Emergency Contact: 6 reasons this is one of the best young adult releases of 2018
Locked myself out in the snow. Locate my landlord who is the best. Trudge through the muck, find a soggy package left under a trashcan lid because that’s the mail person’s favorite. It’s the first bound copy of the book. Burst into tears in the kitchen. pic.twitter.com/nR7RvpkKPP
— Mary H.K. Choi *YOLK is out NOW. In THIS economy.* (@choitotheworld) March 7, 2018
1. It’s one of the few young adult books following college-aged characters
Despite the fact that young adults can be anywhere from their early teens to their early twenties, most authors tend to focus primarily on the teenage years. Especially when it comes to contemporary stories, it’s easy to find young adult books that take place in high schools. Less common are books that depict the transition from high school to college.
The lack of such literature is strange when you consider it. Major changes occur during the years following high school, and many of them define us in incredibly permanent ways. These milestones can be quite emotional, often leaving young adults feeling lost and misunderstood. If nothing else, stories about this time period might make those struggling through it feel less lonely.
Centering stories on college students also gives young people entering college characters that they’re more likely to connect with. While they may no longer relate to the anxieties that accompany daily life in high school, they’ll recognize themselves in the struggles that college aged characters face. Seeing characters like Penny and Sam from Emergency Contact cope with these issues could help them navigate their own college experiences.
Characters are a huge part of the reason we read, so it’s essential that readers can see themselves in the pages. Emergency Contact allows older young adults this luxury, and that’s a great thing to see.