Swan Dive

Lazarus and his family immigrate to Canada in the 1990’s to escape the Bosnian War and settle in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He quickly finds his way at his new school where he develops a strong friendship with his outgoing and free-spirited classmate, Elle. The two bond over their shared love of music and have big dreams of taking their passion for singing to celebrity level. Having to navigate the differences in a new country, the extreme cold, trying to master a new language, along with missing family back home and dealing with the trauma experienced during the war is a challenge for Lazarus’ family. Lazarus, on the other hand, appears to be managing well, at least from an outside perspective.

Things take a drastic turn when Elle returns from a summer holiday spent visiting her father in British Columbia. Elle has changed a lot—she’s lost weight, something she had disdain for doing previously, gained mainstream popularity, and has started a relationship with a new student, Ivan. To make matters worse, they are now in high school, and Elle no longer seems interested in their singing duo, which leaves Lazarus’ place in the world hanging in the balance. Suddenly Cris’ security system is fractured, leaving him seeking a place of belonging. In a moment of weakness, Lazarus unleashes a lie that gets him what he is seeking in the short term, but which has drastic long-term consequences.

Swan Dive is Brenda Hasiuk’s third young adult novel. One of her other novels, Where the Rocks Say Your Name, was shortlisted for the McNally Robinson Book of the Year and the Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction. Hasiuk is also a published short story writer. She resides in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and sits on the board of Rossbrook House, an inner-city drop-in centre for at-risk youth, and leads Project Reunite, a group supporting, settling, and reuniting Syrian refugee families.

Swan Dive is told through journal entries written by Lazarus as a task given to him by his therapist. The entries, interspersed with one-sided emails from Elle to Lazarus, weave together the past and the present. As the story moves forward, it is made clear to readers that something has happened to fracture Lazarus and Elle’s friendship. Whilst piecing together the two perspectives, coupled with the narratives of past and present, readers continually gain further information to help them ascertain what happened between the friends. Even as the novel ends, the story of the friendship is not wrapped up perfectly with a bow—readers will be left pondering what happens next for Lazarus and Elle.

Hasiuk has developed many multi-dimensional characters within this text. Readers will learn about how refugees can be affected differently by the trauma they’ve faced and the big changes that come from moving and starting their lives over in a new and unfamiliar place, as evidenced by Lazarus’ reflections of his family’s experiences. From Lazarus’ search for a place of belonging, to Elle’s outspoken, nonconformist nature, the characters are both relatable and realistic, despite not always being likeable or making decisions with which the reader would agree.

One can imagine that Swan Dive’s unique and layered text with its authentic view of the refugee experience was influenced by the author’s work with Syrian refugees. Hasiuk weaves together themes of identity, coming-of-age, mental health, and the experiences of refugees with ease. The book strikes a balance between being serious and suspenseful with added doses of humour brought out through Lazarus’ frank reflections in his journal. This book is one that will keep readers anticipating throughout, whilst providing some humour, and leaving them with big ideas to ponder upon conclusion.