Lauren Myracle’s new book The Infinite Moment of Us is as fresh, crisp, honest and refreshingly shocking as Judy Blume’s Forever was upon its release in 1975. Huge statement, but I stand behind it. Although as a genre YA has become more sophisticated about discussing difficult subjects, there is still a shortage of titles that directly use the raw terminology that teens use in regards to their sexuality.
Myracle has written what, at the surface appears to be a simple, easy to follow story about a boy, Charlie, and girl, Wren, who’ve just graduated from high school and connect for that magical period between the end of high school and the beginning of college, but like most great things, there is more to it than you see at the surface. Both of the characters are holding back truths; sometimes from one another, sometimes from their parents or friends.
“Sometimes the things we hide-aren’t they the parts of us that matter most?”
In Infinite, Myracle challenges her readers to take the next step into treating teen readers with respect by allowing them detailed descriptions not only of sex, but also of the titillation before and during sex. While the act itself is detailed, adult readers will recognize that the language is carefully chosen to focus more on desire and compassion than on conquest and power.
“Her bodies response to the boy she loved was a good thing. It was bodies being bodies.”
I fear that Lauren will receive a slap on the wrist from some librarians and parents. Personally, I would welcome my children to read this book because if their first sexual encounters are with someone who loves them as much as Charlie loves Wren, than we as parents have done something right.
The Infinite Moment of Us begs to be read quickly and I imagine that it’ll be quite popular with teen readers. It is best suited for high school and up.
HipMamaJenn 