Books save lives, Minions. In particular, YA books save lives. When I was growing up, hated by virtually everyone, and so terribly bullied, my escape, my refuge, my island in the storm was the library. I escaped the painful world that was my own and delved into other worlds–worlds that entertained me, worlds that gave me hope. Without those books, I might never have known that some people had it worse than I did in school (CARRIE by Stephen King) or that I wasn’t alone in my body changes (ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT’S ME, MARGARET by Judy Blume). Books helped me get through being a tween and teen–they helped me to stay alive, when I had thoughts of suicide. Books saved me.
So I’m completely confused at why the Wall Street Journal would post an article saying the opposite (click that link, go read that, and then come back here), that books about darker issues are inappropriate in any way for today’s teen. One of the books mentioned, RAGE by Jackie Morse Kessler, blew me away. In fact, I loved it so much that I blurbed it. And when I said, “RAGE is raw and real, a truly dark, honest look at self-harm and the teenage psyche. Kessler left me breathless.” I meant it. Jackie’s book is truly fantastic, and gives us a great avenue to discuss the issue of self-harm. The fact that Megan Cox Gurdon (the author of the WSJ article) actually insinuates that RAGE would make anyone want to self-harm disgusts me. It also tells me two things: 1. Ms Gurdon needs to read Jackie’s book again and again until she fully understands it, and 2. Ms. Gurdon clearly does not understand how a teenage brain works, and grossly underestimates your intelligence, Minions. Not only are you smart enough to know that a book like RAGE is showing you what NOT to do and why, you can figure it all out without someone crying out for censorship, thankyouverymuch. People like this make me crazy. We NEED books. Particularly dark issue books. So that we know that we’re not alone. So that we know we’re not a freak. So that we can find a shred of solace during some pretty scary times.
Jackie’s response is here – you should go read that. Then you should go read RAGE, if you’re interested in darker YA themes. And never let the censors win. This is your life, Minions. Live it.
P.S. Auntie loves you. 
Tags: censorship, RAGE, vent
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hey does anyone know of a website besides this one where a young author can post pieces of their work freeley? because my account has not been activated and i DESPERATLEY need some one to critique me whos not my mom because with my goth style of writing, well… lets just say shes not supportive
Auntie! if you are reading this please feel free to respond to my question above as well
@lori
i dont know of one but i would love to find too…im kinda in the same position as you…
good books that i love and suggest
the cronicles of vladmire todd,
hungergames series,
cut,
house of nite series,
RAGE,
lust,
host,
looking glass wars,
and my new series that will be out soon!!(and no im not telling any1 when untill the week befor u can preorder it) love the blood
@im goth and may kill myself
all of my friends have told me to read the hunger game series but i havent done it yet nd of course ive read and love covt and i hope to read your series too
ya the only thing about the hungergames, is that in the begining its really really boring, then at the last copple chapters is where the jucy parts come in. its the same with the whole series, it goes from very very boring like where u wanna put the book down after the first page and take a nap case it was sooo boring, to semi ok, to awsom, and to omg i cant get my nose outta this book!! but u have to be very patint with it
soo any1 up??
its summer time but my step mom has me up at 8:00 doing all kinds of chores and cleaning after her new boyfriend
hes sooo messy!! slob alert!!
@ lori
Ikr….i have all the books i have written on my computer, but i have to use names tht make it sound lik its homework, or she will delete it.
y not download the kindle app to ur computer like i did?? it has lots of free books, and the app is free!!
So I decide Auntie
That its time for your to write a new blog and make it about the Slayer Journals “First Kill”. Becuase I’m dying for it!!! So if you would give us minions some more details on the book that would be most kind of you. Most kind of you indeed!
