Guilty Pleasures Of A Literature Grad

Many of the books I've picked up since finishing my degree in English literature seem to have one thing in common: they're young adult novels. Is it too late for me to indulge in this genre? I don't think so. Here's why.

I would by lying if I said I wasn't a little relieved by the fact that I haven't had to crack open Shakespeare in a while. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed most of the books I've had to read for class. It's good to get out of your reading comfort zone. And it's good to read voices that don't sound exactly like the one in your head. I'll definitely return to the more challenging classics, but the next time I do it'll be nice to know I won't be getting graded on detailing the explicit or implicit characterization of Mercutio or Malvolio.

My guess on why I've been gravitating towards YA fiction again is that it was time for me to remember what it's like to devour a book. To immerse myself in a universe, a mood, an atmosphere without analyzing the narrative devices that created it. I wanted to get back to a place where I focus on what a book makes me feel. YA is arguably one of the greatest genres for that. Being a teenager is a time of heightened emotions. It takes talent to write about the mundane and trivial parts of growing up in a way that captures what it feels like when you're in the middle of it. Also, to be quite honest, some of these were just sitting on my shelf collecting dust for way too long. It's kind of mind-blowing. An unopened book can sit on a shelf for years and be nothing more than ink on dead trees. But once you open the pages, a whole world comes flooding out and all of a sudden the ink means something to you. Suddenly, it has the power to change you. So, here are three worlds I visited this month...

Wonder (2012) by R.J. Palacio

The tale of Auggie, a 10-year-old boy born with a facial anomalies, is one of those stories that, at first glance, seems too unique to be relatable. However, Palacio writes characters so rich with humanity and vulnerability that it's easy to relate to their trials and tribulations. I would genuinely love for everyone I know and don't know to read this book. Technically, this one's a children's book but one I guarantee holds valuable lessons for you no matter where you are on the journey of life. I first heard about Wonder when Josh Radnor recommended it. I've been reading his so-called museletters for years and he's always shared beautiful, insightful and touching pieces of media. So when he praised this novel and said, "If it sounds like not your thing read it anyway", I didn't hesitate to get myself a copy.

Auggie's story is especially relevant in the context of current world events. We watch as this boy takes on the challenge of transitioning from being homeschooled to starting middle school with other kids for the first time. We witness experiences that teach Auggie about himself, other kids, prejudices, how to stand up for himself and how to make real friends - some things that kids right now are forced to experience in a warped kind of reality.

“The things we do outlast our mortality. The things we do are like monuments that people build to honor heroes after they've died. [...] Only instead of being made of stone, they're made out of the memories people have of you.”

Palacio manages to make this heartwarming and heartbreaking story of a 10-year-old kid trying to fit in accessible to every reader. Not only do we see inside Auggie's mind as he faces obstacles most kids will never have to face, but we also learn how the people around him deal with those moments and how they are changed by them. I often found myself identifying more with characters around Auggie. But interestingly, finding myself in the people that surround him also taught me about what life must be like through Auggie's eyes. Wonder will make you smile, tear up, ponder and most of all leave you with a desire to choose kindess whenever and wherever. Since I haven't seen it yet I can't vouch for the 2017 movie adaption but I'm sure it's as lovely as the book.

More Than This (2013) by Patrick Ness

I seem to stay away from dystopian fiction more and more. Partly because reading about a deadly virus and abandoned streets isn't the escapism I long for these days and partly because I've spent too much time analyzing the dystopian genre for my bachelor's thesis. And yet, this book was absolutely captivating. More Than This is without a doubt my favorite out of the books I've read this month. The novel starts out with our protagonist drowning. I know what you're thinking. Where does a story even go from there? Well, Seth wakes up from his death and mysteriously finds himself in front of his childhood home in England. But, apart from the fact that he seems to be all alone, things don't feel or look how he remembers them. Time and space seem uncanny. Determined to make sense of the situation, Seth decides to explore this place that he can only explain as being the afterlife. That's about as far as I can go into the story without ruining it for you. It's hard to express what makes this book so special without spoiling the plot. In my opinion, it's most impactful when you read it knowing as little as possible.

