Book is a fictional series of a teen's diary entries.
Kevin March
Many people agree that teenage romances in the 21st century tend to be dramatic, lustful and cruel.
Because of the turbulent, unpredictable, and often serious nature of these relationships, it is difficult to successfully execute a satirical portrayal of them.
However, “Youth in Revolt” by C.D. Payne manages to pull it off.
The book is a fictional series of journal entries from the diary of Nick Twisp, an esoteric, perverted, lonely 14-year-old who is focused solely on losing his virginity.
At first, Nick’s prospects are bleak. Between living with his irresponsible, single mother and her repulsive boyfriends, attending public school in an uneducated region of Northern California, and searching for graphic passages in classic literature, Nick is an unlikely candidate for a romantic relationship.
All of that changes when Nick meets Sheeni Saunders during an otherwise uneventful family vacation.
The daughter of a wealthy Catholic lawyer, Sheeni is exceptionally intelligent and cultured.
Nick falls for her immediately, and by the end of the trip, the two have become much more than friends.
After a week of romance with Sheeni, Nick is heartbroken when he is forced to return home.
Desperate and infatuated, Nick openly rebels against his incompetent parents and decides to embark on a single-minded pursuit of the girl of his dreams.
Despite his best efforts, however, Nick simply cannot muster the nerve to provoke his parents into kicking him out of the house.
To rectify the situation, Nick does what any sensible adolescent would do: he turns the problem over to his alter-ego, Francois Dillinger.
Francois is the polar opposite of Nick.
Dashing and risqué, he will stop at nothing to reunite his charge with the elusive Sheeni.
As his relationship with Francois develops — Nick talks to his alter-ego on a regular basis — he grows into a more daring, confident and mature person worthy of the girl he loves.
Although it is full of engaging plot twists, the book strikes the reader as a series of separate attempts at reuniting Nick and Sheeni rather than a cohesive story.
This is partially due to the journal entry format, which sometimes makes the plot progression seem choppy and disjointed.
While the multitude of subplots is entertaining, they sometimes detract from the main plot and only add to the length of the mammoth 500-page tome.
However, they do contribute to the free-flowing aspects of the novel and immerse the reader in Nick’s tumultuous world.
Nevertheless, Payne compensates for his occasionally tedious storyline in the vibrancy of his protagonists.
Nick and Sheeni both possess myriad quirky traits and hobbies, from Nick’s fascination with Frank Sinatra to Sheeni’s unlikely love of French poodles.
Besides the protagonists, most of the characters in the book seem to exist either to enhance or detract from Nick and Sheeni’s relationship.
Since Nick often takes advantage of more naive characters by using them as a vehicle for finding Sheeni, the relatively small roles of these individuals can make them appear one-dimensional and dogmatic.
That aside, Nick’s interactions with these characters, particularly the adults, only contribute to his colorful personality and enhances the ballad-like nature of the novel.
The book is not for the faint-hearted. There is a fair amount of profanity and numerous allusions to sexual activity.
It is not recommended for children under the age of 13.
Bristling with hilarious dialogue and advanced vocabulary, Payne’s book is an uncommon gem in the thoroughly explored genre of adolescent romance.
The characters are fantastically exaggerated, but for those willing to suspend their disbelief, and in many cases their morality, the book is a highly enjoyable escape from ordinary life.