@im goth and may kill myself
…my tooth hurts
i will start on the series as soon as i can
i just started a new series!!!!
u guys should read the looking glass wasrs by frank bedor!!! u guys will love it!!!!!! its to DIE FOR!!! jsuk its a series about alice in wonderland, but its dark and twisted, lots of death and kiddnappings, dark imagination colliding with wite immagination. the beheating of the queen. and the imagination forces almost dying! look it up on ammazon or wiki pages. it is the best book ever right under CoVT in my list.
i just looked up the meaning of my name (veronica) and it said that it was used in the visigoth period and that it is a goth/emo name…awesomeness
oh and it also means “she who brings victory” haha
im gonna tell u guys a true story that happened frome yesterday afternoon to about eit o’clook this morning.
ok so i finally found RAGE at my publiic librerie, and i read about the first 5 chapters ther right?? there was something very vivid about my past. so i put the book back in its place on the bookshelf. and u guys all know that im an ex addict to cutting right and it scares the crap outta me when i here about it. sooo i went home last night after a semi party, and went to sleep. my dreem was verypainfull. i could acctuslly feel the o soo good feeling pain i always used too feel when i cut. it hurt yes, but it diddnt i thoght it was just a dreem. but i woke up this morning and there was blood EVERYWHERE! i thoght i committed murder!! then i looked to my arms and they where hidious with brandnew gashes in them, with splinters and wood everywhere. the bed post is ruined forever and the matress is badly stained, and will survive. but me i have blood poisoning and am in a hospital. did u know that if u bring a laptop with u or a parent brings it. ur aloud to use it in the quiet room. its basicly a room with a bed and no electronics, but has pretty good wi-fi. so im sitting here being monitered and i got a cat scan to c y i did what i did. so im permineetly not allowed to read anymor bookes unless approved by my docter. and i have to sit in a reabilitation clenic for about 3 months. and my roomate is this cute blond chick that has a food binging problem.
@im goth and may kill myself
im soo sorry one of my friends did almost the same exact thing but she used a knife that was on her bedside table and she cut up her ankles for some reason too and she didnt want to tell her parents so she just bandaged it and never went to the hospitol and told her parents that she fell
i donot wanna go to a fuckin mentil hospital!!!!!!! if they try to make me im runnin. i am soooo glad that they made me do cross contry in middle and highskool! case i can actually run a mile in about 3 minuts and 34 seconts thats my record every1 tries to beat it at my old skool. so ya well if im gonna have to run ill miss u guys
hopefully they wont even think about that but if they do we will miss u too
@vee
i didnt tell my parent anything. she came to wake me up. and when she opened the door she screemed and woke me up and i saw/felt what i was doing. and she pulled me by my hair and dragged me to her minni van kikking and sccreeming “i can walk!!! i can walk!!!” and before i newit there where paramedics at my house case she called the emt to see where the neerest hospital was.and they told her to stay there. and they came and wisked me to the hospital.
i wouldnt b surprised if i was all over the news case there was alot of cameras. but i dont know if it was local, or national soo tune into the news and tell me if ime on it
im watching rite now…all it is talking aboput is the casey anthony murdur trial and i hav looked on all the news casting stations… i will look on tha cnn website
kk thanks verymuch
ur welcome
ugg we have to go to sleep like super early. and i am sooooooo glad i brang my laptop with me, soooo no 1 on today or what??
they might amputate one of my arms.
i guss thats what i get 4 reading rage. i am so dissapointed in myself i swere. i really really thoght i quit. im like so dissapointed. i think im just gonna erase my book, and get on with my life with only one arm. theres a chance they can save my arm, but they have to c how far the lood poisoning went. that means they r gonna have to sedate me like they did tonite, but obviously they didnt do it enoth. and the restrants where kinda loose. i dont like being tied down so no matter how badly it hurt to get outa the restrants i did it 
now im just waching movies on my laptop, and going on here every once in awile. if im al of assudinly not on 4 awile just wait a month or 2 case i WILL come back.
im waching shawn of the dead, its pretty funny, becase im at the part wher shawn and his brother are in there backyard throwing records at zombies like thers no tomorrow
.
