Sex in Teen Lit Month II Wrap Up

And so it ends! Sex in Teen Lit Month II is now over! I hope you guys have enjoyed reading all the posts and reviews as much as I have had putting it together. It's been awesome, and it shows just how important the topic of sex in YA still is, six years on from the first event.

I have a lot of thank yous to make. Thank you to all the people who got involved with Sex in Teen Lit Month II (names and links are at the bottom of this post); the bloggers who wrote really insightful guest posts, and the authors who took the time to either answer my questions or write guest posts, giving the topic the seriousness it deserves and such thought-provoking answers.

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Sex in Teen Lit Month II - Interview with Robin York

Today, I am so excited to have author Robin York dropping by the blog to talk about her debut NA novel Deeper and revenge porn.

What inspired you to write Deeper?

The idea actually came from my publisher, Random House, who asked me to consider writing a New Adult romance (a romance whose protagonists are in the 18-25 age range) for the Bantam imprint. I’d been following the rise of New Adult and was interested in trying my hand in it, but I didn't have a story in mind immediately. I did know that I wanted to write a New Adult romance set at a small liberal arts college. It wasn't until I read an article online about revenge porn — and then stumbled into reading the comments, which were appalling — that I found the story I wanted to tell.

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Review: Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma (review copy) - She is pretty and talented - sweet sixteen and never been kissed. He is seventeen; gorgeous and on the brink of a bright future. And now they have fallen in love. But... they are brother and sister.

Seventeen-year-old Lochan and sixteen-year-old Maya have always felt more like friends than siblings. Together they have stepped in for their alcoholic, wayward mother to take care of their three younger siblings. As defacto parents to the little ones, Lochan and Maya have had to grow up fast. And the stress of their lives—and the way they understand each other so completely—has also also brought them closer than two siblings would ordinarily be. So close, in fact, that they have fallen in love. Their clandestine romance quickly blooms into deep, desperate love. They know their relationship is wrong and cannot possibly continue. And yet, they cannot stop what feels so incredibly right. As the novel careens toward an explosive and shocking finale, only one thing is certain: a love this devastating has no happy ending. From Goodreads.

WARNING! To review this book the way I want to, I need to include some slight spoilers. Please read no further if you're planning on reading this book and don't want it spoilt for you.

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Sex in Teen Lit Month II - Discussion: Paul & Emma's Scene in Asking For It by Louise O'Neill

WARNING! There is a scene in Asking For It by Louise O'Neill that I am going to discuss in some detail. If you have yet to read the book and don't want it spoilt for you, please read no further.

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Sex in Teen Lit Month II: Interview with Louise O'Neill

Today, we are extremely lucky to have the completely brilliant Louise O'Neill stopping by, who has been incredibly busy lately (she's been at events in Ireland, the UK, the US, and Canada, all in a matter of months!) due to the success of her two novels. She's here to discuss her latest novel Asking For It and to talk about rape culture.

Asking For It is such a deeply affecting and eye-opening novel. What prompted you to write it?

There were a few different reasons. I was finishing Only Ever Yours in 2012 when Todd Aiken, a politician who was running for senate in the US, made a comment about how the female body had ways of ‘shutting down’ a pregnancy if it was a ‘legitimate rape.’ I wanted to include that idea of ‘legitimate rape’ or ‘rape rape’ in Only Ever Yours but it seemed too important an issue to shoe-horn in to the narrative.

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Sex in Teen Lit Month II - Discussion: YA on Rape, Sexual Assault and Sexual/Child Abuse: Different Narrators, Different Circumstances

So far, the books on rape and sexual assault that have been covered have been narrated by the victim, an acquaintance of both the victim and those accused, and someone falsely accused of rape, but there are other books that focus on rape and sexual assault narrated by other characters, as well as books on sexual/child abuse. I thought I would highlight a few of them here. All links go to Goodreads unless otherwise stated.

Narrated by sister of accused and brother of victim:
You Against Me by Jenny Downham - If someone hurts your sister and you're any kind of man, you seek revenge, right?

