“Chicken”

Written by Kathy Stinson
(Reviewed by Aldana Pires, Eliana Romero and Nicolas Vincenti)

Gone are the days when chicken was a game between car drivers. Canadian writer Kathy Stinson brings a new compilation of short stories for adolescents called “101 Ways to Dance”, and “Chicken”, the third story from the book, presents an innovative version of the game.

Once the kids had finished painting the church basement and everyone had gone home, the main female character and Bram, a boy who was rumoured to be expecting a child, were left alone in the place. Challenging, he asked the girl if she had ever played chicken, and supposing that he was talking about the game with cars, she replied that she had never played it. Certainly, Bram was not proposing a car competition, instead, he was giving it a twist: each of them had to put a finger on the other’s forehead and move it down until one of them said “stop”; whoever said it first was the chicken.

Playfulness takes control from the very first image the tale draws in your mind; then it merges yourself into a stream of consciousness, and finishes up setting a climax for an open ending. Attractive themes such as sexual desire and curiosity are just some of the spicy condiments of the story. Furthermore, chicken will be read in a blink of the eye, which is essential for modern times when young adults’ attention has a short span. As if this was not enough, the story breaks your expectations. Do you think that it is obvious who the chicken will be? Well, don’t be so sure about that.

Nowadays, the law for teenagers is not to read, but we bet they won’t resist this entertaining and catchy story. Its shortness and defying atmosphere provide reasons for its effectiveness. A five-star badge for Chicken!