I'm so happy to be one of the hosting blogs for Elizabeth Scott Week! Today I am participating in Super Saturday along with The Secret Life of an Avid Reader and I Eat Words - so be sure to check out their reviews today as well.
Following my discussion post, please link up your blog posts if you've participated (or plan to participate) this week in the E. Scott love! Also don't forget to check out my GIVEAWAY for a complete set of books from Elizabeth Scott herself!
Living Dead Girl
Published: September 2, 2008 by Simon Pulse
Received: bought from Half Price Books
Once upon a time, I was a little girl who disappeared.There are some books that skim the surface when it comes to real world issues. Then there are books that give glimpses into hauntingly real nightmares, that we never want to think exist. Elizabeth Scott isn't afraid to tell these stories in her writing, which is another reason why I adore this author so much. She takes such a foul subject of child abduction and abuse and turns it in to story. A story that is difficult to read at times, but real none the less. This got me thinking -- what other YA books out there tackle such extreme subject matters? And what is your stance on presenting these issues to young readers?
Once upon a time, my name was not Alice.
Once upon a time, I didn’t know how lucky I was.
When Alice was ten, Ray took her away from her family, her friends, her life. She learned to give up all power, to endure all pain. She waited for the nightmare to be over.
Now Alice is fifteen and Ray still has her, but he speaks more and more of her death. He does not know it is what she longs for. She does not know he has something more terrifying than death in mind for her.
This is Alice’s story. It is one you have never heard, and one you will never, ever forget. {taken from goodreads.com}
A few YA books that deal with all types of abuse:
- Stay by Deb Caletti
- North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley
- Dreamland by Sarah Dessen
- Bitter End by Jennifer Brown
- But I Love Him by Amanda Grace
- Leverage by Joshua C. Cohen
- The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams
- The Last Exit to Normal by Michael Harmon
- Speak by Laurie Halse-Anderson
A few more books that deal with abduction:
- The Long Weekend by Savita Kalhan
- Room by Emma Donoghue
- Stolen: A letter to my captor by Lucy Christopher
- The Tension of Opposites by Kristina McBride
I feel that if an author gives an objective stance on the issue, then what is the harm in telling that story? These things happen, whether we want to admit it or not. As hard it is to stomach, I find that some of these stories send profound messages. Who knows how many lives they've changed for the better. Young readers don't always need to be exposed to the graphic nature of some of these details, but they don't need to be sheltered to believe that they don't exist either.
Please feel free to join in this discussion in the comments. Or present a post of your own on your blog about it (remember it's an extra entry in the giveaway if you do!).
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I think it's not only important to have teen authors write about these issues, it's essential. Back when I was young, there weren't a lot of young adult books around, and the taboo topics for girls were mostly menstruation, pre-marital sex, and masturbation. I'm glad those book were there, because my home life was such that no one was going to talk to me about any of these things. In fact, my childhood was extremely abusive, and I thank authors who are gifted with the stories, and the heart to tell them, about childhoods like mine. If I were a teen now, and not 41 years old, I know books like this and the others on your list would have made me feel infinitely less alone. I might even have seen more options for myself, through the choices of characters living in intensely painful times. As it is, I read these books now and am very happy to cheer on young people as they escape or learn to cope in a very harsh world.
ReplyDeleteAwareness of all types of abuse is high in society these days. If contemporary realistic young adult literature doesn't have something to say about that, than it isn't realistic.
Another book I'd recommend for your list is Scars by Cheryl Rainfield. It's partly autobiographical, and she wrote it for teens because she wanted them to have a book to help them if they were in a reality like hers. And if not, then for people to maybe get a taste for what it would be like. It's excellent.
Wow this is a great discussion posts. I love when books can bring an issue like this and explore the emotions of such situations.
ReplyDeleteShuyler great comment, I could not have said it better myself.
This is such a great discussion! As hard as it is to read about sometimes, I think that these kinds of books can have powerful messages that get into our minds like no others can. When books like these bring out the true emotions of traumatic or stressful events, and are able to do it in such a way that the reader understands, or feels the emotions, even if they have never experienced that event, then they are doing something; helping those who don't understand to understand. And sometimes they can even help those who have been through similar things heal. I think the world needs more books like these.
ReplyDeleteGreat post and thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteWow. Great post. I've been thinking about picking this one up, and I think I will.
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