teens

MADE YOU UP by Francesca Zappia

Posted on by ellisnelson

Zappia

Alex is a paranoid schizophrenic in her senior year at a new school. No one at the school knows anything about her past or her struggles and that’s exactly the way she wants it. However, on her first day of school, she encounters a boy who looks like the same kid she hallucinated on the fateful day her disease became apparent. What follows are the typical high school experience of trying to fit in, finding your social group, and some dating. On one level, Alex is just like everyone else, but on another she’s entirely different. There are two mysteries which underlie and propel the storyline. Both are a bit contrived. But here, the larger story is really about a teen who struggles daily with getting and holding a grip on reality. Zappia has portrayed schizophrenia in a (mostly) accurate and sympathetic way. The book goes a long way in dispelling our collective fear of this disease and promoting compassion. We feel for Alex coping in a harsh world ignorant of what the illness is all about.

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Which brings me to another book I’m going to recommend. Before I read, Made You Up, I did some research so that I could see if what was being presented in some of the new teen books on mental health were accurate. That book was Surviving Schizophrenia: A Family Manual by E. Fuller Torrey, MD. The first edition of this book was released in 1983. Now in its sixth edition, it offers information on the causes, symptoms, and treatment of this disease. At its core, it asks what is it like to live with this illness. It shatters common conceptions and outlines the latest science has on what schizophrenia is, what causes it, and how to deal with it. Notice the title says surviving. It is not a light, fluffy read but it is fascinating and illuminating. It comes at the disease in a helpful, compassionate way.

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CAN YA READING TRENDS BE PREDICTED?

Posted on by ellisnelson

 

Photo:Prettyboymycko

Photo:Prettyboymycko

Publishers Weekly did an article earlier this month pointing out what they view as “hot” in YA this year. Those themes included horror, mental illness, gender identity, and the apocalypse. Of course, these trends reflect what editors and agents believe will be popular. It really says nothing about what the reader may actually want. Getting a handle on the reader can be difficult because good statistics are not kept and predicting the future is always tough. But, is there a way to get a feel for what will interest teens of the future? Maybe.

Recently I watched an episode on Gaiam TV where Regina Meredith was interviewing an astrologer. I’ve been interested in astrology off and on since I was a teenager, but over the past year or so that interest has become more intense and I watch quite a few YOUTUBE astrologers as they explain what’s going on in a given month. It is fascinating and personal.

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What resonated with me in this interview concerned the movement of Pluto and how these long transits (248 years to circle the zodiac) influence generations. With Pluto in a given sign anywhere from 11 to 32 years, it defines a whole generation. In a way, this is the opposite of personal because I share influences with everyone in my age group. As a writer for young people, this idea intrigues me. It especially drew me in as the astrologer talked about my adult children’s group (Pluto in Scorpio). He talked about the attraction for this group to pagan religions and pure philosophy. My daughter describes herself as pagan and my son is currently exploring nihilism and its intricacies. Further extrapolating, I thought- wow, this was the perfect market for Harry Potter. Some people think JK Rowling had a unique idea or that the books were exceptionally well done. But most of us realize that young wizards going off to school has been done before. Perhaps then, Pluto in Scorpio almost guaranteed Harry Potter would make publishing history.

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The youngest of the children of the Pluto in Scorpio generation will turn twenty soon so as a children’s writer, I bid them farewell. My attention turns to the Pluto in Sagittarius (1995- 2008) group. This would be my target audience and astrology should help me see who these kids are. What are the characteristics of this generation?

Sagittarius rules religion, philosophy, long distance travel, and foreign countries. This generation should have a keen interest in these areas and Sagittarius has a can-do enthusiasm that Scorpio lacks. They value freedom, are easily bored, and may not be as well-grounded and realistic as some. If I were to try to predict what would appeal to the Pluto in Sagittarius generation in terms of books (and movies), I’d list novels with far away settings, diverse cultures, exciting plots, maybe some quirky humor. I’m not sure dystopia like Hunger Games and Divergent will continue to appeal. In fact, those dark, complex, and mature themes Publishers Weekly would have us believe will be hot, probably won’t be. Scorpio is all that, but Sagittarius is not! The Sags should be interested in religion and philosophy so perhaps visionary fiction will find its place. Time will reveal what this generation gravitates toward and what the next big blockbuster will be. I for one would not expect editors and agents to be able to see the next phenomenal success because they are looking to the past trying to recreate its success and it won’t be there. Just about the time we start to see how obvious it all should have been, the Pluto in Capricorn (2008-2024) kids will show up and we’ll be scratching our heads all over. But then Capricorn will reveal itself.

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And We Stay (YA) by Jenny Hubbard

Posted on by ellisnelson

AndwestaySpoiler Alert

With this book we have an interesting case where it won numerous awards, but readers gave it mixed reviews (3.7/5 stars).

The book opens with Emily Beam starting second semester as a junior at Amherst School for Girls. Although there is a lot of speculation about the new girl, Emily does her best to keep her secrets locked safely inside. Almost immediately she turns to writing poetry and begins to feel an affinity with the town’s most famous former resident, Emily Dickinson. Slowly the reader finds out that Emily is dealing with the tragedy of her boyfriend’s suicide, an abortion, and adjusting to a new school with very little support. This is one of the best YAs I’ve read in a long time. It’s believable and written from the heart.

In scanning some of the reviews, I’m forced to think that the book exceeds the maturity of its intended audience. Several reviewers couldn’t relate to the third person perspective which is a very traditional form of novel writing. Others were unsatisfied not knowing a specific reason for the boyfriend’s suicide, failing to understand that in real life those who stay behind often lack concrete answers. Some reviewers also wanted Emily to be head over heels in love and less confused over the abortion. Again, in real life people are often ambivalent and uncertain about their choices. For me, not having everything tied up neatly made the novel more realistic and therefore memorable. Hubbard writes about tough topics with compassion, humility, and hope.