We end Banned Books Week 2016 with a paranormal romance between a werewolf and a human and a popular dystopian novel.
It’s Banned Books Week, which is an event that brings awareness of the freedom to read. Most bans were because of complaints or outcries from parents and/or some educators, feeling that some of the books were unsuitable for teens or pre-teens.
For each day of Banned Books Week, we’ll be presenting two young adult books that are/have been banned from schools or communities due to its contents – or at the very least, challenged. It’s the last day of Banned Books Week and we go outside of realistic fiction to present books from paranormal/fantasy and dystopian genres.
Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause
Why it was banned/challenged: Violence, explicit sexual content
Why it should be read: The main protagonist is quite a confident being, in both her human skin and her wolf skin. She has to deal with the aftermath of death and coming-of-age and just accepting yourself for who you are, which all teens have to deal with, regardless of if they’re a werewolf.
It’s weird because readers either love it or hate it. The conclusion of the story may be construed in a wrong and possibly even prejudiced way, but it’s also somewhat original when compared to other paranormal romances.
Order Blood and Chocolate
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Why it was banned/challenged: Violence, suggestive sexual behavior, content unsuitable for age group
Why it should be read: It’s an excellent and compelling story about a teen girl who has to find strength within herself to stand against what society expects of her. Sure, there’s violence, but the worldbuilding and the journey the main protagonist goes through hits on so many more levels. Being that it takes place in a dystopian world, it’s extreme, but when compared to the world we live in today, the differences are not all that great.
It’s one of those books that just makes you think. As a young reader, this is something that doesn’t shy away from the dangers of war and poverty, which is something that readers should know about already.
Order The Hunger Games