‘A battle cry’: Lakeville teen turns personal story into debut novel

LAKEVILLE — Madison Goodman and Gemma Westley have a lot in common. They’re both high school–age girls, both diagnosed with ADHD and autism and both passionate about dance. The only real difference? Gemma is fictional and the protagonist of Goodman’s debut novel, “Unseen and Unheard: The Battle for Respect and Understanding.”

Goodman, 18, is a Lakeville resident who graduated this spring from Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School. This fall, she’ll attend Stonehill College to study English. The idea for the novel took shape shortly after she finished her college application essay. She had written about her struggles with neurodivergence and realized she wanted to turn those experiences into a longer story.

“I struggled a lot socially. I mean, I looked fine because I'm a very happy person, and I like to be around people, but there are times I didn't feel like I fit in,” Goodman said. “The stress that I had in high school and growing up neurodivergent is what really made me decide I wanted to write something empowering to help inspire others.”

Goodman said she had to fight for educational support from teachers and administrators, and was often dismissed as difficult or lazy. Gemma faces similar challenges. Ridiculed by her peers and socially excluded, she finds strength in her best friend Paige and her twin sister Ainsley — who has Down syndrome and is nonverbal.

Goodman didn’t invent Gemma’s support system from scratch. The characters are based on real people in her life, with some tweaks and editorial liberties.

“Ainsley was a really cute supporting character, even though she didn't really say much or at all, she was just a good sidekick or partner in crime,” Goodman said of the fictionalized version of her sister. “She played a huge role in the book.”

A key theme in “Unseen and Unheard” is learning to advocate for yourself. While in her own life, Goodman’s parents stepped in to help her face authority figures, in the book Gemma takes them on herself.

“I wanted Gemma to be the one self-advocating and speaking up for herself alongside her parents,” Goodman said. “I added that in because I wanted to show the readers that they can stand up for themselves, and only the strong really do survive, but it's not just a mantra, it's more a battle cry.”

For both Gemma and Goodman, dance serves as an outlet — something Goodman plans to continue in college after recently making the club dance team at Stonehill.

“You would think you know someone on the spectrum would not want to be around people. But Gemma, Gemma's the opposite. She actually loves to perform in front of an audience,” Goodman said.

While several teachers and administrators serve as antagonists in the novel, Gemma’s dance teacher is one of her supporters.

“I think the only thing with Gemma that isn't true is her being a competitive dancer, because in real life, I'm not competitive. I only danced this year. But everything else is real and 100% exactly me,” she said, adding that even their height matches.

Though Goodman struggled in some subjects, she always loved writing — something evident not only in the novel itself, but in the speed at which she completed it. She started in December 2024 and, by March 2025, had finished the 86-page book.

“Unseen and Unheard” is the first installment in a series titled “Gemma’s Journey: The Battle Within.” The second novel, “Only the Strong Survive,” is already written and available for preorder, with a planned release on Christmas Day.

“I feel like a lot of stuff I didn't fully put in the first one. So I wanted to add in more characters and add in a longer story and show that the battle is not over. It's not a one-time thing, and it's not a sprint, it’s a marathon,” Goodman said.

While Goodman has graduated, Gemma hasn’t. The second book follows Gemma still in high school, and she won’t graduate until the third installment, “Rising Phoenix,” which is already planned but not yet written.

With no editor, publisher or professional writers in her life, Goodman tackled the process herself. She edited the manuscript and published it through Draft2Digital, an online platform that lets authors distribute their work directly to readers. A paperback edition of “Unseen and Unheard” is available on Amazon.

An avid reader herself, Goodman said one of her favorite authors is Stephanie Perkins, known for titles like “There’s Someone Inside Your House.” While the subject matter is different, Perkins’ style influenced her writing.

“My goal is to have, like, really big sales and possibly be known as an author and have a reputation for myself,” she said.

As for what she hopes readers take away from the series, it all comes back to empowerment.

“No matter what, be yourself, because it's not a bad thing at all to be unapologetically yourself,” Goodman said.