Skip to main content

Discussion #1 Sex in Y.A. Fiction

Working as a Young Adult Librarian, I get this questions about this topic asked a lot. These are some of the questions that I am asked.


Most of the time it is the parents that come to me especially the ones that have a child that is transitioning from children's fiction to Y.A. I can understand a part of what the parent is trying to do because of the age of the child. Not all of my teens parents monitor what they read but the majority of them do. So I break it down for them

1.) Y.A. stands for Young Adult. It ranges from the ages of 12-18 but it is divided. 12-14 and 15-18. If the teen falls into the 12-14 bracket I take them to the middle school section in our childrens area because it is a lot easier to find some books that will appease both parent and teen.

2.) Not ALL Y.A. is explicit and have vulgar language. It may have a few curse words. The majority of it may have some type of high school slang or something around that area and mild language but not all Y.A. is the same. I really put emphasis on this because it seems to scare the parents and most of them all ready have a mindset of Y.A. being some big naughty genre when it is definitely not.

3.) I always ask what was their favorite book or what types of genres did the teens like when they were reading childrens fiction. I then try to find books parallel to what they like. That makes it a lot easier for me because it narrows a lot down.

Just yesterday there was some complaints about A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas and the detailed sex scenes that were written. It was mentioned to put it in our adult collection because of that but it is Young Adult fiction. We then put a sticker on it to say for mature teens.

To me, I'm all about the story. It doesn't matter if there are sex scenes in the story cause lets be honest...teens do have sex. The characters were 19 anyway so that makes them adults period. But as long as it doesn't take away from the story I am ok with that.

 Also, these are high school characters. A lot of us did some things in high school that we probably regret but it mold and shaped us for how we are now. I feel like if those things are not mentioned in the books it will make it less relateable for the teen reading it. I feel like if the teen is mature enough to read it then let the read whatever they want but I will not give Fifty shades to a 12 or 13 year old. I'm not saying that but do use the better judgement when it comes to that.

I'm open about your different opinions on this topic and maybe you guys could help me when explaining this to parents as well.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

You Only Live Once by Haris Orkin Sale Blast and Giveaway!

Humorous Thriller Date Published: March 21, 2018 Publisher: Imajin Books On sale for .99 from June 15-30th Synopsis: James Flynn is an expert shot, a black belt in karate, and irresistible to women. He’s also a heavily medicated patient in a Los Angeles psychiatric hospital. Flynn believes his locked ward is the headquarters of Her Majesty’s Secret Service and that he is a secret agent with a license to kill. When the hospital is acquired by a new HMO, Flynn is convinced that the Secret Service has been infiltrated by the enemy. He escapes to save the day, and in the process, Flynn kidnaps a young Hispanic orderly named Sancho. This crazy day trip turns into a very real adventure when Flynn is mistaken for an actual secret agent. Paranoid delusions have suddenly become reality, and now it’s up to a mental patient and a terrified orderly to bring down an insecure, evil genius bent on world domination. About the A

The Mister Book Review

Goodreads synopsis:  London, 2019. Life has been easy for Maxim Trevelyan. With his good looks, aristocratic connections, and money, he’s never had to work and he’s rarely slept alone. But all that changes when tragedy strikes and Maxim inherits his family’s noble title, wealth, and estates, and all the responsibility that entails. It’s a role he’s not prepared for and one that he struggles to face.   But his biggest challenge is fighting his desire for an unexpected, enigmatic young woman who’s recently arrived in England, possessing little more than a dangerous and troublesome past.  Reticent, beautiful, and musically gifted, she’s an alluring mystery, and Maxim’s longing for her deepens into a passion that he’s never experienced and dares not name. Just who is Alessia Demachi? Can Maxim protect her from the malevolence that threatens her? And what will she do when she learns that he’s been hiding secrets of his own?   I will admit I did have some kind of salty feelings going int

Book Review: Heart of Eternity by N. Jay

(I recieved this free ebook in exchange for an honest review) Goodreads Summary:  When you are invited to dance with the muse of love, when you are driven to the edge by the pain of the past, when you hold the remedy for what ails you in your arms you will find yourself in the heart of eternity.   Set in the Blue Mountain’s town of Blackheath in New South Wales, Australia, the novel Heart of Eternity introduces two very different characters, Jay and Naida, who encounter each other at a challenging time in each of their lives. Their individual expressions of the feelings they provoke in each other give rise to a turmoil that could ultimately claim their lives. When two people understand so deeply the pain each other has faced will it force them into the abyss of darkness or will their combined need for healing allow love to enter both their hearts? _______________________________________ Reading Heart of Eternity was very interesting to read. It was a very good, spiritual,