Youth in Revolt

It is no secret that there are individuals out there who take their pop culture very, very seriously. A million times more so if it is thought to be the obscurest piece of pop culture in the history of ever. These individuals will clutch this obscure band/book/movie tightly to their breast, only loosening their grip to mention said obscure piece of culture at parties in a bid to reach third base with whoever has the best bangs. Inevitably, after being nurtured on the individual’s elitist milk (rich in irony), the obscure piece of pop culture will be found by Hollywood and will be exploited for everything it is worth. Such is the case with Youth in Revolt. It is a sad state of affairs when most people I talk to that enjoyed the film, have no idea there is a book. So, being a partially rehabilitated “individual” I feel it is my duty to make you painfully aware that there is a pure, radiant novel that precedes the unfortunately diluted film.

Youth in Revolt is, at its core, a novel about the unwavering spirit of the underdog when faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles during their quest. The underdog in question is precocious fourteen-year-old, Nick Twisp. Nick is like most adolescent males in that he is obsessed with sex, will do whatever it takes to get laid, and has problems disguising the fact that he is, more often than not, sporting what he refers to as “Thunderous Erections” or TE’s for short. However, Nick is unlike most adolescent boys in his roguish charm, his reverence for Frank Sinatra, his advanced vocabulary and his devotion to journal-keeping. Nick’s journal spans six turbulent months and serves both as an inventive narrative structure and as a means to view the transformation he undergoes from the inside out.

For the most part, the novel adheres to a “quest” narrative. Nick’s quest, so to speak, is to win the heart of the girl he falls in love with while on vacation, Sheridan “Sheeni” Saunders. This quest sees Nick performing increasingly outrageous and depraved acts (such as faking his best friend’s death, blowing up half of Berkeley, dressing up as a woman named “Carlotta,” and fooling the authorities into thinking he has moved to India, to name a few) in order to be close to Sheeni. The quest is broken up into three volumes: Youth in Revolt, Youth in Bondage, and Youth in Exile. The three volume structure is a useful device in that it allows the reader to observe Nick’s evolution from love-sick teen with mildly criminal impulses to an insane teen with wildly criminal impulses with surprising clarity.

Though Youth in Revolt is primarily a twisted black comedy that trades on its increasingly outlandish comedic situations, it is not devoid of a deeper meaning. The largest theme running through the novel is that of love and what lengths we will go to in order to obtain it. Sure, Nick is just fourteen but he is a pure manifestation of the reckless abandon love (possibly) inspired in us as adolescents.