Young adult books are far from easy to write. It’s a huge challenge, especially if the writer has long ago outgrown the adolescent years.
In 2024, Camilla School’s Grade 9 teacher Tara Hodgson’s released Chasing Through Time, a YA novel based on her experiences and observations.
Skillfully written, the debut novel starts with a bang and doesn’t let up. Set in the tumultuous world of high school, the fantasy fiction deals with real world issues and the power of human connection. It is also a critique on the dangers of social media.
It’s about emotions teens may not want to talk about with adults, such as bullying, anxiety, loneliness, embarrassment and depression. These are the monsters they deal with, and Hodgson has brought them into the open.
St. Albert’s Bailey Books has invited Hodgson for a book reading and signing on Saturday, April 19 at noon. The author is also hosting a Q&A to discuss the multi-layered novel.
The protagonists are two high school students Sarah and Emma. Both girls deal with strong emotions, crave intense relationships and desperately need a friend. But becoming best pals appears out of the question.
Sarah, who lives in 2001, is dumped by a capricious boyfriend and pushed away by a once-bestie who values popularity over friendship. Sarah feels lonely, insecure, invisible and views herself as a pathetic loser.
Twenty years apart in 2022, Emma deals with a devastating breakup and a brutal social media scandal that compromises her reputation. Her parents are distant, and she has no friends to lean on. Day by day, her despair increases.
One night during a sudden snowstorm and a moment of weird science, the two connect through time. As they confide in each other, their friendship develops into a lifeline.
Hodgson writes the stories in the present tense from each protagonist's perspective. What makes this book deeply immersive is Emma’s slow-boil collapse and Sarah’s desperation in trying to reach her friend.
“My main focus was to have their feelings pour out on the page. With teens, it’s everything in the moment, so the reader could be transported into their world,” said Hodgson. “I hope people see value in this book and that it could be an incredible tool for conversation to start between kids and parents.”
Bailey Books is at 29 Rowland Crescent.
