When I was sixteen, I penned a promise to myself in my journal. I’ll never forget what it feels like to be a teenager. This promise was the product of feeling misunderstood and dismissed by the adults in my life. I don’t blame the adults. You see, there’s this thing that happens as you grow up. Your world changes, shifts. The things that were once OMG SO IMPORTANT suddenly seem petty and silly. The real world slaps you in the face. Mortgages and health insurance are obviously much more important than who’s talking to who(m–for all you grammar nerds out there).

But here’s the deal. Yes, your mortgage is important. If you don’t pay it, you’ll lose your house. Then you’ll have to move in with your mother and she’ll likely try to feed you sandwiches morning, noon and night. But to a teenager, the things they’re going through are their entire world. Luckily, a teenager doesn’t have to worry about a mortgage. But to them, when a friend isn’t speaking to them, or rumors are flying around, their entire world shifts on its axis. And having the adults in their lives minimize or dismiss what feels very real to them is not helpful.

Despite that promise, I forgot. I nannied for a family with older children just as I was approaching my thirtieth birthday. I thought to myself, this will be cake. I was still young enough that I thought that alone made me cool. Wrong. I promised myself on my first day that I would always do my best to see things from the oldest’s perspective; to make her feel heard and understood. She was finishing out middle school, the battleground. But I was busy trying to keep things together. Managing a busy family of 6, one kid needed to get to soccer practice, another was fighting with a friend, and dinner still had to get made. Suddenly, I had much less headspace for middle school drama. Sadly, I soon discovered few adults are immune to this phenomenon.

I wrote the first draft of Yeah, maybe when I was 22; high school and all those emotions still fresh on my mind. But when I started the revision mission nearly five years later, I relied heavily on my faithful journals to capture the heart and mind of a young girl.

I wrote the book for teenagers. But the adult response surprised me.

The reviews that flooded Amazon took me by surprise. Many reviewers, well into their adulthood, claimed it brought them right back to the halls of their high school. A timeless story that’s relatable no matter what decade you attended high school.

I get asked a lot why I want to write Young Adult books. I’ve always just answered that I have a soft spot for teenagers. Like most people, high school was a hard time for me. I felt alone a lot of the time and completely misunderstood. I wish I’d read more books back then that made me feel less alone. It’s especially important to me to write the kinds of characters teenagers can relate to and look up to. I want to offer them role models they can depend on when everything else felt like it it’s going to crap.

But upon further reflection, I discovered another reason I write Young Adult novels.

While simultaneously helping teenagers feel less alone, I could give adults a momentary glimpse back into those four walls of rumor mill and drama. I could reawaken the awareness of how unfair things feel by putting adults back into the mind of a teenager and making them care about that particular character. It’s my hope by continuing to publish Young Adult novels that I can help bridge the gap between parents around the world and their teenagers.

Feeling something is much more effective than knowing or hearing. When the reader feels those familiar pangs of hurt, disappointment, and unfairness they understand on a whole new level.

Adults often feel embarrassed about wanting to read Young Adult books. They’re fun, easy, often fast reads that stir up nostalgia. But maybe now, parents, teachers, caretakers, nannies, big sisters and brothers can feel more empowered to partake in the leisure activity knowing it can help them connect on a deeper level with the teenagers they love.

What Young Adult book have you read recently that’s offered you a new perspective on teenage life?

 

I’m excited to announce that Yeah, maybe is finally available for pre-order in paperback! All pre-orders will be signed copies!

 

Get your signed copy here!