Realistic fiction and life lessons

I always tell my third graders that realistic fiction is a made up story that can happen in real life. That's a valid, succinct definition that works for my classroom of transitional readers. But that is also a valid description of historical fiction, so as readers become more sophisticated, it becomes necessary to develop a more sophisticated definition of the genre of realistic fiction.

More specifically, realistic fiction takes place in a contemporary setting, most often, that of the present day, but it could also look back in time, although not to a specific time in history. But quality fiction of any genre must feel believable, even fantasy and science fiction, and this is critical for realistic fiction.

Because readers usually have a better context for contemporary fiction, it must feel authentic on every level, and young adults especially won't appreciate literature that isn't culturally relevant. They need to be able to connect and care about the characters, their problems, motivations, and actions. Because when you come down to it, what readers remember about what they read isn't in the minutia, but how a book made them feel. Did they laugh or cry? Were they surprised, in suspense, or nervous for the characters? Did they root for the protagonist and celebrate the antagonists downfall? These are the reasons we read a good novel.

One book that comes to mind that demonstrates these things is An Abundance of Katherines by John Green, which I reviewed in this blog. Colin, suffering from yet another break-up with another Katherine, is unable to accept love from someone else, he must deem himself worthy of being loved. And this theme is at the heart of the story, and it becomes what the reader can take away from the story, what I've always called a life lesson. Young adults and new adults can relate to Colin's plight because self-esteem (or lack thereof) is a huge issue for people of all ages, but young people especially.

An Abundance of Katherines is just one of many wonderful examples of realistic fiction written for a young adult audience, but it illustrates the elements necessary to engage young readers: a great story written with humor and a sense of irony that includes authentic characters and relatable conflicts pulled together with a relevant theme.

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