No Such Thing as the Real World

Many teens spend their high school years longing to escape from the artificial confines of curfews, grades and deadlines, eager to launch themselves into the so-called real world. But what happens if those expectations and hopes about life in the real world are dashed by grim realities? As editor Jill Santopolo notes, the six stories written for the collection entitled NO SUCH THING AS THE REAL WORLD are about characters who "are thrown into the `real world,' find out it's not exactly what they imagined it would be, and struggle to find themselves." Written by some of contemporary young adult literature's most respected authors, the stories share, for the most part, an appropriately serious tone. In An Na's "Complication," a rape victim whose attack leaves her with a young son blatantly uses her attacker's brother to gain the freedom she longs for. M. T. Anderson's "The Projection" is a continuously shifting dialogue about two improvisational theater students assigned to construct a "situation." Readers (especially those who choose to re-enact the drama by reading the selections aloud) will be challenged to revise their understanding and expectations throughout this mind-bending selection, an intellectual exercise that seems to reflect the process of adapting to the adult world. In K. L. Going's "Survival," a high school graduation speaker uses the last 20 minutes before commencement to replay her sister's ongoing betrayals and the real meaning of "Surviving High School" and beyond: "This wasn't what we learned from high school; it was what we learned from life. It was what we would always have to learn again and again. No invisible line would be crossed, no diploma handed out, no age limit surpassed that would ever change this fact." Beth Kephart's affecting "The Longest Distance" is about a young woman struggling to move on --- and even find laughter --- following her best friend's suicide. "Arrangements" by Chris Lynch, probably the lightest-toned selection in the bunch despite its sobering topic, illustrates how nothing makes a young man grow up as fast as the sudden death of his father. Finally, in Jacqueline Woodson's "The Company," a gay young man grows up quickly when he witnesses the dark underbelly of professional dance from the inside. Throughout, the realizations of the characters are complex and somber, providing plenty of fodder for reader reflection about their own lives and situations, and perhaps even the realization that the artificial, safe environment of the teen years might not be such a bad thing after all. These stories may also provide inspiration as the collection includes an invitation to aspiring teenaged writers to contribute their own selections on the theme for possible publication. --- Reviewed by Norah Piehl

This is a collection of stories all about the jump that one takes from being a child into the real world. While the line is thin, each has their own unique story about the crossing and these authors share the tales of six different individuals. One character deals with the loss of a parent, who was special to the entire community, and how to uphold his business, which so many people relied on. Another has to write her senior thesis, but it becomes more of a necessity than a requirement when her best friend commits suicide. There is a graduation speech to be given, just after seeing your crush make out with your sister. Then there is the monologue of two actors, who would normally never have crossed paths, who seem to be married until one forgets. Finally, the stories about growing up wouldn't be complete without a case of teen parenting. I am quite new to reading anthologies, but I have to say they are quite fun. You get a brief view into another's world, and while sometimes you wish there was more, more often then not it's just the right amount. All the stories in this particular anthology were okay, nothing spectacular, and I felt like they still needed some more work, especially since they were so short. Beth Kephart's story was by far the best. While all the stories dealt with a tough issue that really defines one's coming of age, Kephart made her story so much more believable and real. Her writing was absolutely superb and she dealt with the whole issue of suicide in such a way that didn't make it seem so horrible. She made the main character relatable in the fact that she took out her sadness in writing and didn't really want to think about what had happened. I definitely think that Kephart was able to fully capture the essence of a short story and leave a lingering thought in the reader's brain on how they would react to the situation. Overall, NO SUCH THING AS THE REAL WORLD twas decent and I recommend it to all of you looking for a good dose of reality. Appropriate for all teenagers and older readers, I think this is a good book to help you see the "real world." Reviewed by: Tasha