October’s YA: Teen Life Insights

Bella, the youthful protagonist of Kathleen Glasgow’s recent in-depth novel ‘The Glass Girl’ (published by Rock The Boat, priced at £8.99), finds solace in the word ‘if’ amidst life’s storms. This echoes the universal belief that the cumbersome trials of adolescence eventually pave the way to a fruitful adult life. However, stark reality reveals exceptions to this dictum – those who never quite prosper or survive, haunted by their lingering emotional quandaries.

To err is human, but the term ‘survivor bias’ denotes a more profound error – the bias created when we conclude from incomplete data that every being possesses indestructible resilience against life’s hard knocks.

In an individual’s life journey, amidst loneliness eloquently observed by Bella, navigating imponderable occurrences like death of close ones, parents’ divorce, pursuit of perfectionism, pandemic lockdown, and school shooting threats becomes inevitable. The question arises: what do we do with our emotional agony?

In the light of such grim situations, formal religion traditionally attempts to instil a sense of meaning, helping believers grapple with profound questions that crop up as we gain more control over our flawed existence. However, even if traditional faith isn’t a refuge, humanity turns to stories for solace.

Stories function as a beacon in the darkness, shedding quiet, gradual light leading to an escape. They offer a comforting empathetic bond which slogans fail to provide, catering to our needs regardless of our age. This aligns with the significance of young adult literature, especially as it is frequently either trivialised or characterised as menacing.

As such, the works of young adult literature that provide a stark insight into the current lives of teenagers, such as the bravely penned ‘The Glass Girl’, are invaluable.

Paddy Cosgrave’s relationship with his old friends has tremendously worsened, culminating in an extremely ugly situation. In Glasgow’s account, a young adolescent girl struggling with alcohol addiction is portrayed with such authenticity and emotion as in her previous writings, subtly progressing towards the essential message of survival despite all adversities. This message, albeit commonplace when taken out of context, gains substance and import through the backdrop of numerous pages of unfolding narrative and evolving characters. To provide a beacon of hope to readers, as most Young Adult novels aim to, the books must first face the harsh realities of their character’s suffering without downplaying or underestimating it.

Pulling off this task is challenging, and it’s often more heart-rending for adult readers to engage with these narratives than for the teenage audience. Witnessing the pain of even fictional young people can be heartbreaking. Nevertheless, the importance of such books cannot be overstated, especially when they are crafted exquisitely. Glasgow’s poetic background is discernible in her work and it decorates the pages in delightful ways. It is indeed a significant and beautiful literary piece.

At times, an outright realistic representation of trauma can be overwhelming, making the capacity of fiction to incorporate several “unrealistic” components to highlight profound emotional truths a strength. AS King consistently plays with peculiar and surreal elements (imagine Vonnegut with teenage girls as protagonists), and her latest work, “Pick the Lock” (Dutton, priced at £17.99) brings readers into a unique setting described as an “Unblemished Victorian Prison”. It features a system of tubes, known as the System, implemented to subdue difficult women.

The primary ‘difficult woman’ here is the mother of 16-year-old Jane, who she has learnt to loathe. On the exterior, her mother emerges as Mina Placenta, a strong, feminist rock artist–someone perceived as beyond the boundaries of toxic, abusive behaviour. However, within the confines of their home, things turn out to be rather different, but never stereotypical. An evil shapeshifter, an ongoing punk opera, and a substantial undisclosed fact about how the world functions all add to the intrigue. This unusual, daring and thought-stirring novel acknowledges the suffering of its young readers and treats it with earnestness.

In her latest narrative, Handle With Care, Louisa Reid delves deep into challenging decisions that adolescents frequently face. Available from Guppy Books for £8.99, the narrative unfolds in both free-verse and prose formats, presenting the perspectives of two teenage protagonists. Ruby struggles with acknowledging her reality, whereas Ashley perceives it vividly; setting her focus on the mundane present, their worn surroundings, and her dear friend in the throes of childbirth.

The complexities of teenage pregnancy and early motherhood are meticulously unravelled, without presenting any straightforward or expected resolutions. The grown-ups in their lives aren’t simply flat, villainous characters but are riddled with their relatable imperfections. The secret’s effect on the friendship between these girls is depicted subtly, with due sensitivity, and the gripping climax will linger in your memory.

In his sequel, Crying Wolf, James Butler harnesses his theatre skills to create a riveting tale about one young man’s endeavour to escape his past criminal involvement. This narrative, filled with a Dublin accent that could challenge the likes of Roddy Doyle(appreciatively acknowledged within the book), is priced at€10.99 on Little Island.

Joey aspires to improve himself, particularly considering his girlfriend Sharon’s academic achievements as she progresses to Trinity. However, with his stepfather Vinnie’s return, though he recognises he should maintain distance and avoid any involvement, he craves Vinnie’s recognition and closeness. The risks of engaging in illicit actions, the desperation propelling individuals, the absence of reasonable alternatives and even the corruption in government are all lightly yet accurately depicted in this book. Primarily, the reader is left eagerly turning the pages, curious about the destiny of the amiable, tortured, and tormented main character. This makes Crying Wolf a truly engrossing read.

“Jason Reynolds highlights in the conclusion of his acknowledgements for his new book, Twenty-Four Seconds From Now (Faber, priced at £8.99), saying “Black boys are worthy of being included in love stories too”. Despite broaching grim and tough topics in his past novels, it’s quite surprising to refer to his latest work as this month’s most ‘light-hearted’—but it’s important to remember that the serious portrayal of youngsters’ lives includes their joys as well.

The narrative initiates with the main character, Neon, likening himself to an alarm clock about to jolt into wakefulness, and subsequently retreats back in time, revealing through a reverse sequence the preceding two years leading to his very first time with his girlfriend Aria. It incorporates reminders that genuine life doesn’t mimic the prospective fantasies of movies or any other visual consumables that might have influenced young men. The book manages to avoid becoming overtly preachy, interspersing humour and compassion throughout. The absolutely awkward situations of parents providing weighty life lessons—clearly oblivious of the realities— are depicted exceptionally well.”

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