Girl’s debut novel explores teen-parent conflict

Phares Mutembei

In The Last Kiss, Myra is a vibrant young girl who is going about her life in her usual, happy manner until her parents decide to move to Australia.

Myra has been making her own plans and this latest development throws her off guard. She is not ready to abandon her peers and her new boyfriend, Mike. Despite her protestations, her parents do not relent in their plans to relocate. Myra ups the ante of teenage rebellion, too, and accuses her parents of disrespecting her opinion.

Runaway fury

She is beside herself with runaway fury, to the extent that she slams the door in her mother’s face.

"I don’t think you care about me. That’s why you are taking me to Australia, away from my friends. You’re taking away my happiness; I wish you were not my mother," Myra fumes.

As the reality of her desperate situation sinks in, Myra finds it difficult to concentrate in class or perform household chores. Though she knows her parents have made the decision, Myra plots and clings to hope that something will happen and abort their plans. She is going to swim against the tide and ensure she remains with her school friends, especially Shantelle, her best friend. Her new boyfriend’s appearance throws a spanner into the works and what follows is a riveting sequence of events in Myra’s battle against her parents.

Easy to relate to

But will she eventually achieve her aim and convince her parents to rescind their own decision? Adults and children, especially teenagers, will find it easy to relate to the events described in The Last Kiss.

The book’s author is 16-year-old Neema Nkatha Kinoti.

"As a teenager I have fought with my parents for both valid and petty reasons. I wanted to capture the wrangles that parents and their children are drawn into in their everyday lives," says Neema.

One of her favourite authors, Jack Canfield, a renowned American author and motivational speaker also inspired her to write the book.

"I have a few of his Chicken Soup books. He is also the author of one of my favourites, Success Principles for Teens," says Neema.

The book launch held at a Nairobi hotel last week was attended by Neema’s parents, a section of the clergy, schoolchildren and parents.