If your brother's accused of a terrible crime but says he didn't do it, you defend him, don't you?

When Mikey's sister claims a boy assaulted her, his world begins to fall apart.

When Ellie's brother is charged with the offence, her world begins to unravel.

When Mikey and Ellie meet, two worlds collide.

This is a brave and unflinching novel from the bestselling author of Before I Die. It's a book about loyalty and the choices that come with it. But above all it's a book about love. From Goodreads.

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Review: Modern Monsters by Kelley York

Modern Monsters by Kelley York - Vic Howard never wanted to go to the party. He’s the Invisible Guy at school, a special kind of hell for quiet, nice guys. But because his best friend is as popular as Vic is ignored, he went...

And wished he hadn’t.

Because something happened to a girl that night. Something terrible, unimaginable, and Callie Wheeler’s life will never be the same. Plus, now Callie has told the police that Vic is responsible. Suddenly, Invisible Vic is painfully visible, on trial both literally, with the police, and figuratively, with the angry kids at school. As the whispers and violence escalate, he becomes determined to clear his name, even if it means an uneasy alliance with Callie's best friend, the beautiful but aloof Autumn Dixon.

But as Autumn and Vic slowly peel back the layers of what happened at the party, they realize that while the truth can set Vic free, it can also shatter everything he thought he knew about his life... From Goodreads.

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Sex in Teen Lit Month II - Interview with Courtney Summers

I am absolutely thrilled to have the wonderful Courtney Summers stop by the blog for Sex in Teen Lit Month II today! Courtney has been super busy lately, so we're really lucky she agreed to a short interview to discuss rape culture and All the Rage.

All the Rage is such a hard-hitting and emotional. What prompted you to write it?

Sometimes I write about things that make me angry as a way of processing them and rape culture makes me furious. I wanted to explore how dangerous it is and how devastating the consequences of it are.

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Review: All the Rage by Courtney Summers (#Ad)

All the Rage by Courtney Summers (e-Proof) - 

I received this eProof for free from Macmillan Children's Books via NetGalley for the purposes of providing an honest review.

When it was announced that All the Rage by Courtney Summers is going to be released in the UK in January 2016, I was so glad to hear it! More books seem to be coming out that are tackling this important subject of rape and rape culture, and the conversation they're creating is brilliant. Macmillan Children's Books have allowed me to review All the Rage two months early to include it in the Sex Crimes Week of Sex in Teen Lit Month II, and it's such a fantastic story!

I'm not using the summary on Goodreads, because it contains minor spoilers, but also because, for the most part, it doesn't really tackle the main plot of the story. So this time round, I'm including just my own summary.

Continue reading Review: All the Rage by Courtney Summers (#Ad)

Sex in Teen Lit Month II - Interview with Tammara Webber & Giveaway

Today, I am super excited to have the wonderful NA Bestselling author of Easy, Breakable and the Between the Lines Series, Tammara Webber on the blog to discuss Easy and sex crimes for Sex in Teen Lit Month II.

Easy is such a powerful and important book. What prompted you to write it?

I began hearing Jacqueline’s story, as if she was telling it to me. I resisted, because I saw myself – see myself – as a romance writer. I didn’t want to write an “issues” book – certainly not about the topic of sexual assault. As a rape survivor, I’d spent years dodging anything concerning the topic in books or film – let alone my own writing. I credit this story to my fictional character, because she would not let up. I finally felt I had to write the story for readers like myself who were never going to willingly pick up an issues book about sexual assault, even if we needed to – and I wrote what I knew how to write:a romance novel. My only “message” was for survivors: It wasn’t your fault. I received and continue to receive emails, notes and messages from readers, thanking me for helping them see that one truth. I know I did the right thing in writing it.

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Sex in Teen Lit Month II Discussion: "Reading is For Entertainment!" - or Why I Read Books that Deal with Rape

While I was doing the reading for Part 2 of Sex in Teen Lit II Month, I talked about the books I read to my mum. Mum would listen to what I had to say, but she would be pulling a face as if I was mad. She would say something along the lines of, "Reading is for entertainment! Why would you want to read a book about rape? What's entertaining about rape?!" My mum might not be the only person thinking this, there might be some of you who will be reading my posts as I come to the end of November and wonder why I'm reading to do with sex crimes, so I'm going to discuss my reasons here.