“Life didn't always go how you thought it might. Sometimes it didn't make any sense at all. You've just got to find a way to live there anyway.”

Going into this novel expecting a "classic" young adult dystopia, I was surprised to find how challenging, philosophical, melancholic and thrilling it turned out to be. I quickly got so invested that it was hard to put down the book. Ness is not afraid to ask the really big existential questions. He also explores their answers in a fresh, unique way. Beside the literal reference to the increase in epidemics, this story carries a special relevance to our time. The overarching theme of a longing for "more than this" is explored in many different realms and contexts. Seeking out answers that offer more than the ones we already know feels like a reaction we can identify with in a time where life is so restricted and nebulous. That is why I've found this book to be especially applicable to our moment in history. I truly can't recommend it enough. More Than This is full of quotes that will stick with me for a long time. I can absolutely see myself revisiting this story in the future.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower (1999) by Stephen Chbosky

When you think of young adult fiction, The Perks of Being a Wallflower definitely always makes the list. Although it came out over 20 years ago, its movie adaption in 2012 was a huge success that revived the book for teenagers of my generation. I can't really tell if I prefer the book over the movie because it's been years since I saw the movie. The book, though, arguably explores its serious themes in much more depth.

“So, I guess we are who we are for alot of reasons. And maybe we'll never know most of them. But even if we don't have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there. We can still do things. And we can try to feel okay about them.”

Reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower can feel a lot like reading a journal or diary of your younger self. Which makes sense because the book is written in the format of letters that protagonist Charlie writes to somebody unknown. Stephen Chbosky achieves a style of writing that gives teenagers authentic voices that feel familiar. His characters are complex and leap off the page. Themes such as mental illness, love, grief, sexuality and friendship are written with such care and truthfulness. The novel is timeless in the sense that 20 years after its release kids will relate to the story just as much as its original crowd. I do believe it's a book that will be around for many more generations of teenagers. But, to me, it's not timeless in the way that it has the same resonance regardless of your age. Out of all three books, this is the one I would say is more impactful when you read it as a teenager. Still, due to some of the mature themes you will absolutely get something out of a read as an adult.

Coming of Age Then and Now

All of these books made me think of how formative those teenage years are. It's a time that I'm sure everyone can agree is frustrating, emotional, exciting and challenging. But how you decide to react to the challenges is what slowly but surely builds your character. And reading these stories I thought about how strangely difficult it must be for kids and teens to come of age in a time like this. It's always difficult to grow into the person you want to be, but think of the lack of social aspects of school these kids are experiencing. First parties, creating memories, all the in-between moments with peers in the school halls during break. Those shared moments carry more weight than we might expect. We ended up in a strange reality that somehow even the dystopian deadly virus stories failed to imagine accurately.

Reading these novels in the here and now made me realize one thing more than anything. No matter how much being a teenager sucked in the moment, ultimately, I can't help but be grateful for all those uncomfortable, frustrating moments. They might seem small now but it's the culmination of all the times I was forced to overcome discomfort that made me who I am and taught me how to deal with all types of people. There's a dialogue in the movie Little Miss Sunshine (2006) where Dwayne talks to his uncle that has always stuck with me.

Dwayne: I wish I could just sleep until I was eighteen and skip all this crap-high school and everything-just skip it.

Frank: Do you know who Marcel Proust is?

Dwayne: He's the guy you teach.

Frank: Yeah. French writer. Total loser. Never had a real job. Unrequited love affairs. Gay. Spent 20 years writing a book almost no one reads. But he's also probably the greatest writer since Shakespeare. Anyway, he uh... he gets down to the end of his life, and he looks back and decides that all those years he suffered, those were the best years of his life, 'cause they made him who he was. All those years he was happy? You know, total waste. Didn't learn a thing. So, if you sleep until you're 18... Ah, think of the suffering you're gonna miss. I mean high school? High school - those are your prime suffering years. You don't get better suffering than that.

The challenges of growing up look different now than they did for me. I believe, though, that the kids of today will grow up to offer a unique perspective shaped by their unique coming of age experience. I believe, like the generations of writers before them, they will figure out a way to create something beautiful out of the chaos. A specific kind of chaos none of us had to grow up in but will still be able to relate to at its core, I'm sure.