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Ali Seashells
a novel by Rose Trapnell
Synopsis
Ali Seashells knew she was no ordinary girl,
her hair was blacker and thicker than most,
her eyes were darker and larger than most
and her olive skin glistened when wet.
Ali seashells was no ordinary girl.
Ali Seashells was also a ... aahh Ali!
From the outset young people reading this story know they are reading about someone who is extraordinary. Readers though will identify with my central character, Ali (age 12), and celebrate her individuality along with their own. Ali Seashells is no ordinary girl because she looks for a life beyond stereotypes and popular culture. Any girl or boy could be Ali Seashells. Any girl or boy can be extraordinary.
Ali's ability to metamorphose into a dolphin seems like the most wonderful yet the most natural phenomenon. By delving into the dolphin underworld Ali is able to fuse both her topworld and every day self, with that aspect of her that is 'other'. Only by doing so can Ali realise her true identity and individuality. A new predator in the underworld must be fought and beaten if Ali's path to the underworld is to be maintained.
As Ali immerses herself in popular culture and turns her back on the underworld, she loses her ability to morph. The ability to morph is meant as a metaphor for creativity, for it is often the natural, instinctive, creative self that is offered up by adolescents as payment for acceptance by their peers.
This novel is also about Ali's friends: Davo, Chantel, Jess and Sam. It is a rites of passage novel about a group of kids adjusting to changes in their lives, and preparing for high school.
This novel has a three-way structure: Ali's topworld life with her friends; Ali's underworld encounters which involve her facing and overcoming her fears; and a series of short original fairy stories told in turn by each of the young characters.
In Ali Seashells I wanted to write a story that opened children's hearts, minds and souls to the possibilities life has to offer. I hope mine is a story that empowers them to question the social framework within which they live. The fairy stories included are meant to empower the reader and encourage them to question the traditional romantic fairy stories they are probably familiar with. The fairy stories in the manuscript illustrate the character of each storyteller with most characters telling stories which more or less fit the traditional mould. When Ali changes the stories, she gives them a feminist twist. In her own story, Ali's princess rescues herself from her castle, and this illustrates her taking responsibility for her own future.
Ali's Seashells is a story about growing up, rites of passage, about transition. It deals with issues such as menstruation and physical maturity, peer group pressure and family ties and insecurities. Ali's interests and personality place her slightly outside of popular culture and this enables her to question the changing values upon which friendships and allegiances are based.
At age 12/13 life holds a string of possibilities, and Ali Seashells is a story that leaves young people feeling good about the future.
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