The Maladjusted

The Maladjusted by Derek Hayes

Derek Hayes is a Toronto writer who was born in London, Ontario. He has a BA in history from Queen’s University and a Bachelor of Education from The University of Maine at Presque Isle. He has worked as a high school teacher in Taipei, Istanbul, and currently teaches in Toronto. He has written a few novels and published several short stories in various journals and reviews and is currently working on a new novel.

The Maladjusted is a collection of 16 short stories, each profiling a different character who doesn't fit in with his/her surroundings and/or society's expectations.

Some of Hayes’ characters are on the social fringe, such as the mentally challenged narrator of the title story who finds his way through urban life with the aid of his seventy-year-old neighbour and the possibilities inherent in a game of chess. Some obsess privately, such as the protagonist in “The Runner” who becomes neurotically repulsed by the hair follicles on his girlfriend’s upper lip, while others, like the proven street ball “cager” of the story “In the Low Post” stews over his eroding prestige and control on the inner-city basketball court.

I was sent a copy of The Maladjusted to read and review. I must admit, it isn't my usual sort of reading. If I get any reading time at all, that is! :) So I was intrigued to read some of the stories and see what it was all about. Mental health issues are being talked about more and more, and yet still not likely enough. Having witnessed friends and family members going through various experiences dealing with unstable mental health and being aware of the "stigma" that is still associated with mental illness, I was pleased that Derek Hayes is dealing with this issue so openly, as though it's a part of regular society, which it in fact is. I found the characters were well-described and it was easy to get a sense of the context in most stories, even though I have no personal connection with many of the characters. Problems and issues were realistically portrayed, sometimes with a touch of humour or sarcasm.


Each story is just long enough to develop the situation and plot well without wearing it out. If your reading time is short, you might be able to have the satisfaction of reading an entire story without interruption (depending on who is shortening your reading time, that is!)

The Maladjusted is published by Thistledown Press and is available at Chapters and Indigo stores

**Disclosure: The product mentioned above has been given free of charge from Derek Hayes in exchange for being featured on Glimpse. The opinions expressed in this post are those of Glimpse and have not been influenced in any other way. Please see the full Terms of use.