The Single Word Theory of Awesomely Depressing YA Novels

[rachelmanija]

Most realistic (ie, not fantasy) YA novels with single-word titles are awesomely depressing. Moreover, they are frequently about hot-button social issues and are not uncommonly in verse.

Sold, by Patricia McCormick. Child prostitution is bad. In verse.

Cut, by Patricia McCormick. Self-mutilation is a serious issue.

Skinny, by Ibi Kaslik. Anorexia is sad.

Massive, by Julia Bell. Anorexia is still sad.

Smack, by Melvin Burgess. Heroin is bad.

Willow, by Julia Hoban. If you kill your entire family in a car crash, you will need lots of therapy.

Shooter, by Walter Dean Myers. Don't shoot up the school.

After, by Amy Efaw. Don't throw your baby in a Dumpster.

Exposed, by Susan Vaught. The internet is evil.

Trigger, by Susan Vaught. Suicide sucks.

Glimpse, by Carol Lynch Williams. Child prostitution is especially bad when your own mother pimps you out.

Crank, by Ellen Hopkins. Crystal meth is bad. In verse.

Glass, by Ellen Hopkins. Crystal meth is still bad. In verse.

Burned, by Ellen Hopkins. Mormons are sexist. In verse.

Identical, by Ellen Hopkins. Incest is wrong and creepy, especially if it involves a father and only one of his identical twin daughters. In verse.

Impulse, by Ellen Hopkins. Suicide, attempted murder, bipolar disorder, abortion, cutting, child abuse, drug addiction, an affair with your high school teacher, and prostitution are all bad, but not bad enough to provide fodder for a single book on each. In verse.

Only counter-example I can think of offhand: Prom, by Laurie Halse Anderson, about the prom.

Comments

[jonquil.livejournal.com]

I just read a comment to a (non-YA) author's blog suggesting that the way to solve an adolescent character's bullying trauma was for her to lose weight and become less clumsy.

[faithhopetricks.livejournal.com]

AWESOME. Yeah, some of us were deeply uncoordinated long before Bella Adoraklutz Swan took center stage (I was infamous for putting my hands up to shield my face from the ball).

There's an interesting similarity to how society treats sexual violence against women for me - 'if you weren't vulnerable they wouldn't pick you,' 'if you knew how to act they would go after someone else,' 'if you stood up to them it would stop,' &c &c. The responsibility is on the person being abused, not the abusers being held responsible for their behaviour. (US elementary school children I knew were like freakin' inmates in Oz with their violent hatred for 'snitches.')

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

I went to schools in two different countries where the TEACHERS yelled at kids for "snitching" and recommended "standing up for yourself" and "learning to solve your own problems." Cue years of therapy!

[faithhopetricks.livejournal.com]

'the TEACHERS yelled at kids for "snitching" and recommended "standing up for yourself" and "learning to solve your own problems."'

//face in hands

(Yeah, it always boggled me that a kid who can't stop OTHER KIDS BEING CRUEL TO HER is somehow defective in Real Kid-ness. That was certainly the message I got.)

'Cue years of therapy!'

Man, it's too bad we can't retroactively sue them, like in Vonnegut.

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

Grrr. Could that possibly be more victim-blaming?

[jonquil.livejournal.com]

The author matter-of-factly said that she didn't see the character's body type changing.