This is a very brief foray into the world of YA horror.
I've alway loved a good fright. I grew up on Christopher Pike (who I loved) and R L Stine (who was ok) as well as all of the Point Horror books. In my teenage years I loved to scare myself silly with horror movie marathons and even now I enjoy settling in for a good scare (provided that it's in the middle of the day in my own house with all the lights on, because I'm getting a little spineless as I get older you know?).
The reason that this post is only a brief foray into the genre is because my good friend and fellow ATW board member HJ Harkness runs a blog solely dedicated to YA horror! How ace is that? And she has ways of describing all things spooky that constantly amaze me with their ingenuity. You can check out her blog Spine Chills over at http://spinechills.blogspot.com/,
But I do still love a bit of horror, and it amazed me for a while that the genre dropped out of the market. Sure there was action and plenty of thrillers, but there wasn't anything downright scary. My feeling is that this is largely because horror really has specific ages that it's suitable for, as what is scary (and what is appropriate in schools/ libraries) changes so much from junior to middle school to senior school and finally adult.
Which brings me onto the book that began this post 7 Souls by Barnabas Miller & Jordan Orlando.
The blurb for this book doesn't give much away - which is great for a horror book, because suspense is half the fun! The fact that the book opens with a teenage girl hungover, naked, scratched, and unable to remember the events of the night before would no doubt make this book questionable for a lot of parents or librarians.
I'm all for books being able to address confronting issues, but this book contains a lot of drug use and underage drinking that do end up taking away a little bit from what is actually a cleverly constructed and entertaining thriller. I do think that 7 Souls is a step in the right direction for YA horror lovers, and as long as it's shelved in the 'senior' section will no doubt be an entertaining read for teenage thrill seekers but I'm not convinced that it totally hits the mark.
I would be interested in any feedback if anyone decides to read it!
What I'm reading now: A couple of books for review (the winner of the 2010 Text Prize included!) and about to start The Lovers Dictionary by David Levithan, which I will review as soon as I finish.
Thanks for the mention Bec!
ReplyDeleteI think horror is one of those genres that sometimes gets a rap because it must be really hard to understand the appeal of all the blood and gore if you just don't get it.
Unfortunately it means you get some well-meaning gatekeepers trying to steer kids away from horror because they think they won't be able to handle it, which is such a shame because usually the biggest responses I get from talking to school groups are from the horror books I present. At the Darren Shan even I just attended, he had fans of all ages and they were all rapt. I understand that people worry kids won't be able to cope with the horror in books, but I think that the readers are pretty good at moderating for themselves - they won't keep reading if it scares them stupid (in a bad way)!
I haven't read 7 Souls yet, but every time I pass it on the shelves it catches my eye... can't wait to read it after your review!
Hi there! I have to "co-sign" with you on how much the horror genre has changed. I think especially for YA. I mean, it's been watered down and shelved into URBAN FANTASY, but all those creatures (zombies, ghosts, weres, vamps) belong to HORROR.
ReplyDeleteI grew up on Stephen King & I'm a huge Clive Barker fan. I love the Hellraiser franchise & heard they're remaking it. Something tells me it'll be watered down horror. I could go on and on about Barker but I'll spare you. Ha ha!
As a YA writer I noticed that teens only seem to want to read about creatures for example, if they are falling for an average (or kick-ass) girl. I don't know. And then for the "creature" to be seen as a "hot" character, he can't really do what he's designed to do-he's got to go against his nature. A vampire in these cannot even really be written drinking human blood, he's got to abstain from that. It can take some of the fun out of writing these horror creatures because they might as well be regular guys who just drink a little animal blood here & there and don't age. That's not a vampire. I don't know what it is but oh well. We have to give the audience what they want. That much I know.
I also know the horror (well, Urban Fantasy) genre has been flooded with girls looking for romance after Twilight. These are new readers, many of whom (according to their own words in comments I've read) have never even read a book before that wasn't school related. The girls also commented tenfold that they "didn't like to read", ect. I think a lot of new fans to the horror genre may have some reading problems (reluctant readers). So again, in writing the YA horror book, sometimes I feel like I need to simplify things. I keep thinking, "Are they gonna get this? Will they understand this plot twist"? You know?
Disclaimer : I didn't mean to offend anybody out there if I did about the whole "reluctant reader" thing.
Thanks for letting me post!