Argument Essay: Should Access To YA Books Be Limited?

      Have you ever read a book where the character is struggling with an eating disorder? Or maybe an abusive parent? Young adult books contain any topic you can think of. Books all around are being banned for containing gruesome or mature content. Young adult books are portrayed as disturbing, explicit, and many more. But here’s what they don’t tell you about these misjudged books; they can help teens with their lives. Teens who have troubles in their rough lives can find comfort in these young adult books. Rational teens can be mature enough to grasp and understand complex texts. The content people are calling gruesome is written for a purpose. The gruesome content is written in books to help the mind develop and think profound thoughts. The books are written for educational purposes. Banning books that are meant to help the reader’s mind isn’t legitimate. Young adult books shouldn’t be banned.

     Intelligent teens can be mature enough to read and understand complex texts. Adults assume mature teens won’t be able to grasp the more perplexed ideas. In, ‘Teen Fiction Plots Are Darker and Starker’, a source states “I think adults shortchange teens and their ability to take in complicated material and make deeper connections.” Adults expectations for teens seem low considering they think teens won’t be able to interpret or infer with their own thoughts. “They’re not going to go out and do the dark things they’re reading about.” says another source. Young adult books don’t affect someone’s actions. “As kids, they want fantasy, but when they enter their teens, they want more realistic and darker books because they’re struggling with those issues and ideas,” says Shelly Wilhelm of the Bookies. The source is supporting the idea that grim content is what teens want in their lives sometimes. Young adult books are written for teen minds to start developing and having more advanced thoughts. If the books are helping teens think, why should they be banned? Would you want to ban educational elements?

    Although young adults books shouldn’t be banned; They have changed over the years and the content is clearly a topic that causes controversy. The content is obscene, disturbing, morbid and many more.Some books can even be triggering to teens if they’re too graphic. In the article, “Darkness Too Visible,” the author states, “But the calculus that many parents make is less crude than that: It has to do with a child’s happiness, moral development and tenderness of heart. Entertainment does not merely gratify taste, after all, but creates it.” This line is implying that young adult books will affect readers thoughts if teens read these lurid books. Here’s something though: These gory books can HELP teens! In the article, “Teen Fiction Plots Are Darker and Starker,” a source says, “The genre has the ability to change with the times and always seems to have a pulse on the teen heartbeat. It reflects what’s going on in their lives.” The article also states,”It takes this fearful thing and makes it approachable. Teens can explore these themes and use them to deal with issues in their own lives..” says David Levithan. The “grim” books could save a life for all you know. They shouldn’t be banned if they’re helping teens. Teens struggle but they can read young adult books to feel comfort and know that the problems they're having are normal. They aren't the only ones struggling and they should know that.

     The question still stands, do you think access to young adult books should be limited? Teens read books to feel comfort or to learn more about a certain topic. Some say they should be banned because the content is too much for teens to handle - But, here’s the thing; Yes, young adult books can be explicit, but they’re meant to educate and get teens to see deeper into a topic. Teens who aren’t ready to read more advanced books obviously shouldn’t. Young adult books should not be banned or limited because teens can be smart and make their own choices and to choose wisely about what they read; don’t you think so too?

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

         Themes are mostly main parts of books. There can be many themes in a book and themes are what describe what the main character(s) are struggling with. In the book, Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, the themes I focused in on were growing up and love. But of course those weren't the only themes. They varied from family problems and not being able to make friends.

        Growing up is a theme in Fangirl because the main character, Cath, is moving on up to college and her life is changing fast. She's moving out of her house to stay at the dorms in college, and her sister Wren doesn't want to share a room anymore; after 18 years. And her boyfriend, (technically?) Abel breaks up with her once he meets someone new at his college. "We've shared a room for 18 years." Wren argued."And it's worked out great." Cath said. "This is college," Wren persisted."The whole point of college is meeting new people." "The whole point of having a twin sister," Cath said,"is not having to worry about this sort of thing. I don't need new people." "That just shows how much you need new people..." Wren squeezed Cath's hands. "Cath, think about it. If we do this together, people will treat us like we're the same person. It'll be four years before anyone can even tell us apart." Cath isn't very content with Wren's decision throughout most of the book.

       Love is definitely a theme in Fangirl. Love is a theme because Cath deals with a not so affective breakup, and she develops feelings for her room mate's (ex) boyfriend, Levi. Their relationship is a main focus throughout the entire book as well. "I like you here," he said, squeezing her. "With me." She smiled and her eyes started to drift downward.
"cather..." Backup to his eyes. "You know that I'm falling in love with you, right?" There was many more scenes where it was just Cath and Levi because they were the main couple. "I'm fine," he said. "I just told you last night that I was fine." "Well. Yeah. I know. But it's different on the phone." He sounded startled. "That's exactly what Katie said." "Who's Katie?" 'Katie is the reason I'm calling you Cath. She's, like, every reason I
m calling you." "Cath cocked her head. "What?" "Cath, I've met someone. And it's um, she made me realize that...well, that what you and I have isn't real." Abel wasn't mentioned much after this - This being Cath didn't really care about the breakup. She didn't have emotions towards it because she knew that Abel was right, and she later starting dating Levi.

Critical Analysis

      In "Teen Fiction Plots Are Darker And Starker," by William Porter, Porter wants readers to know that YA books and teen fiction have developed into darker and more mature plots. Porter also explains that even though the plots are indeed dark, they can have a value to a teens life. Porter quotes many sources on why they also think YA books affect teens lives as well. "The genre has the ability to change with the times and always seems to have a pulse on the teen heartbeat. It reflects what's going on in their lives." says Jill Adams, who teaches young-adult literature at Metropolitan State College of Denver.It takes this fearful thing and makes it approachable. Teens can explore these themes and use them to deal with issues in their own lives." sad David Levithan. "As kids, they want fantasy, but when they enter their teens, they want more realistic and darker books because they're struggling with those issues and ideas." said Shelly Wilhelm of the Bookies, a Denver bookseller. All of these sources and their quotes obviously tie together because they are all saying that teens have issues in their lives and books help them in a way, the topics in YA books relate to teens and that can be comforting.

      Porter hopes to inform and persuade readers that YA plots have become darker and mature overtime, and how they help teens. He wants people to agree that teens do benefit from the books.Porter uses specific words to try to inform and convince but in a more complex way. "An anorexic girl watches her best friend die from the same illness. A sexually abusive dad is turned in by his daughter's classmate." The vocabulary he uses makes the statement more complicated. "Young-adult fiction has always touched on themes teens find compelling." He also cites Patricia McCormick's novel, "Cut."...Compulsive self-mutilation, a disorder found in some adolescents. Dark as books can be, they tend to be leavened by redemptive endings.There are many other examples in which Porter uses certain words to elaborate his statements.

    After reading, "Teen Fiction Plots Are Darker And Starker,' I can conclude that I agree with Porter. I agree that YA books can help teens through their own issues. I feel that if a teen reads about a character who is having the same problems as they are, they're going to feel comfort in a way. If teens see the way a character resolves the problem they have, they might find a way to resolve their own problem as well because the book inspired them. Overall, I can understand how Porter was trying to inform us about teen plots, and I can understand and agree with his point about the value YA books have.