Content area
Full Text
Introduction
Readers of young-adult literature (YAL) are fortunate that each year, many excellent, diverse titles are being published specifically to nourish their reading appetites (Cappella 2010; Zdilla 2010). The most popular type of literature written for the young adult (YA) category is contemporary realistic fiction (CRF) (Bond 2011; Koss & Teale 2009). Whilst this type of literature remains wellliked with YA readers, the trends and themes continually evolve.
Modern themes and trends
Character representation
CRF still requires plausible protagonists with which the reader can relate or connect (Bond 2011; Zdilla 2010). YA readers are currently enjoying characters which are captivating (Bond 2011) and those which are multidimensional (Cart 2011). The main protagonist Elly, in / made lattes for a love god (Harmer 2012), is instantly captivating. She has a secret and shares it with the reader all within the first three pages! The energy of Elly is particularly captivating. She is exactly how a star-struck teen would behave and thus keeps the interest of the reader. Will Kostakis' character of Lucas in The First Third (2013) is multidimensional. The reader learns early on that he has cerebral palsy, hence the nickname of Sticks. Later, one discovers that he is helpful, kind, caring and gay. The reader enjoys the new dimensions added to the character, as the character is likeable and credible. It is important to include such literature in collections so that individuals like the character of Lucas do not feel alone, and this allows adolescents to broaden their perspectives about inclusivity (Hazlett, Sweeney & Reins 2011 ; Wopper 2011 ).
Narrative structure
There has been a shift in narrative structure to be more like adult fiction, but at a less complicated level (Martinez & Harmon 2011; Zdilla 2010). Trends include multiple protagonists with varying points of view (Bond 2011), and a shift away from the traditional linear approaches (Martinez & Harmon 2011). These changes in narrative structure make sense, considering the methods in which society reads narrative viewpoints, which are not always linear, and in a variety of ways such as through social media sites or online news (Koss & Teale 2009). Hendrick (2013) successfully uses a non-linear and multiple protagonist composition in The Accident. The fiction skilfully unfolds through the eyes of...