'Horizons' have just published Jacqueline Mizzi's first novel in the Maltese language 'Esperjenza Unika, Love,'. This novel is mostly aimed at adolescents.
'Esperjenza Unika, Love' is a novel that will undoubtedly appeal to teenagers not only for its plot and setting, but because of its fresh and modern ways in which it is written. It is not a conventional novel where the story is read through the eyes of the narrator from beginning to end. Readers can thus enjoy reading mobile messages, online chats on Facebook as well as messages on Ask.Fm. In addition, readers have the opportunity to read the most intimate thoughts and poems that Elisa, one of the protagonists, writes in her diary.
The most outstanding feature of this novel is the fact that readers will get to know about the protagonists' inner thoughts: Elisa's, Marco's, Ruth's and Robert's, whose ages vary between 14 and 16 years. Readers will also come to realise the differences between what the protagonists choose to disclose to each other about what they think, feel and experience and how they truly feel on the inside. Certainly, readers will identify themselves with these adolescents. They will better understand how they are different and yet alike, for they all come with a baggage full of personal experiences and contrasting emotions. The probing of new emotions which are brought by adolescence, together with social relationships are crucial in the lives of youngsters and this is definitely reflected in the novel, Esperjenza, Unika Love.
Summer always started in the same manner. Elisa would shy away from Robert and Marco; Marco would feel embarrassed in front of Elisa and Ruth; Ruth would in turn feel embarrassed whenever she sees Marco, whereas Robert would feel intimidated in front of Elisa. However, this summer things are going to get a bit complicated, not only because of the new sexual attractions, which the protagonists are starting to experience, but because Sabrina will come into the picture mid-summer. Sabrina will turn their world around. Just as she will raise a lot of questions, emotions, doubts and thoughts in the protagonists, she will also do so with the readers.
www.jacquelinemizzi.com