Abstract

Wrecked is a Young Adult novel, about the criminal exploitation of young people in the North East of England. It seeks to explore how socio-economic disadvantage leaves young people vulnerable to grooming by criminal gangs that use them to traffic drugs across the country.
Told from the perspective of two young protagonists and a gang leader, the story utilises a present tense, first person narrative to demonstrate an authentic stream of consciousness that acknowledges the constant flow of thought, interaction, and interruptions of the mind. With the reader placed directly in the heads of the characters, memory and thought are blended to build rich backstories and unique voices to tell this cautionary tale.
In the accompanying exegesis, I explore my approach to constructing the novel, and my research across Creative Writing, Psychology and Neuroscience, using the framework of Reader Response Theory to underpin how modern theories of the mind impact on writing twenty-first century Young Adult fiction.
I also explain links to sociological discourse and how specific social issues can be portrayed in fiction, including reference to a range of notable texts, placing my novel within the existing canon of literature.
I conclude that Wrecked demonstrates how stream of consciousness can be a powerful tool for communicating sociological discourse in fiction for young adults, providing a meaningful, holistic representation of a person moving through space and time, shaped by their experiences and individual narrative, and providing a deeper understanding of human nature.