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Realistic Fiction

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Saved by julie askew
on December 7, 2009 at 10:43:27 am
 

 

What is Contemporary/Realistic Fiction?

  Wouldn’t it be great if everyone could just give up his or her life at one time or another and become someone else? Don’t say that it’s impossible, because it isn’t!  Kick back and read a Realistic Fiction novel. It’s a great way to really get in to a book.  To define the term, realistic fiction is a type of fiction that takes place in modern time. Normally characters are involved in events that can really happen.  These books can range from any topic such as family problems to abusive teenage dating relationships. Some authors that are associated with the label of Contemporary/Realistic Fiction are Joyce Carol Oates, Virginia Wolff, Judy Blume, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, J.D. Salinger, and S.E. Hinton to name a few. 

The Modern Problem Novel/ Realistic Fiction

Realistic Fiction is especially popular with the young adults of our time. Realistic Fiction can be broken down into many different areas. The Modern Problem Novel is one of the newest upcoming styles that has become very popular.The Modern Problem Novel is a realistic novel that has different characters, languages, and modes to give young adults a realistic novel to read that has realism and problems rather than your typical "happy ending". [1]

 

 

 

Realistic Fiction Writers


Glovach, Linda Beauty Queen

Beauty Queen is inside look at life as a teenage stripper. Samantha wanted to be independent and live on her own. However, she needed a good paying job, so she became a stripper. You have to have confidence to take off your top in front of people and Samantha didn't have much confidence. To gain confidence, Samantha started doing heroin. The heroin made her into a new person and eventually controlled her entire life. This is a great book. It'll keep your attention until the end.



Rawls, Wilson Where the Red Fern Grows New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1961

The book "Where the Red Fern Grows" is about a teenage boy that wants a good pair of coon hounds. He eventually saves up enough money to buy them himself and he trains them to catch the smartest ringtail coons in Cherokee country.  They get themselves into some tough spots but they always find a way to get free.  This loving group roamed the dark hills and river bottoms looking for the best and oldest raccoons. This book also uses a few old country sayings that contain some similes and metaphors.  It is a great story that will keep you interested all the way to the very end. 



Peters, Julie Anne.Luna: A novel. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2004.

Luna teaches what Transgender America is really like. It shows what transexuals go through - their thoughts and their feelings when people point and laugh or whisper. Julie Anne Peters' inspiration for this story came in her dreams. She had to do research on transsexualism to really understand Luna and express real feelings and thoughts that they would have on a daily basis.

''This particular morning, I remember so vividly, a strong presence woke me. She was a girl, sixteen or so, with shoulder-length blonde hair and bangs. Characters don’t usually come to me so visually distinct and fully formed.

She said, “Write about me.”

I said, "No. Go away. Come back later." She did, the next night. "Write about me." “No,” I said. “But who are you?” She replied, “I’m Luna.” I remember thinking, That would make a great title for a YA novel. But I wasn’t ready to start a new book. I fended Luna off, for weeks and weeks. Finally, I just got so irritated with her waking me up at three A.M., I sniped, “What? Write what? What’s your story?” She smiled, demurely, and said, “I’m transsexual.” Whoa.'' A direct quote from: http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/lit_resources/authors/stories_behind/storypeters.html The novel is about two siblings Regan and Liam who deal with issues of transsexualism. Liam doesn't like the person he is on the outside and feels the person inside of him wanting to come out desperately. With the help of his sister's clothes and make-up at night, he transforms into Luna, the woman he knows he is. But for him the night life isn't enough. One day he decides to reveal her and nothing can stop him~ or can it?  



Beale, Fleur.  I am not Esther. New York: Hyperion, 1998.

I am not Esther by Fleur Beale is a really good book. It takes you into the world of cults and the many things that could happen if you find yourself forced into that kind of life.  The novel is about a young lady named Kirby Greenland. Her life appears to be normal until her mother tells her she has to go to Africa one day. She is taken away  from her homelife and all of her friends, and moves in with Uncle Caleb. However, does Kirby's mother go to Africa? Did her mother abandon her in her time of need? So many questions that need answers. You must sit back and read this psychological thriller to find out all the answers.

r.b.



Burroughs, Augusten. Running With Scissors. New York: Picador, 2002.

Running With Scissors is about a young boy, Augusten, who grows up in an abusive family. His mom goes crazy and sends him to live with her shrink, Dr. Finch. In this house, Augusten's boundaries are tested and destroyed, leaving him a broken child. He lives with no rules and authority, but still feels trapped. The story goes on, telling of the experiences Augusten goes through and how he reacts to their outcomes.

Margaret


Sources

[1] Donelson, Kenneth L. and Alleen Pace Nilsen.Literature for Today's Young Adults. Boston: Pearson Education, 2005.

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