I found that most of the books I’ve been reading recently are about serious or sad topics. I was reading a book a little while ago about a murder investigation and my Father read the back cover and was slightly shocked that such a book was put in public school libraries. But the truth is most kids our age understand things like this and it is hard for me to find challenging books that do not have disturbing topics. It is not really surprising to me to see a book about a murder, serious disease, abuse, or other difficult topic. I think the topic is part of what makes the book difficult.
I think that while reading about a really suspenseful chase between a child and a kidnapper is really interesting, it can also be hard to read if one of your favorite characters is beaten or hurt. When you get attached to characters it is hard to see them get in trouble, harmed, or even killed. When you are reading a book about sad things you have to be ready for sad things to happen in the story. If there is a story about how a family gets through a death in the family, yes they do get through it eventually but first someone has to die. I think that it is harder to read a book about a terrible thing. The only thing is that there is a whole other half to it.
It is more interesting to read about a terrible thing. In my experience I learn much more from books about murder trials, people with extreme diseases, or problems with government than I would from a book about the love life of a teenage girl in her summer abroad. I have nothing against romance stories; I’m just not a huge Sarah Dessen fan.
Maybe it’s just me but I find the stories about abusive parents or suicides to be so much more interesting than the books about the true life of a kid in a suburban high-school. I like the complicated scenario, multiple narrations, lot going on everywhere, kind of book.
One of my favorite authors who usually does all of this is Jodi Picoult. Another book about a serious topic that for some reason not everyone thinks of as a serious story is the “Harry Potter” series. I guess the reason behind that is there are funny parts of the story about friendship and growing up, there is also the super evil magician trying to murder the main character. A book about a serious topic doesn’t have to be a complete sob story or a super serious book; it can have some laughs and side topics. That’s part of what makes it a good book.
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