Gritty and Edgy YA Realistic Fiction
Realistic fiction involves stories that are not necessarily pretty. Some of the issues can be dark including, rape, eating disorders, suicide, cutting, drugs, pregnancy, bullying, abuse, crime, runaways, murder, death, and alcohol abuse. These topics are real and a young adult may find them relevant to their life and the lives of their friends. Many of these books are on the banned book list because they deal with hard topics and they usually include some graphic situations and bad language depicting the characters in these situations. Just because a book has bad language, doesn't mean that the book is bad. If real people in these situations speak in that manner, then it should be portrayed that way in a book; it represents a real event.
The story lines are somewhat tough and if a character is cutting themselves, then there might be graphic descriptions of the event to portray to the reader the seriousness and the reality of being in that situation. An for all those who are ready to jump on the banned book wagon, I say this. If you have not read the book, from front cover to back, then you have no business even talking about banning the book. You have to read it first, all the way through, and then you can have an honest discussion about what bothers you about it. Another thing, just because it bothers you, doesn't mean it shouldn't be read by others. You have the power to read what you want and what you don't want. You can decide that for your kids, if you feel you must, but you WILL NOT decide that for everyone else. That is my right, to have the freedom to read what I want and you can't take that right away from me - or from anyone else (except, again, maybe your own kids).
As much as some may argue that these books will make kids want to go out and cut themselves, or have sex, or drinks and do drugs, there is nothing to prove that. There are hundreds of letter that are sent to authors of these books that thank them for sharing these stories; to inform them of what a friend was going through or to keep them from making that decision or just to say thanks for sharing that event with me because I had no idea.
So, the best thing, in my opinion, is to let kids read these books, but then be there for them to talk about these events, to assimilate the information so that it becomes a positive experience and a foundation of information to draw from. Know what your kids are reading, ask questions: what stuck with them? have their friends had these problems, what about them? These are the things you should be discussing with your kids. These are teachable moments where you, as a parent, can have a profound effect on your kids - take advantage of it.
This weeks' topic was filled with books that were emotional on every level. The three books I read had to do with eating disorders, suicide and crime and each on had a profound effect on me. I can definitely say that I would highly recommended all three of these books because they get right at the core of each of these topics. They are not pretty and the endings are not wrapped with a bow. For anyone wanting to know what a teenager is experiencing in any of these areas, these books will provide them with the thought process and rationalization that takes place in the mind of a young adult.
Wintergirls
Bibliography:
Anderson, L. H. (2009). Wintergirls. New York: Viking.
Lia and Cassie have been best friends since they were nine. They had a falling out several months ago and haven't spoken since. Now, Callie is dead and she called Lia 33 times the night she died, which Lia never answered. What did she want? Lia begins to see Callie and her control over her weight begins to tighten. Lia explores her relationship with Callie and her introduction to purging, not eating, cheating weigh-ins, and cutting in search of being accepted. Lia embarks on an emotional journey to find out how Callie died and how far she will go with her weight issues. Callie is calling her - telling her they'll be together soon and Lia is looking forward to that. Callie tells her that she is not living, only in the land of the living and she is not dead either. As her not eating, purging and cutting get totally out of control and her family is at a loss as to how to help her, Lia must make one last decision - will she stay int he land of the living, or will she move to be will Callie and the dead.
Thirteen Reasons Why
Bibliography:
Asher, J. (2007). Thirteen reasons why. New York: Penguin Group.
Hannah has had enough of life. There is not one particular incident that gets her to this point, but a series of events that gets her here.After committing suicide, those that played a role in having a effect on her outcome are delivered a box of cassette tapes with 13 sides of voice - Hannah's voice. There are thirteen stories, thirteen people are being named and the event that made an impact is being described for each of the named to listen to to understand the whole story. The reason Hannah made the tapes is to show the weaving of events with many different people involved that got her to the point of making her decision to let go and move on. The story is written as Clay receives and listens to the tapes and discovers the events and connections made to present him with the whole story of Hannah's plight. Clay was the only one who didn't do something to negatively affect her and the reader sees the story unfold from Clay's point of view and goes on an emotional journey to understand and accept.
Accomplice
Bibliography:Corrigan, E. (2010). Accomplice. New York: Scholastic Press.
Finn and Chloe have been best friends sine they were nine. Now they are in high school listening to the guidance counselor tell them that the ordinary things will not get you into an ivy league college, something special has to make you stand out above all the rest to get chosen. Chloe and Finn devise a kidnapping plot where Chloe, the pretty and smart one would be kidnapped and Finn, the homely, smart one would be the grieving best friend. It was suppose to be easy, with no one getting hurt and it would make them both famous and that would certainly put them both on the top of the college application stacks. When CNN shows up there story become a national news event. They never envisioned their families would be hurt, how their friends would be effected, that anyone would be charged with the crime and how, in fact, they would deal with this after the fact. As this simple plan plays out, things begin to go wrong, people are hurting, friends are seriously affected, someone is arrested for the crime and the toll it is taking on them is reaching a volatile level. Their easy plan is not so innocent anymore.
