Wednesday, October 15, 2014

The Definition of Dessenesque

Dessenesque (verb)

Coined from the prolific and talented young adult novelist Sarah Dessen, who happens to be super good at writing her brand of what she writes. A novel, usually of the young adult variety, with certain yet general defining characteristics that may include:

a. a cute, attractive, smart but not nerdy, sensitive, sometimes overlooked, middle class teenage girl who serves as our main character

b. a cute, attractive, possibly charming, likely insightful, perhaps brooding teenage boy who is sure to teach our main character something she didn't know before

c. our main character must overcome one heavy issue and in the process of doing so undergoes a thoughtful, contemplative, introspective personal journey with the assistance of the teenage boy

d. our main character falls for the teenage boy

e. the novel must contain healthy doses of flirting, romance and contemplation

f. while certainly dealing with a heavy issue or two, the novel will never resort to explicit language or graphic situations

Examples of a Dessenesque novel:
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, Jennifer E. Smith
The Promise of Amazing, Robin Constantine
Roomies, Sara Zarr
If I Stay, Gayle Forman


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