As the Malibu High School (MHS) academic year comes to a close and students grow excited to relax for the summer, one recent graduate has different plans.
Shane Carey, who graduated from MHS last Wednesday, is working hard to release his second novel, “A Broken Youth,” on Amazon. Carey, who published his first novel, “Fallen from Eden,” back in October 2016, plans on releasing his second work in the near future.
“[Fallen from Eden] is about teenage boys in Malibu and the fast-paced lives they lead — drinking, drugs and trouble with the law. It is an exciting and action packed novel, making it very entertaining,” Carey shared.
The soon-to-be Naropa University student explained that he finds inspiration for his novels based on the people and situations in his own life, deeming the books “semi-autobiographical.” However, he noted that his intentions in writing these pieces are to bring awareness of the social dangers that come with adolescence.
“My intention in writing [A Broken Youth] is not necessarily to glorify that type of lifestyle, but to bring some awareness of the dangers and insanity behind it, as a lot of characters get themselves far too deep, bringing a lot of harm to themselves and others,” Carey noted.
Similarly, his first release, “Fallen” follows the journey of yet another struggling teenager named Ray Piper, facing the challenges of youth and the potential dangers that come from aging. As he did in “Broken,” he also found inspiration from his own experiences growing up in Malibu.
“The book is about a very troubled teenager, dealing with a lot of turmoil and existential confusion that comes with being a youth — so I think a lot of kids will be able to relate,” Carey said. “But it isn’t all bad, as the protagonist goes on a sort of journey of self-discovery where he meets interesting people and has some positive revelations about life — things that I believe can be applied to the lives of troubled teens to help them get through tough times.”
Amid school work and extracurriculars, Carey explained it is not always easy to find time to write a book — let alone two — but he said he nevertheless enjoys writing at such a young age.
“Being a young author is sort of interesting. I think it sparks a lot of interest in potential readers if they know you’re only a teenager — so that’s good,” Carey said. “I don’t face many challenges. I love reading and writing very much and love spending time doing it. The only thing I can think of as a challenge is finding time to write and work on books amidst school and other time consuming things. But that’s the challenge of every author, not just the young ones.”
In addition to his literary successes, Carey also recently won two local scholarships to help support him through his creative writing endeavours at Naropa University in Boulder, Colo. His first award was from the Malibu Optimist Club, which he was awarded for his achievement in academics, extracurricular activities and community service. The second was from the Malibu Realtor’s Association, which he was awarded for his entrepreneurial pursuits, that Carey believes is accredited to the focus on publishing his two books.
As Carey begins a new chapter in his life, he said he looks forward to following his passion for writing.
“I write because it is my passion, and I can’t really help but do so,” Carey explained. “I love it so much because writing, as well as any other art form, is so expressive in its nature and is a powerful means of communicating the deeper truths about life. And I love writing from my own life because I believe that it is to honor and celebrate all of the experiences that make up who you have become as a person.”
He also elaborated on his hopes to always keep writing in his life.
“I have a wide variety of personal and professional goals in my life, but I know I will always want to continue writing,” Carey shared. “In the future, I hope to publish many more inspiring and insightful novels as well as screenplays.”
While this young author also plans to surf, do mixed martial arts and do an array of outdoor activities like hiking over the summer, he finds a way to write every single day to improve his own work and follow his dream.