by KYW's Dr. Marciene Mattleman
While I wasn’t looking, young adult fiction changed from clothes and crushes to books that are dark and life-threatening. "Thirteen Reasons Why,” published in 2007, has sold 200,000 copies and is still on the best seller list in hard cover. It’s narrated by a dead girl who overdosed on pills, who sent 13 audiotapes to people who made her life miserable.
"Hunger Games,” which was published in September and has already sold 120,000 copies, depicts a malign government, pitting teenagers against one another in a televised arena. Only one remains alive.
An anorexic girl in “Winter Girls,” starves herself after her best friend dies of bulimia.
However, according to the Wall Street Journal, all end with some hope in the same way that fairy tales have a moral code and principles triumph over adversity.
In recent years fiction has become more realistic including family death, divorce and gender issues. With reports of increased depression and suicide, these dark books highlight the need for parents and caregivers to know what their kids are reading and discuss the content.
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