ARTICLE: Are Teen Novels Dark and Depraved?
My answer to this, after taking a very thorough young adult lit class and participating in many in depth discussions during my MFA studies is - "no" with a hint of "yes." The darkness and depravity is what so many readers love. If there's no conflict, where is the journey for the reader? I say "no" to the question understanding that, just because there is "dark matter" in a story, doesn't make it harmful. The story line can provoke a reader to research the subject, feel validated about what he/she is going through and share what they're learning. Other than that most of these epic, series novels are pretty darned entertaining. What teen who's living a dull, routine life wouldn't want to get lost in the life drama of Bella ( Twilight ) or Katniss ( Hunger Games )? YA novels like other genres of literature represent the ups and down of human experience. Kids are certainly not immune to ups and downs. YA fiction is he...