A cry for help.
Someone has donated money to our library to specifically get recent (within the last 5 or so years, I'd say) YA books dealing with alcohalism and physical/verbal abuse. Fiction and non-fiction. Our YA librarian asked me to get a list together. Any ideas?
posted by Leila at 1:58 PM
4 Comments:
Oddly enough, it makes me feel better--I completely blanked except for the Klass book. I wouldn't have thought of the Voigt, since I haven't read it. Thanks.
9:59 AM
Parental abuse (from parents) or just any?
Because if it's just any (say from relationships) Dreamland, Dessen, and Breathing Underwater, Flynn (?). I have no idea when those were written though. Slumming by the Mormon author whose name I can't remember right know touches upon abuse with one of it's characters, but it's not the focus of the book.
The trend in YA seems to have been to cool it a little on the "issues" and just focus on stories and real life, and if there are issues then so be it. But it seems that they haven't been the end all be all focus of the books like they once were. But I may just not be reading the right stuff, who knows.
I can't think of any about alcoholism. Not a one, but it is a Saturady morning before tea. Oh, wait, a book I read last year called the Blue Mirror by Koja (I think) deals with a girl whose mother is so out of it the girl runs the house. I think (can't quite remember) the mother both drinks and pill pops and is extremely depressed. There is also implication that the boy the girl hooks up with is emotionally abusive, but there is also implication that he's some sort of demon/psychic vampire. I don't know if I would reccommend this book, it wasn't great. But it may be worth a look.
Will think more about it.
11:45 AM
Well, no worries, because she already sent in the order. I ended up recommending Bottled Up, which I haven't read, but seems to fit the bill. Everything else that I could think of either we had, or was too old.
I'm with you guys on the issue books. I think they've actually been petering out since the 80s. Remember Good Night, Mr. Tom? Could they fit any more issues into that one?
4:11 PM
Oh, good one. I had forgotten about that--like I said before, though, every single one that I thought of was one that we already had. (Except Bottled Up).
1:36 PM
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