For the love of YA

Most people who know me know one major thing about me, because it so defines who I am. I love to read. I have always been a big reader, even more so than a writer, although the two have pretty much gone hand in hand over the years (I'd like to think I've become a better writer, of course. Please, don't ask to see my story about the talking turkey...). But as much as I love to write, and that is a part of me, I think I'm still more of a reader than anything. My tastes have obviously evolved over the years, but the voracity with which I read books has always been the same. I can remember, quite vividly, a summer during my grade school years during which I think I ready every single Babysitter's Club book that existed. I remember going through a book a day, and I couldn't get through them fast enough. I loved the special edition ones, where each chapter was written by a different girl--and even the handwriting of the letters was different so you KNEW it was someone new!

Okay, so I'm getting off topic a little...the point is, reading has always defined me as a person. I'm the girl who carries a book with her EVERYWHERE, because you never know when you might have a few minutes of time to kill. I read on my lunch breaks, before I go to bed, whenever I have a few minutes of free time. I can be just as happy reading a book as watching TV, sometimes much happier. And I read everything. I can do a sappy Nicholas Sparks love story one day, and then as soon as I finish that move on to a twisted murder mystery like In the Woods by Tana French. I read current stuff, I read classics, and I LOVE Young Adult fiction. This is something else that most of my friends are very aware of.

Maybe it's because I wanted to be a teacher, and so had to expose myself to books my students would be reading, although I don't know if that's really true. The fact of the matter is, with all the reading I do, some of the most satisfying characters and stories come out of YA authors and books. Read anything by David Levithan and tell me there isn't as much depth and emotion there than whatever adult fiction book is at the top of the best seller list. I'd actually bet you there is significantly more. Read Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins, and name me another book that has such well-written, real characters. I think you'd be hard pressed to find some.

The reason that I'm bringing this up now is that YA has come under fire this week, thanks to this article by Meghan Cox Gurdon in the Wall Street Journal. When I read this, I can't even tell you how angry it made me. As someone who reads YA all of the time, I was appalled by some of the statements made in this article. For starters, not all contemporary teen fiction is dark, not by a long shot. Sarah Dessen is a great example of a YA author who writes fantastic novels for teens that are by no means dark, but that do deal with the fears and struggles of teen girls. Let's be honest for a second here: The teenage years are not fun for most of us. They're confusing, and scary, and hard. It's a time rife with insecurities and discovering who you are and what you want out of your life. Where you fit in compared to the people around you. It's a time of self-discovery, and it's a very bumpy road. Everything is SO important to teenagers. Every setback feels like the end of the world, and every success is magnified as well. I think our adolescent years are a time that most of us remember vividly, no matter how distant we get from them in age. Everything was just so important during that time. Friendships seemed more powerful, love was new, and intense, and so many changes were occurring.

Great YA writers capture those experiences that almost all teenagers go through, giving teenagers something to relate to, as well giving adults a view of the time most of them still remember so well. Even YA books that focus on werewolves or vampires can deal with adolescent fears and anxieties successfully. It's about the journey that the main characters goes through, and the growth they have experienced by the end of the story that is important. It's those elements that make a character relatable and real.

Gurdon speaks a lot in her article about how so much teen fiction depicts dark things like rape, homosexuality, violence, and self-mutilation, and how these are not topics we should be exposing to our children. The truth is, though, that teens experience these things in the real world. We live in a violent world, where dark things happen. If anything, I think topics like these make books more real to the reader, especially depending on the teen's own background. One thing that I think most people have in common--both teens and adults--is the fact that they want to believe there are other people out there like them. One of the greatest feelings in the world is when I read something in a book that could have been written by me, it's so true to the way I feel. It's books like these that make us feel we are not alone in the world, no matter how much we may feel like we are sometimes. And teens who have had to deal with dark, violent things in their own pasts can seek some refuge in certain books, knowing that they really aren't alone, and they can overcome.

I am not by any means saying that all teen fiction is fantastic. Of course it's not. There's plenty of smut out there in the YA world, just like there is in the adult fiction world. There are books that exploit sensitive subjects just for the sake of shock value, or that use vulgar language just because they can, not because it adds anything to the book. But there are so many more out there that are worth reading. One of the most challenged books as of late is the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. I, for one, think these books are phenomenal. I recommend them to just about everyone I know, and have bought the trilogy as gifts for friends. Is there violence? Absolutely. Are there sensitive topics addressed? Sure. But isn't that what books are all about? Addressing the sensitive things that happen in the world around us, and sending us a message? The fact of the matter is that Katniss in the Hunger Games is an astoundingly strong, and also very real, female protagonist. Do kids her age find themselves in her position in real life? Probably not. But that's not the point. The point is the journey. The point is what Katniss discovers about herself, and the world around her. It's how she learns where she fits, and what is important to her, and what sacrifices she has to make for the things she loves. It angers and saddens me that anyone would feel that a message and a story so beautiful should not be accessible to teens or anyone else.

Books serve as a window into worlds other than ours. Sometimes they serve as an escape, and sometimes they can even act as a mirror, helping us to shed light on ourselves as we read. While I am someone who thinks that books can affect us profoundly, and even in extraordinary circumstances change us forever, I do not feel that someone reading a book that is violent will send a message that violence is a good thing. I do not feel that hiding dark material from kids will help them in the long run. I do think that parents should know what their kids are reading, and should discuss things with them. I think this will only make our kids stronger, and more aware of the world around them.

In her article, Gurdon writes about how novels like The Outsiders by SE Hinton created an industry of fiction for teenagers, and she clearly thinks this is a bad thing. We don't want to show unhappy teenagers more unhappy teenagers that they can relate to on some level! We can't have unhappy endings, even though life has plenty of them! All I have to say to that is, I wish there was more YA when I was actually a teenager. I think if there had been, there would have been times I felt much less alone. Even now, when I'm reading a great YA book, sometimes I'll sit back and go "that was ME in high school!" Being a teenager can be so lonely and scary, and I think it helps to have something to turn to and know that you're not the only one feeling scared and alone, and you will make it through.

I know this post has gotten probably disgustingly long, and I apologize in advance for any repetition or rambling that occurred. I just feel so strongly about this topic, and wish that the YA genre got more credit for being as fantastic as it is. Some of the best writers out there are writing YA right now, telling extremely powerful, honest, wonderful stories. If you'd like some recommendations, you can always come here for them :)

As I sign off, I'm going to leave you with this, an article written by Sherman Alexie, author of The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which is also one of the top 10 challenged books right now. It's a wonderful response to the Wall Street Journal Article linked above.

And with that, I am off to bed. Please, feel free to comment and let me know where you stand on the debate. I'm interested to know, even if you don't agree.