The zombie apocalypse is real. Perhaps not in the sense of living flesh-eating corpses walking down the streets, but definitely in the cultural sense. Teenagers and young adults dressed like zombies take over the streets. During the last years, the popular fascination for zombies has been reborn, and along with it countless books ,comics , films and TV shows that filled the social media with these terrorific, drooling and undoubtedly basic monsters have raised from the ashes. But, what could happen if the zombie is not only conscious, but also clever and reflective? This situation is clearly portrayed in the story “The Prince of Nox”, by Kathe Koja. A man that has been turned into a zombie realizes that he is the only one who still has a “human” brain, and tries to find a relevant meaning to his life as a dead, despite that sounds especially ironic. That search for a path in life plus the zombie topic make this story a perfect creation for young adult literature.
Teenagers have always felt that they are meant to fight against the rest of the world, and that they have to force their way through to find the essential meaning of their lives, even though they may do it unconsciously. That’s why they’ll easily relate to the rebelliousness against the authority that the main character of the story depicts and his search for a meaning of his days as an undead. In the following quote, we’ll find that clearly summed up,
There was a place inside him that death did not hamper nor life release, that had blossomed now in this terrible half-life to make of it, and him, something new. And there was work to do.
His quest for his own destiny, and his work to share this “new world” perspective leads him to glance into his deepest core to find the essence of life and death, just as most adolescents had done at least once in their lives because, after all, that’s what growing up is all about . What’s more, that quest is undoubtedly related to the search for identity that every teenager has faced, for no meaning can be found without searching for your own essence first.
That zombie’s quest can be analysed as a metaphor for the teenager’s pursuit, and to make that identification even more interesting for them, we have to take into account the blast that the zombies phenomenon has been during the last years. Using a topic that may appeal them is more than a relevant point to take into consideration, because that’s what will call their attention first of all, and therefore encourage them to read and later find all the features and characteristics of young adult literature that they will surely enjoy.
Without any doubts, one of the main characteristics of YAL is that the main character is specially perceptive, sensitive, intelligent, mature and independent. In “The Prince of Nox”, the main character (who has forgotten his name as a mortal) contains all those characteristics inside himself.
Was it a coincidence that he alone retained the gift of awareness, of a consciousness more severely tempered and refined than even those who had never died? Was it a coincidence that he alone understood what a gift it all was?
He was grateful for the gift of awareness, and therefore makes use of it throughout the whole story. His interpretation of what happens around him and the new reality that he has to face keeps his thoughts constantly active and makes him to be always reflective and introspective, another important characteristic that most young adults have.
This self-communion is essential for the story, just like it is for every teenager. That’s why, if we add together all the features that have been already mentioned, and take into account the zombie- based topic, this story will definitely be a sterling case of young adult literature. What’s more, if the adolescents read it, they would also be able to find their own Nox, their nightly paradise where the hidden answers of their quest can be found.
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