Young Adult Books

Though I am certainly not a young girl anymore, I still love young adult books!!! I read a fabulous one yesterday, Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. It deals with suicide, teen issues and the way we treat each other in a really interesting way. I don't want to give too much away because I really recommend this book for people to read. Go get it!

It made me think about young adult books in general. I think they are wonderful because many of them deal with really weighty issues in really profound ways while not being to heavy of a book. I read this recent one in one day. But I know it will stick with me. Last year I read another one that dealt with abortion, parental responsibility, identity and societal responsibility. It was called Unwind by Neal Shusterman. That book as well will stay with me forever. Both these books made me cry and feel things in ways I don't think many adult books do.

If I ever could write a book, I think it would be young adult. This genre is often overlooked as a \serious literary area, but it is! Teenage years is a time where you learn so much about yourself and the world, it would be fun to capture it in a novel. Something to think about.

I'm sure both books were really controversial in some schools of readers and critics. In one of my master's classes we talked about ethics and if it was okay for parents to choose what their child read. I have a tendency to think it's okay but I feel a little sad when I see parents stifle their child. I understand not wanting their child to lose their innocence, but I also think these books are great ways to reach out to children and introduce adult themes that make them think. As a parent you have to walk a fine line of what's appropriate and when to expose certain things. It's hard man. I do know that I could have handled this stuff when I was a teenager and I did read some of those controversial books and am better for it today!

Okay, I'm done with rambling. What do you think?