Obviously, the question could be about any kind of book that deals with a distressing or difficult topic, it's not a question focused solely on books to do with rape, but as that's one of the topics covered in this part of the event, that's what I will discuss, though I'm sure my answers can be tweaked for any topic.

Continue reading Sex in Teen Lit Month II Discussion: "Reading is For Entertainment!" - or Why I Read Books that Deal with Rape

Review: What We Saw by Aaron Hartzler

What We Saw by Aaron Hartzler - Kate Weston can piece together most of the bash at John Doone’s house: shots with Stacey Stallard, Ben Cody taking her keys and getting her home early—the feeling that maybe he’s becoming more than just the guy she’s known since they were kids.

But when a picture of Stacey passed out over Deacon Mills’s shoulder appears online the next morning, Kate suspects she doesn’t have all the details. When Stacey levels charges against four of Kate’s classmates, the whole town erupts into controversy. Facts that can’t be ignored begin to surface, and every answer Kate finds leads back to the same question: Where was Ben when a terrible crime was committed?

This story—inspired by real events—from debut novelist Aaron Hartzler takes an unflinching look at silence as a form of complicity. It’s a book about the high stakes of speaking up, and the razor thin line between guilt and innocence that so often gets blurred, one hundred and forty characters at a time. From Goodreads.

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Sex in Teen Lit Month II - Interview with Kirsty Eagar

Today, I'm so glad to have fantastic YA author Kirsty Eagar here to answer some questions about her novel Raw Blue and rape survivors.

How did you come up with the idea for Raw Blue?

I’d felt strongly about the subject matter for a long time, but the catalyst for me to actually write the story was some very profile sexual assault cases that went to trial in Australia in 2005 and 2006. The victims were on trial, rather than the perpetrators: in the courts, in the media, and in the court of public opinion. Having witnessed that, I could completely understand why someone who’d been sexually assaulted might choose not to come forward. There is so much focus on the victim, and what they should and should not do in response to this crime. My view is that unless we can guarantee a decent safety net for them, we can’t expect them to jump. I also don’t think anyone can dictate the terms of another person’s survival. The focus and pressure needs to shift to the men who commit these crimes.

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Review: Raw Blue by Kirsty Eagar

Raw Blue by Kirsty Eagar (review copy) - Carly has dropped out of uni to spend her days surfing and her nights working as a cook in a Manly café. Surfing is the one thing she loves doing … and the only thing that helps her stop thinking about what happened two years ago at schoolies week.

And then Carly meets Ryan, a local at the break, fresh out of jail. When Ryan learns the truth, Carly has to decide. Will she let the past bury her? Or can she let go of her anger and shame, and find the courage to be happy? From Goodreads

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Sex in Teen Lit Month II Part 2: Sex Crimes

Part 2: Sex Crimes


Today and for the rest of the month, Sex in Teen Lit II will shift it's focus from sex in YA in general, and look at sex crimes and crimes of a sexual nature.

In this part of the month, the books featured will cover:

• Rape and rape culture:
• From the victim's perspective
• From the perspective of someone who knows both those accused and the victim
• From the perspective of someone who has been falsely accused of rape
• Revenge porn
• Incest

Continue reading Sex in Teen Lit Month II Part 2: Sex Crimes

Sex in Teen Lit Month II Discussion: Sex in LGBTQ YA

As regular readers will know, I am a huge supporter of diverse YA, LGBTQ YA in particular. It was my plan to highlight LGBTQ YA novels that involve sex scenes that don't fade to black and aren't glossed over (I can probably think of a few like this, but they're not what I'm after here). After all, queer teens deserve to see all aspects of their lives represented in the books they read. I only knew of two, so I asked around on Twitter, and only a few others were recommended to me (click the images to be taken to their Goodreads pages):

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Review: Firsts by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn

Firsts by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn (eProof) - Seventeen-year-old Mercedes Ayres has an open-door policy when it comes to her bedroom, but only if the guy fulfils a specific criteria: he has to be a virgin. Mercedes lets the boys get their awkward fumbling first times over with, and all she asks in return is that they give their girlfriends the perfect first time - the kind Mercedes never had herself.

