The Pattern Seeker

Fourteen-year-old Liam Miller knows the rules of football. Protect the line. Hold your ground. Don't let anything through.

At home the rules are different.

His dad used to fix engines and teach IT at TAFE. Now he's building firewalls out of copper wire and scanning barcodes for hidden codes. Red cars mean surveillance. Drones circle overhead. The microwave is a signal dampener. The world is watching.

Liam tells himself it's temporary. He keeps the secrets. He manages the power bills. He smooths things over with the neighbours. He lies to teachers. He stays awake at night so his dad can sleep.

Because protecting your family is what you do.

But when paranoia turns dangerous and his father collapses from dehydration, Liam is forced to confront a truth he's been avoiding: loyalty can't fix everything — and sometimes the bravest move is asking for help.

Set in rural Queensland, The Pattern Seeker is a powerful, story-led exploration of mental health, stigma, and the silent weight carried by young carers. Honest, grounded, and deeply human, it examines what happens when patterns blur the line between protection and fear — and how strength can be found in letting others step in.

A school-safe, discussion-ready novel for secondary readers, this is a story about family, resilience, and learning to leave the noise behind.