by Julieta Acevedo
Have you ever read a zombie story? Do you think a 15-year-old boy would enjoy reading this genre? Are these stories appealing for teenagers? According to Robert C. Small Jr., a text must have certain characteristics in order to be considered Young Adult Literature (YAL). Many of the features he mentions are reflected in “The late shift”, a short zombie story by Dennis Etchinson.
Small sustains that identification is an important issue. Teenagers will identify themselves with Maklin, a teenager who is the main character of the story and the centre of the plot. The author also emphasizes that the main character is usually positively portrayed. In this sense, Maklin is described as perceptive, mature, intelligent, and independent.
In accordance with Small, the main character´s decisions are important for the resolution of the story. It is clearly reflected in “The late shift”. Maklin is really involved in the relationship with his friend Whitey and because of that, he starts a journey to find the truth about the mysterious accident that his friend suffers.
According to Small, the dialogues in YAL reflect teenager speech. The conversations that appear in “The late shift” are clear instances of the way adolescents speak. In the beginning of the story, the main character is talking with his friend, Whitey, about a strange situation they perceive in a gas station and says: “Hey, did you catch that action up there?” And then, Whitey is speaking to a cashier from that place and says: “How is it going, man?” Teenagers will feel they are reading a dialogue that is really familiar and comprehensible for them.
Adolescents will enjoy reading “The late shift” since the main character reflects many of the values, interests, slang and characteristics teenagers have and because Etchinson gives a predominant role to Maklin, an adolescent, since he is in charge of resolving the problems presented in the story. As a result, this zombie story is highly appealing for adolescents.
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