Tobias Madden, Take a Bow, Noah Mitchell, Penguin Books, August 2022, 384 pp., RRP $19.99 (pbk), IBSN 9780143777397
Take a Bow, Noah Mitchell is an endearing and heartfelt YA coming of age romance. The characters are charming and likeable, ridiculously cringey and most definitely relatable. Tobias Madden explores themes of bullying, body image, lying and manipulation, queer relationships, and new friendships.
Seventeen-year-old gamer Noah Mitchell is in love with his best and only friend. A boy he has never met in person, and it seems he will never meet. This boy goes by the name of ‘MagePants69’ in the Spire of Dusk videogame Noah dedicates all his waking hours to playing. From what Noah can gather from their frequent online chats, ‘MagePants69’ also lives in Ballarat, he is seventeen and he does not attend the same school, Central Highlands Grammar School.
If only they could meet in real life, then maybe Noah would be happier and he could cope with the frequent bullying from his classmates. So when ‘MagePants69’ lets slip a very crucial detail that could give away his identity Noah sees an opportunity for them to meet. The only problem is that he must join the cast of Chicago in a community theatre production that will be showcased to the entire town. Noah knows next to nothing about theatre. He can’t even sing or dance. To make matters worse, his outgoing and talented mother is one of the lead actresses in the production.
Choosing to forsake his dignity to meet his online crush, Noah signs up. He hopes to use all the information he has discovered whilst playing Spire of Dusk to win over ‘MagePants69’. And then eventually tell him who his is. What could possibly go wrong?
Take a Bow, Noah Mitchell is an easy and entertaining read. While it is predictable and has the overly used lying trope this novel is engaging and invites readers to consider important topics that don’t receive the attention they should, including male body image and self-esteem. This YA novel is recommended for readers fourteen years and older due to strong language.
Reviewed by India Boon
