#fictionaldeathsiwillnevergetover

“I often wonder how distanced the concept must seem to teenagers playing video games for hours, where immortality is guaranteed simply by pressing the reset button” (Wallis 2014). Many parents dislike the idea that their children read books which address the concept of death. However, death has been part of YA literature for a long time – even though under special circumstances, namely that only the evil one had to die, whereas details concerning how the villain dies have often been left out in order to keep death at a distance. Nowadays, death is far more realistically and explicitly described. For example, books like The Fault in Our Stars by John Green focus on the emotional disturbance and problems of the person affected when it comes to death. Moreover, books like 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher address the controversial topic of suicide.

Basically, two questions need to be asked. First of all: Are our (young) members of society able to cope with such themes? Sian Cain argues in his Guardian article that “sometimes [we] need reminding that reading about death does not make you want to die; likewise, reading about suicide does not condone suicide” (2014). Secondly: How can these literary products help young people to cope with death? According to Wallis, YA fiction does these three things:

> make young people feel connected to each other through talking about death in books (#YAsaves, etc.)

> create dialogue between generations (especially young adults and adults)

> fill the part religious faith has traditionally played in coping with death and reach an audience undetermined by religion

What do you think about YA fiction becoming darker?

https://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2014/may/11/ya-books-on-death-is-young-adult-fiction-becoming-too-dark