The awesomeness that is Ginger (or G, as I like to call her) over at GReads! has created a great meme that is tons of fun. Each Friday, she poses a question for anyone to answer. Go check her out and join in!
This Friday's Question:
YA Saves:
How do you feel about
the "dark" books filling our
YA shelves today?
Such a great question, G! I am and always have been a firm believer in Freedom of Speech. If you feel passionately about something, by all means speak up and tell us about it. As long as what you say (or write) doesn't physically harm yourself or others--that's a bit too far I believe!
And as far as YA books go, every person above the age of twenty years old was once a teenager (if not, then please, disregard this post!). And every person is well aware of the troubles and peer pressure and stress that goes with being a teen, yes? Right. So, picking up a book that explores the world of said troubles and peer pressure and stress--in my opinion--is perfectly normal. Teens deal with sex and sexuality, drug use (or being involved with drugs whether directly or indirectly), teen suicide, rape, the list goes on and on and on (please see Ellen Hopkins...she's a genius when it comes to this "dark" area). So why not be a voice--or an outlet--for those teens to possibly discover a way out of that darkness? Why not put a book on the shelf that could perhaps save a teen's life because the main character in said book survived the unthinkable--so the teen reading it believes that he/she will, too?
In the words of Martha Stewart, It's A Good Thing.
Excellent and positive post. I agree if one book can help one person it is worth selling. And with as many adults I have seen have such strong opinions on this subject, I think these YA books help them just as much as the teens that read them.
ReplyDeleteJen
kjovus.blogspot.com
I've said it before and I'll say it again: people need to stop barking up the wrong tree. If you don't like what teen books portray, then evaluate the culture and society being portrayed. That is where the characters come from. The issues being discussed are REAL. Ignoring them is not going to make them go away. Teens need encouragement. Whether it comes from movies, books, music, or some other avenue, they need to find stories that will help them cope with the horrors of adolescence.
ReplyDeleteIt's a very good thing.