The Fine Line in Young Adult

Harry Potter may have illuminated it, but there has long been a debate about what is appropriate for our young adults. Everyone who reads this blog or talks with me, knows I am a huge fan of YA novels. But knowing what to let our young children read is still a dilemma.

As I read books aimed at the YA crowd, I get concerned about whether it's really something I want to share with my nearly 14-year-old sister.

For instance, the book IDENTICAL by Ellen Hopkins, which I recently read. Ms. Hopkins in known for unconventional writing style and her subject matter often involves the darker side of being a teenager. IDENTICAL told the story of two sisters, whose family had been in a horrific car wreck, causing a ripple effect in their family. Their mother leaves to run for office, essentially abandoning her family. Their father drinks and sexually abuses one of the daughters. Binge drinking, marijuana use, indiscriminate sex and other things made me wonder if I really wanted to share this with an impressionable teenager. However, once I read the end, I considered the message and I might very well offer it to her.

In related books, is THIRTEEN REASONS WHY by Jay Asher, is another that focuses on the dark side of youth. Asher's debut novels has an interesting premise - a young woman commits suicide and leaves behind tapes explaining the thirteen reasons she killed herself. She leaves them to a friend, who by listening to the tapes, begins to realize the horrible things have happened to her.

Do I want my sister to read such dreary, possibly suggestive literature? The answer is yes, I do, within reason. She loves all the vampire and scary books and movies that are out right now. But it's the real life stories that seem to resonate more. I read GO ASK ALICE when I was a child and it did not lead me to suicide. It caused me to understand a culture I had no access to and was grateful I had experienced. It is still one of my favorite books.

I think YA books are wonderful books as a whole - the genre has only increased in quality and quantity since I was in that demographic. I do think knowing what your child is reading is important and I do not advocate censorship. But I hope that you discuss with your children what they are reading, and answer any questions they may have. Literature can be one of the best avenues to reach past that shell so many teen-agers seem to have.

Nicole