As a parent of a teen and two pre-teens, I’ve noticed a trend: young people want real. They are drawn toward authentic representations of life and are repelled by glossed, painted-over versions. They know they have flaws and want to be loved despite them. They also want to know that others have faults too.
My preferred genre to write is contemporary fiction, so I’ve paid close attention to this. I’m always interested in stories that show teens in real-life situations, with the good, the bad, and the ugly that come with it. My goal is to point them toward Jesus in all this; He knows about their flaws, and He loves them anyway too.
The good news is, I’m not the only author with this goal! If you have a teen in your life that is looking for authentic stories, I highly recommend Real, Not Perfect by Stephanie Coleman.
Tessa has a great life on paper – excellent grades, active in her church youth group, and success on her competitive swimming team. But then her best friend moves out of state, and her parents announce the unthinkable: they’re getting divorced. Tessa then has to navigate a world that is less-than perfect, and decide how much she wants to share with the world.
I’d love to know how your teens share and seek out authenticity! Drop a comment, and let me know!
Victoria: I want to add that your book Main Dish, is an excellent REAL teen book. For others who haven’t read it: Main Dish explores the tug and pull of popularity and family dynamics. A teen has to give up a hard-earned chair in an honor orchestra because her younger sister has the opportunity to be on a reality show. It’s a great read!
Thank you so much! I’m so glad to hear it!
Yes! Real and raw is what my teen boys want to read. Lately, they have been drawn to fictional re-tellings from a teen’s POV of what it was like to live through historical events and the ramifications of those events on every day life. This book sounds excellent and so relatable! Thanks for sharing!
I love this! I hadn’t even thought of “real” historical fiction…I’m going to explore these books too!