Author: Jade
Kerrion
Guest Post Title: The
Power of Ordinary
Young
Adult novels abound with extraordinary protagonists. I’m sure that in your
travels through books, you’ve met the child of destiny who’s fated to end a war
and unite two worlds. You’ve probably also met the quiet kid who doesn’t quite
fit in, who discovers his amazing super powers and uses them to save the world.
Of course, there’s the protagonist who stumbles upon a mysterious world that
coexists alongside her reality, populated by sparkly vampires and handsome
werewolves.
I’ve
found two major themes running through most YA novels: the first, as I noted above,
the extraordinary teenage protagonist, and second, the adults are frequently
the enemy, ranging from indifferent parents to murderous despots. Neither of
those observations particularly align with my observations of life.
I
don’t know about you, but most days, I feel pretty ordinary. When I did go to
school, I was something of a geek and somewhat lacking in hand-eye coordination
(which is why I danced ballet instead of playing sports involving balls of any
sort.) My superpower was an ability to excel on standardized tests (try writing
that into a book…) And I don’t know how
you feel about it, but adults weren’t really the enemies. Yes, my parents were
(and still are) occasionally tiresome, but they were always supportive and
loving. The worst thing you could have said about my teachers is that some of
them were boring, but still, they were all decent people. Adults have never
been the enemy—at least, adults should never be perceived collectively as the
enemy. As an adult now, I should know.
So,
when I set out to write a YA spin off my award-winning Double Helix series,
featuring Dee and her twin brother, Dum, I wanted my readers to appreciate
adults in more roles than that of the enemy. Some of them are, of course, but
like the real world, there’s a vast spectrum of them; some adults even become
Dee’s friends and mentors. More importantly though, I wanted my readers to appreciate
the power of ordinary.
Dee,
the protagonist of When the Silence Ends, is ordinary. She’s seventeen years
old, and she has ordinary concerns that include holding down two jobs to pay
the rent, making sure her brother gets to his speech therapy class, and wondering
how to pay for college. She lives in a world populated by extraordinary people
who possess psychic powers, but unlike Bella who had the good fortune to be
loved by a vampire, Dee can never become that
kind of extraordinary, now or ever.
Is
it possible to write a book about an ordinary person having an extraordinary
effect on the world? Of course! We see those heroes around us every day—people,
just like us, making an extraordinary difference in our world. I think those heroes have several traits that make them
special.
They
know how to work with others. Rarely are heroes solitary loners. More often
than not, they’re talented leaders who understand the value of listening as
much as they do the importance of speaking. They inspire with their vision, but
they are not too proud to listen to advice or accept help. Most importantly,
they care for something beyond
themselves.
Dee
is that special person—a perfectly ordinary person, surrounded by psychically
talented mutants—who finds her own brand of extraordinary. Inspired by her love
for her brother Dum, and armed with nothing more than her wits and pepper
spray, she navigates the social and political minefield of a world transformed
by the Genetic Revolution. In so doing, she changes her life and the lives of
those around her.
Here’s
to a celebration of being normal and to the power of ordinary. Three cheers for
Dee. If she can do it, so can we.
When the Silence Ends (Description)
What Amazon reviewers are saying: 5 stars! “Wow! When the Silence Ends is
captivating! I laughed, I cried, but overall I could not put it down… Forget Harry Potter and Twilight. Every young adult should read this
book!”
When you choose your friends, you also choose your enemies.
Seventeen-year old Dee wants nothing more than
to help her twin brother, Dum, break free from the trauma in their childhood
and speak again, but the only person who can help Dum is the alpha empath,
Danyael Sabre, whom the U.S. government considers a terrorist and traitor.
The search for Danyael will lead Dee and Dum
from the sheltered protection of the Mutant Affairs Council and into the
violent, gang-controlled heart of Anacostia. Ensnared by Danyael’s complicated
network of friends and enemies, Dee makes her stand in a political and social
war that she is ill equipped to fight. What can one human, armed only with her
wits and pepper spray, do against the super-powered mutants who dominate the
Genetic Revolution?
America, nevertheless, is ripe for
transformation. Exhausted by decades of belligerence between humans and their
genetic derivatives—the clones, in vitros, and mutants—society is on the verge
of falling apart or growing up. Dee, with her sassy attitude and smart mouth,
is the unwitting pebble that starts the avalanche of change. In her quest to
help her brother become normal, Dee will finally learn what it means to be
extraordinary.
When the Silence Ends is the
Young Adult spinoff in the award-winning Double
Helix series.
Buy Links (e-books)
Buy Links
(paperbacks)
Author biography:
Jade
Kerrion unites cutting-edge science and bioethics
with fast-paced action in her award-winning Double
Helix series. Perfection Unleashed and its sequels, Perfect Betrayal and Perfect Weapon, have been described as “a breakout piece of science fiction” and drawn
rave reviews for their originality and vision. Her latest novel, When the Silence Ends, is a Young Adult spinoff the Double Helix series. She is also the
author of Earth-Sim,
a whimsical and compelling view of Earth’s history through the eyes of the two
students assigned to manage our planet.
Dear Rachelle,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for hosting this post. I really appreciate it.
Love, Jade
You're welcome. thanks for the post. I like ordinary people. I think putting them in extraordinary situations and watching them grow is tremendously uplifting. I'm not sure I can identify with super types of anything. Your observations have become somewhat cliche in YA stories. I'm glad you brought in a fresh perspective.
DeleteI know what you mean about feeling "ordinary" in high school. I certainly didn't feel like either the protagonist or the antagonist we read about (and write about) in books. But that's why they're so much fun to read and write ;)
ReplyDelete- Andrea
Well said, Andrea ;b.
ReplyDeleteJade, your novels sound wonderful. Love the cover and the title .