TGIF: Explicit YA

Every Friday at GReads!, Ginger hosts TGIF and asks us a question relevant to the book and blogging world.

This week's question: Explicit Material: How do you feel about explicit language and/or sexual content in YA books?


I feel like every story is different. So long as the author stays true to his or her characters and world (be it fantasy or teens in high school), I don't have too much of a problem with a little bit of cursing or sexual situations.


That said, I don't like to read material that is obviously just gratuitous. Not all teens are having sex; everyone does not do it, and that was something I wish I had known back in high school.


I suppose I don't like too much swearing either... I know it is completely realistic for swearing to be gratuitous (I used those words far more often as a teen than I do now), and it's completely reasonable and natural for them to be in YA books. But I don't want to see one in every sentence. Then it might start to get away from the actual story.


So to sum up, I don't mind that kind of stuff being in the YA material I read. It will bother me if it's completely unnecessary and the author just seems to be using it to get "cred" with teens or because they think that's the way all teens act and need to include it, forcing it in. I just like some balance in there—not all teens are the same and that should be reflected in their literature.