Let’s talk about…
Hello! We’ve set up this blog as a discussion forum to accompany the publication of LOSING IT, a fantastic collection of stories from the very best writers of young adult fiction. If you’re a teenager, we want to hear your views! So tell us-
Will you, won’t you? Should you, shouldn’t you?
Have you?
You know what we’re talking about…
xEmx, 
Keith Gray are discussing. 
Keith Gray 10:46 am on July 15, 2010 Permalink |
You’ve got to be 16, right? Before you’re allowed to do it, and lose it.
Well, here in the UK you do. But if you live in Turkey you have to wait another couple of years until you’re 18 for sex to be legal.
While in France you only have to be 15.
In Austria the age of consent is 14.
And in Japan you can even be as young as 13.
(This is only if you’re straight, by the way. Unfortunately there can be all sorts of other rules and regulations if you’re gay).
I can tell some of you are packing your bags already, wanting to book flights. But just hold up a minute – you’ve got to ask yourself why there’s such a wide discrepancy in the legal age of consent.
I suppose sex goes beyond facts and figures, the feelings involved can’t be explained by simple statistics. And in my eyes that’s exactly what our anthology is trying to do. Stories, fiction, can explore these feelings and motives and emotions. Losing It isn’t a ‘how-to guide’. It’s a collection of thoughts, sympathies, perceptions, stories about young people on the brink of something scary and grown-up. And crazy, dangerous, inexplicable, wrong, right, taboo, natural, wonderful, overwhelming.
There’s 8 original stories in Losing It from 8 unique points of view. Maybe one of these points of view is a bit similar to yours?
Good.
That’s the plan.
But I really hope you enjoy the other 7 as well.
Keith
xEmx 2:54 pm on August 18, 2010 Permalink |
This sounds cool. i guess i’ve always thought it’s like a decision which you make. No one else should decide. i had sex earlier than some of my friends. but i don’t regret it. it happened and well that was it i guess. tbh it wasn’t great and seemed like a lot of fuss but i was happy after for like an hour. For some of my friends it was a bigger deal, one of my friends named a date and planned it all and another lost it in a tent at reading festival… lol! some of my friends haven’t at all, and i guess no one still wants to still be a virgin when most ppl arent anymore…
will definitely read book though. xEmx
Jenny 12:05 pm on July 15, 2010 Permalink |
I’m not a teenager (I’m 23), but I thought I’d comment anyway and say how important I think this book is. I’m glad it’s been published, and that sex is no longer a subject to be feared – it could really help a teenager in their decision, or even in the aftermath of the event itself.
My favourite stories were by Patrick Ness, Bali Rai, and Sophie McKenzie – all very different, and all tell a story from an interesting point of view. It’s amazing how different cultures see sex as something to fear or be punished for. Reading something like that makes you grateful to live in a society that accepts it.
We need more books for teenagers like this. Well done Andersen Press!