Wortley, as it turns out.

The 16-year-old Grade 11 student will officially release her first book — Max Lastname — on Fri., June 16 at 7 p.m. at McNally Robinson in Grant Park.

The St. Vital resident recently finished writing the novel as part of the project-based learning program Propel, having spent the semester at Nelson McIntyre Collegiate. Wortley’s home school is Collège Jeanne-Sauvé.

Without giving too much away, the story is an intriguing reminder that things aren’t always as they seem to be.

“The story is about Max and his father, who Max idolizes,” Wortley said.

“Max is 10, and is the story’s main narrator. It follows the pair over a period of around a year when they move to five different cities. Every time they move, they change names and Max’s dad gets a new job and Max gets a new hobby, and Max thinks this it’s a game his dad has invented especially for them.”

In reality, though, things are more sinister than Max could’ve imagined, as elements of criminality are uncovered.

As with many good tales, not everything is spelled out in the book, and thinking about her relationship with the reader while writing the book has been a rewarding experience for Wortley.

“Certain things in the book are implied, and I think the reader will understand, as I’ve tried to be subtle,” she said.

This is the teen’s first published novel. The character of Max was inspired by the innocence and naiveté of a character called Antoine Blaudelle in Jacques Savoie’s novel Les Portes Tournantes, which was part of a novel study in a French class.

“The narrator in that story is a kid, and I liked the fact he had an innocent, skewed view of the world, so I built on that.”

Wortley’s 124-page book is self-published with the help of McNally Robinson, which has printed 50 copies for the upcoming launch.

“They’ve been very helpful and very supportive with the project, and I’m very excited to see how the book launch goes with them,” Wortley said.

“I’m excited and very nervous about the launch. I’m not super keen on public speaking, but I’m really excited to share my experiences in a way I haven’t done before.”

The book also includes 10 illustrations, created by Wortley, which are lists of things “Max wants to do throughout his life” and with each new list, something different is added.

“I used my Grade 2 scribbler as a guide for the style of writing I had at that age,” Wortley said.

Go online at www.mcnallyrobinson.com for more information.    

simon.fuller@canstarnews.com