Keeping what goes on in her bedroom a secret has been easy - so far. Her mother isn't home nearly enough to know about Mercedes' extracurricular activities, and her uber-religious best friend, Angela, won't even say the word "sex" until she gets married. But Mercedes doesn't bank on Angela's boyfriend finding out about her services and wanting a turn - or on Zach, who likes her for who she is instead of what she can do in bed.

When Mercedes' perfect system falls apart, she has to find a way to salvage her own reputation - and figure out where her heart really belongs in the process. Funny, smart, and true-to-life, Firsts is a one-of-a-kind young adult novel about growing up. From Goodreads.

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Sex in Teen Lit Month II - Alice Nuttall: Companions, Concubines and Chastities: Weaponised Sexuality in Louise O’Neill’s Only Ever Yours

Today I have the wonderful Alice Nuttall stopping by with a fantastic guest post about sexuality in one of my favourite YA novels, Only Ever Yours by Louise O'Neill.

A little warning just as a heads up, there are some minor spoilers in Alice's post. I don't think there's anything that would spoil the enjoyment of the story overall, but if you have yet to read Only Ever Yours and you'd rather not have anything spoilt for you, maybe skip this post. If you have, read on, because it's brilliant!

Companions, Concubines and Chastities: Weaponised sexuality in Louise O’Neill’s Only Ever Yours

Louise O’Neill’s debut novel describes a dystopian future that’s scarily close to our present. Teenage girls are brought up in a claustrophobic society with an obsessive focus on their looks and an infinitesimally narrow band of what is deemed acceptable behaviour. All right, the girls in question have been genetically engineered for maximum attractiveness, and they are raised in a nightmarish boarding school that is set up as The Handmaid’s Tale-meets-reality TV, but despite the alien setting, the constant emphasis on prettiness, compliance and conformity is frighteningly familiar.

Continue reading Sex in Teen Lit Month II - Alice Nuttall: Companions, Concubines and Chastities: Weaponised Sexuality in Louise O’Neill’s Only Ever Yours

Review: What You Left Behind by Jessica Verdi

What You Left Behind by Jessica Verdi (eProof) - It’s all Ryden’s fault. If he hadn’t gotten Meg pregnant, she would have never stopped her chemo treatments and would still be alive. Instead, he’s failing fatherhood one dirty diaper at a time. And it’s not like he’s had time to grieve while struggling to care for their infant daughter, start his senior year, and earn the soccer scholarship he needs to go to college.

The one person who makes Ryden feel like his old self is Joni. She’s fun and energetic—and doesn’t know he has a baby. But the more time they spend together, the harder it becomes to keep his two worlds separate. Finding one of Meg’s journals only stirs up old emotions, and Ryden’s convinced Meg left other notebooks for him to find, some message to help his new life make sense. But how is he going to have a future if he can’t let go of the past? From Goodreads.

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Sex in Teen Lit Month II - Interview with Daria Snadowsky

Stopping by the blog today is the wonderful NA author of the Anatomy of a Boyfriend duology, Daria Snadowsky for an interview about her two novels, Anatomy of a Boyfriend and Anatomy of a Single Girl.

What inspired you to write the Anatomy of a Boyfriend duology?

All young couples in school face a serious dilemma: Either they can try to stay together and see what happens, or else they can break up and get on with their lives with the faith that they’ll get back together when they’re older if they’re really right for each other. Of course the latter option makes a lot more sense… but if you have good chemistry with someone, it’s difficult to imagine breaking up “proactively” even if the timing is bad. And if couples do choose to break up proactively, they face another decision…do they break up right away, or do they stay together and “have fun” until graduation or summer ends or some other major life event separates them? And will staying together make breaking up even harder? Etc. So I wanted to portray this kind of crossroads in YA novels.

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