Of Kisses and Teenagers

In the world of literature we can find hundreds of genres, and obviously, a genre addressed to young adults could not be absent. Logically, someone called this genre Young Adult Literature (YAL). Most of the famous novels and stories within this category are considered ‘trash literature’ (at least for the intellectual circles). However, we should leave aside that prejudice since we can find many YAL characteristics in stories from other genres. The short story I Kiss a Door is a clear example of this. This story, from the book No One Belongs Here More Than You written by Miranda July, revolves around the feelings and thoughts of a girl who discovers that her friend is living with her father as a couple. While it’s true that we won’t find the book in the YAL section in a bookshop, it is also true that I Kiss a Door in particular can be considered YAL.

Now the thing is, how can we know whether a story is attractive to young adults or not? Authors Sarah K. Herz and Donald R. Gallo mention the importance of including appealing themes and topics for adolescents in YAL stories. In I Kiss a Door we will find several controversial topics: sexuality, since there is an explicit sex scene; insecurity, considering that the narrator is jealous of her friend’s beauty, popularity and family; identity, since the protagonist doubts about her child's father's identity; survival, if we take into account that there is a girl who has to live with her dad as man and wife; love, as we can see a father who is in love with her own daughter; and friendship, since we have two friends who break up because of a man.  

Author Robert C. Small highlights the importance of having a teenager as the main character in YAL stories. In I Kiss a Door, the narrator and protagonist of the story is not biologically a teenager since she may be in her twenties. Still, she could be considered as a teenager because of her personality and because of the way she acts. Our protagonist is a never-think-before, sexually adventurous, fragile, insecure and jealous girl who flirts with her friend’s father and who also cheats on her friend by having sex with her boyfriend.  And as if that were not enough, she also ends up having an unplanned pregnancy without even being sure of the father’s identity. Would you consider her as a teenager? Most probably your answer is “yes!” The thing is that this girl is not a teen but she acts like one.

Beyond a doubt, many of the books in the YAL section in a bookshop are usually really dull with very simple plots and common writing styles. But just like I Kiss a Door, there are thousands of high-quality stories out there that, without being “officially” considered YAL, may be very appealing for young adults.