tears the shape of the moon
its almost noon
i may die soon
and face my doom
@goth
dude your making me sad…listen to a song to shot your self confidence up (i suggest riptide or your going down by sick puppies)
i hate myself
and im not a DUDE im a girl
i should have never read that stupid book. i mean it sounded good and was good. but if u had a past with what they have in the book (cutting) i dont think its the right book 4 u. expecially if u just quit a month and a half ago.
i feel like i should find a bottle of sammple pills and overdose. i promised myself aunti and u guys that i would quit i am sooooooo sory that i didnt keep my promise.
so when they had cameras in my face, it was just public, “not importin enoth” and i will not overdose i promist. ill stay alive as long as i can keep my arm. i donot wanna b a handi-cap chick, never aloud to drive a car case i might get in an accedent
sorry ppls theyr giving me this medicin that is giving me som suisidle thoghts. its just that my adhd pills and whatever there giving me is like a really bad mix. it already gave me 2 sesers, and i cant walk in a straight line. pluss i have a lasy eye right now. i wish i had my phone, but they confiscated it. i would post a picture of the way i look right now on face book, all the wires, and moniters around me. i look like a cristmas tree in june lol. so, iff i come in her ranting about my problems just tell me to shutt up ok.
suposivly anti depressant+pain medication+sleep syrup=drunk broken looking thing that is me.
@im goth and may kill myself
hey sry about wats goin on wish i could do sumthin to help
@goth
sorry, i just call everyone dude…jeez….they have u on meds that make you snappy?
@im goth and i may kill myself
did u erase ur book???? case it was actually pretty good. and im soooooo sory about what happened to u. i guss they should sencer books aftter all. case what happened to u can happen to any1. ill do anything that can help, but for now all i can do is pray.
sorry peppls. i was sleeping. so guss what. the only good thing that happened so far is that i dont have to loose my arm. and in a day i have to go to that rehab. but they still have me on these stupid fuckin meds!! i swere if this headack gets any worse im gonna shoot every single person in this hospital!!
@vamp chick. yess i did erase my book. becase i was mad at myself. but i have it saved on my computer at home 2 so im glad about that case i regret deleting it. i couldof worked on it here. so im starting on a new book.
@Goth
Oh God! Sorry about that… I hope you get better… And don’t worry what you did you did it without knowing it cuz you were asleep so you actually kinda didn’t break your promise, right? I think…
OMIGOD!!!!!!!
i’m goth i feel so bad 4 u cuz i cut 2 and i’ve been tryin 2 stop how did that happen xactly since u were asleep *curious* y did u erase ur book!!!! i wuz lookin 4ward 2 readin it and im sure that many other ppl r 2!! DONT GIVE UP “ITS NOT 2 LATE ITS NEVER 2 LATE” 
good luck keep us up 2 date pleez
i still have the other copy on my comp at home. u know, just incase something happens 2 one of them?!?
and i dont know how i cut myself in my sleep.??
O.o
so the car scan said that i hat post dramatic stress. and when i read that book, it was wayyy 2 much 4 me. i cant read any childeren, YA, or adult books unless i have an a ok from my docter, AND my concerler, AND my scocil worker. and they only approve elmo, and junie b jones, and dr. suese. i feel like a first grader all over agen. and im “A THRET TO SOCIETY” they say i can sleep walk, and strangle some1 or something like grab a seringe and fill it with air, then hide it and wait 4 my docter 2 enter the room, and i ingect te air into 1 of her vainss.
im probobly the saffest person in the room. im tied down most of the time or in “the quiet room” and im not aloud 2 b alone in a room. like the bathroom. they have me peeing in a can/bowl like thing. it sucks, but my nurse is pretty cute 
hes a guy!! but there transfering me at 6:00AM so ill meet that room mate. i hope they arnt like, mean. and make fun of what i do.
* cat scan
this is so true i read the link and it made me FURIOUS!!!!!
my roomate isnt that bad. shes just glad that i have a laptop
she cuts thou 
she has a hidden razerblade she got frome her razer. u no… the thing u shave with. but shes like really nice.
can you try to talk her out of it or something? no one should do that to themselves.
…wait 4 it…