Chapter 11 Controversies of Authentic Adolescent Realism in Isabel Quintero’s Gabi, a Girl in Pieces (2014) and Louise O’Neill’s Asking For It (2015)
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Abstract
This chapter analyses the controversies surrounding authentic adolescent representation in two contemporary works of young adult (YA) realism: Gabi, a Girl in Pieces (2014) by Mexican American author Isabel Quintero and Asking For It (2015) by Irish author Louise O’Neill. The context and circumstances of these two texts are similar: both authors explore the injustices and hypocrisies of gendered expectations and social stigmas around perceived acceptable sexual behaviour for adolescents. Whereas Quintero takes an experimental approach to realism with Gabi, a Girl in Pieces, O’Neill’s Asking For It is more conventionally typical of the genre of “the problem novel.” Despite this contrast, both novels have been received and celebrated as particularly realistic and authentically representative of youth culture and adolescents. In each case, literary elements that contribute to the novels’ realist status work in tandem with other aspects that construct a sense of authenticity around the fictional narratives, such as the author’s personal experiences—revealed in the peritext, reviews of the works, and author interviews. This chapter argues that these novels’ reputation for authenticity deserves further analysis and highlights a need for sustained critical attention to be given to how YA authors shape realist narratives.