TGIF is a fun little feature hosted at GReads! Every week we re-cap what has happened on the blog plus Ginger asks a question for us to answer. This week’s question is was sprouted from a heart-breaking article that was released by Wall Street Journal this past week. It is:
YA Saves:
How do you feel about the “dark” books filling our YA shelves today?
~The article that started it all~
Oh boy, where on earth do I even begin with this issue? There is so much I want to say, all these thoughts running through my head but when I go to express my feelings on this particular article, I come up with “I hate that article. I just want to burn it into a million pieces. How can someone dismiss a whole genre of literature like that? Did this woman just complain about the books that TEENS READ (yes, real, live teens actually interested in reading)? I can’t stand people with such closed off minds. If this woman had a PENNY for every life that these “dark” books have truly touched she would be a MULTI-MILLIONARE.” Yup, that basically sums up my thoughts on the article. However, that’s not the question this week.
To answer the question, I ADORE, LOVE, BELIEVE IN, RELY ON, LIVE FOR, every single “dark” Y.A. book. I may not like or enjoy every book out there for young adults today but I love what they do. They truly save lives, they inspire people, and they can sometimes give someone that little extra push to keep on living their life. They do something real and significant. They make hard situations seem a bit more bearable. They make the hellish four years that people spend in high school almost worth it. These “dark” novels that the WSJ article so bluntly compares to “…fun-house mirrors, constantly reflecting back hideously distorted portrayals of what life is,” change lives every single day by making troubled teens feel as though they are not alone. They bring that one little ray of sunshine to a depressed girl/guy’s day. They can give a girl/guy confidence no matter what sexual orientation he/she is. They can give people like me, people who don’t have hard-pressing issues to deal with on a daily basis, a comfort and solace knowing that our life and daily problems really aren’t that bad. Y.A. books deal with hard, terrible, disgusting, horrendous, mind-blowing issues but guess what people… it states the truth! These aren’t just some crazy, messed up ramblings of a mad man/woman. These are stories told straight from the heart. These are the stories of real teens dealing with these very real issues. Finally they have someone to speak up for them. They have these wonderful authors who have the guts and talent to create these masterpieces and let people know that yes, these “dark” issues are going on in the world today. The fact that a woman, a mom no less, fails to see all the good that these novels can do, really breaks my heart. Yes, the truth is scary so these books can be hard to take but as the great Winston Churchill once said, “Truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it and ignorance may deride it, but, in the end, there it is.” No matter how many times people try to stop the amazing stories that Y.A. authors are putting out there, they still aren’t facing the real issue at hand. The truth is scary people. Wake up and smell the garbage. We live in a dark world so of course the novels written during this time are going to reflect that. The only question is are you going to try to put a stop to it or are you going to let these Y.A. novels keep on doing what they do best, save lives?
Ok, that is my rant/feelings/random thoughts on the issue. These are my opinions on the matter. I ask that in the comments section, please feel free to voice your opinion on the issue but please no personal attacks on me or fellow commenters.
~This is a poll being hosted on wsj.com. It looks like us Y.A. lovers just might be proving a point.~
This week on Katelyn’s Blog (6/3-6/10):
Review of Bone Dressing by Michelle I. Brooks
Tune-In Tuesday (11)/Teaser Tuesday (8)
Nicely put m’dear. You read my post, which is only a tiny portion of all the things I could have said about this article, but it seriously saddens me that so many people are discounting a genre like this. I completely agree with you, that stuff like this breaks my heart. Sigh. Nicely put.
I love what you said here! Especially the Winston Churchill quote. We can’t sugar coat the truth forever, and I think it’s more harmful to try. Found you through GReads!
Very well said, you’ve put everything I have been thinking and trying to say.
I think that woman is very closed minded, and I can’t believe she couldn’t find one book to take home. It’s ridiculous.
Very well expressed *cheers and congratulates* you on a very moving speech. :D
Found you through the TGIF hop, new follower. Hope you have a great weekend.
Great answer, very well said. I think I’ll be reading a lot of posts along the same lines today
The Cait Files
Well said! I totally agree, and thank you for adding the little poll at the bottom from WSJ readers. It brightened my day. :)
Nice post. I don’t think there’s anyone who would back the WSJ article. It was so dismissive of YA books, without even considering its benefits (or variety).
Well said my dear! You covered so many great points! I know the article was one sided, but I’m beginning to think maybe it’s a good thing it came out. It brought so many people together & created YA Saves. More and more people are now seeing what exactly YA can do!
Well put Katelyn! I completely agree with you 100%. I finally read that article for the first time just now and was wholly disgusted. How can the WSJ even consider to keep her on the writing staff? She is obviously in need of a severe reality check. In the REAL WORLD, there are problems and tragedy that scar and damage teens. Therefore it is only logical that Y.A. novels would reflect that. She can continue to live in a state of denial where the world is safe and happy, but it is completely false. I am irritated as well as repulsed by her ignorance. When was the last time a teen committed suicide because they read it in a novel? Parents of teens should be thrilled their kids are reading at all rather than burning their eyes into an XBOX or TV for hours on end. It is undoubtedly clear that Mrs. Gurdon has not read much Y.A. literature. If she had, she never would haev written such an ignorant article.