Wanted

           In the mystery novel “Wanted”, by Caroline B. Cooney, it is about Alice, a fifteen year old girl, going through being accuse for murdering her own father. She goes on a journey to clear her name, and identify who the real murder is.

            When Alice tells us the breathtaking journey of hers, she is the narrator of the story. The absence of the other characters makes the story more suspenseful. If we do have other perspectives in this story, it can ruin the ending of the story, what comes next, and the mood. So in this book, it is very important for it to only have one character telling the story.

            Once again, Alice is the main character that tells the story. If we do have other points of views in this book, it can give you slow down the story or even change the direction of the plot. Even if we do switch the point of to her mother, she is helping the police rack down Alice, it stretches out the story, since she isn't a dynamic character. Another reason that the extra story tellers isn’t necessary makes the book a mystery novel.

            When we don’t have additional different angles in this story, we have missing information, hence that it’s a mystery novel. We don’t know who the murderer is, how Alice’s mother feels, or how close the police are to finding Alice.

            

YA Argument Essay

            YA books are currently being challenged by many outraged parents, claiming that it is inappropriate and a violation to god. For example how “Go Ask Alice” the main character has a drug addiction, is being raped, and is a prostitute. Despite the graphic and mature topics, it shows them a glimpse of the real world. YA books shouldn’t be banned because of sexual depictions or blasphemy, instead, we can see how it can be useful to kids.

Even though some young adult literature can be a little uncomfortable to read, or it might hit a soft spot, it helps embrace their inner feelings and get a brief view of reality, so later on in life they wouldn’t be overwhelmed when they get older. Just like how Emma [a teen blogger] said “‘Good literature rips open all the private parts of us — parts like you have deemed too dark, inappropriate, grotesque or abnormal for teens to be feeling’”. Some teens may be going through this anyway, and the YA books that we are selling can help them feel better about themselves. Another example that Mary [the writer of ‘Has Young Adult Fiction Become Too Dark?’] states “we can’t shut them off from the outlet of experiencing difficult events and feelings in the relative safety and profound comfort of literature. Darkness isn’t the enemy. But ignorance always is.”. Not everyone one are born the same, they may be different from the typical teen. So with the darker topics that we are covering helps makes teens feel a part of the normal.

On the flip side, YA books can damage a child. Dome topics may help educational learning, but gory details are not needed. Such as the “Marbury Lens” "covered with impaled heads and other dripping, black-rot body parts: hands, hearts, feet, ears, penises. Where the f— was this?" No happy ending to this one, either.” These gruesome scenes are not necessary for young teens, they scare them away from reading these filthy books that they have encountered. Another example of this is how in “Scars” by Cheryl Rainfield is filled with contextual scenes, such as “the protagonist's father has been raping her since she was a toddler”. When the teens are reading these precise texts and imagining this, is that considered pornography?

YA books not only get the readers thinking about more complicated thoughts, it can help inspire them. Just like how Kristina Palmer, 17, read “The Hunger Games” and said “‘It was just great writing, even if you could barely imagine being in a situation like that.’”. These YA books encouraged Kristina to imagine and visualize a complex scene. It can help give readers imaginative ideas to write stories for school, and they might not know that.

Over all, YA books are being read by young teenagers who are between the ages of 12 to 18. It is up to the reader’s choice to read the book that we are currently having an argument about banning the unfitting.

Allegiant

            In the book Allegiant by Veronica Roth, the last book in the Divergent trilogy, it talks about her journey with Allegiant. She flees to Chicago with Tobias, her brother, and a few other friends who successfully. The heart breaking ending shows how sacrifice can be very painful, but it has to be done.

            In the beginning Tris [Beatrice] second thoughts herself if she is going ever sacrifice herself for one another. "I used to think about giving my life for things, but I didn't understand what ‘giving your life' really was until it was right there, about to be taken from me." Then later in the book, we are all surprised that she is going to risk her life for her family and friends. 

            Near the end, when Tris was about to let Caleb [Beatrice’s brother] kill himself because of the guilt devouring him piece by piece from betraying her sister. She convinces Caleb to switch places with her, assuring him that everything is going to be alright, and she is a Divergent. "You demonstrated the quality I most need in my advisers," he says. "Which is the ability to make sacrifices for the greater good." Dave encourages Tris to go against him, to trigger the memory serum in the end, which is what Dave wants so dearly. Tris is then injected with the death serum, but she survives from it and unleashes the memory serum so the factions can once again be one. But it doesn't end there, Dave shoots Tris to death when she was freeing the memory serum.

            In conclusion, this book teaches us as readers that not everything would be as easy and smooth ride. An example is how Tris would sacrifice herself for her brother, even though if she is still holding a grudge. 

Non-Fiction Critical Analysis

            In “Has Young Adult Fiction Become Too Dark” by Mary Elizabeth Williams, Mary uses Meghan Cox Gurdon’s article to refute her opinion, to prove her belief. Mary gives examples to lure the reader to agree with her opinion, for example, she says how YA books can give readers a safer environment, and help readers relate. She also looks into how she is a mother herself, with two daughters and how she is very precise of what they read. Mary agrees that, now, the YA book topics have been darker, but refutes it by saying not many are great literature. She also says “You can’t compare what’s crowding the shelves now with a tiny handful of classics that have endured.”

The main idea of Williams’s article is how YA books can create a safer environment, and enjoy what they’re reading. She gives us an example of how “good literature rips open all the private parts of us-and then they stitch it all back together again” Even though good literature may talk about a rough topic, it helps them get over it, and make them feel good about themselves.

            I though Mary’s argument was strong throughout, because it covers and refutes all the ideas Gurdon covers. It gives evidence that makes Gurdon’s examples weak. It makes me support the idea of letting readers whatever they want, it is their choice.