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For most adults, dealing with the world of teenagers feels like gazing at an abstract work of art of which they cannot make sense.

A kind of mystery that retains its cryptic nature, even though it is exposed to them on a daily basis in the form of rosy dreams and shattered hopes.

It’s like a show on a stage where they once did perform but from which nowadays they have been blown away by the power of time to be placed forever among the passive audience.

X’Aħna Smart!, winning novel of the 2014 Literary contest Novels for Youth, organised by the National Book Council and Aġenzija Żgħażagħ, delves into this mysterious world of the younger generation of our time.

Stephen Lughermo, a young author at his first novel, achieves this from a completely original perspective with a smartphone as the sole narrator, opening a window onto the virtual world of technology which today’s youngsters consider as their natural habitat.

Sarah, the main character in the novel, is a teenager facing major communication problems with her mother.

Thanks to her friend, Nicole, her grandma, Gwida, and later on, her boyfriend Robert, she somehow manages to find the social support needed to survive in the challenging teenage world.

The unexpected disappearance of Robert, however, plunges her into an adventure concerning her mother’s past, some unscrupulous photographers and the silent cry for help of a fellow teenager.

Technology takes the double role of both enemy and ally

All this is conveyed by the highly loyal, and somewhat fearful, smart narrator who accompanies Sarah every step of the way and who, together with her, experiences in his own distinct way the emotions that lighten and darken her life.

Consequently, the novel explores a lot of common themes characterising today’s young generation.

Apart from the huge influence of technology and the risks related to social media, X’Aħna Smart! also delves into parents’ absence from their children’s lives, the grandparents’ crucial role as part-time parents, as well as some new features of the Maltese modern family.

At the same time, the novel sheds light on the exploitation and abuse of teenage weaknesses which result in suffering and anxiety faced individually by different characters.

In this sense, technology takes the double role of both enemy and ally, since within the virtual dimension, youngsters find uncertainty and peace of mind, problems and solutions, failures and victories.

X’Aħna Smart! is a novel that should go down well with teenagers as it reflects their own way of life, shares their expectations and possible disappointments while utilising their everyday vocabulary.

Teenagers can empathise with the characters of Robert and Sarah and enjoy the emotional and adventurous facet of the novel which appeals to both genders.

What’s more, the unique narrator provides an additional touch of originality that should draw readers to explore this unusual style of narration.

X’Aħna Smart!, published by Horizons, is available from all major bookstores.