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Have Young Adult Books Become Too Sexualized?

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Literature for teens is flooded with sexual content that would be intense at any age. As a result, books are being banned all over the country.

Is a book rating system the answer?
Opinion Piece By Young Adult Author Lorie Langdon

In the 2023–2024 school year alone, there were over 10,000 recorded instances of book bans across more than 4,000 unique titles, according to PEN America. Libraries and schools are getting more requests from parents to remove books with explicit sexual content that are targeted to teens and tweens. This raises a compelling question; are adult authors writing porn for minors?

Young Adult Literature is No Longer for Children

The young adult genre has grown by leaps and bounds since the days of Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley High, and The Outsiders.

Around 2006, the Twilight Series and Hunger Games ushered in a new genre of fiction. Young Adult books exploded onto the literary scene and earned their own section of bookstore and library shelves. Readers of all ages enjoyed these coming-of-age stories that were well-crafted, imaginative, and easier reads than many adult fiction options, yet contained more sophisticated plots and complex characterization than children’s books. Soon, fan-fiction online began to sexualize these young adult characters, spawning such mega best-sellers as Fifty Shades of Grey.

In the past decade, the books marketed to teens and tweens have crossed into adult territory, becoming increasingly mature in nature. Many of these novels contain step-by-step intimacy between heterosexual and homosexual couples, as well as extolling multiple partners at the same time.

At the time of writing this article the #4 New York Times best-selling young adult book, Bitten, contains descriptive depictions of a ‘threesome,’ erotic asphyxiation, and sexual violence. One of the biggest selling series of recent years, Haunting Adeline and Hunting Adeline, according to BooksRun.com includes detailed depictions of human trafficking, child abuse, stalking, and scenes of ‘romanticized’ rape that leads to the victim falling in love with her rapist, the man who physically and mentally abuses her. It is not enough for the author to say on Amazon, “Please visit my website for content warnings.”

Children are being exposed to these X-rated themes on bookstore shelves that are supposed to nurture their imaginations and protect their innocence. The damage has already been done by the time the parents realize what their children have read.

When the Problem Hits Too Close to Home

This October, my literary agent attended the Frankfurt Book Festival—one of the largest gatherings of publishing professionals in the world—and was told by every editor that they only want books with sexual content for their young adult imprints. These editors were from the U.S., as well as Europe.

When my first book, DOON, was released in 2013, I had a nine-year-old girl who devoured the series and attended my book events in multiple states. Many children with advanced reading levels are encouraged to read above their grade level. Which brings up the concern that has remained unaddressed in publishing; should adult authors who are pushing the envelope in order to get book sales be the ones to introduce sex to a nine-year-old?

In 2025, Closed Door Romance conducted a survey of 56K romance readers and discovered that 68% first encountered sexually explicit reading material between the ages of 11-17, with 15% saying they were under 11 years of age. Many said this early exposure shaped how they saw love, intimacy, and themselves.

Due to this trend, many readers, teachers, and parents are turning to small, independent publishers like Quill & Flame who only publish ‘Books that Bring Light’ without sex on the page. Bookstores and libraries do not carry books from small publishers though, so this greatly decreases their distribution.

Moreover, at what point should publishers be held accountable for putting damaging material in our children’s hands? At the very least, if they cannot be made to stop exposing minors to X-rated adult content (a punishable offense in every other circle of our society), they can institute a rating system.

A Viable Solution

Media such as TV, movies, video games, and even music have content ratings or warnings which guide consumers and allow them to make informed decisions regarding their consumption. We have ‘parental controls’ on our tv streaming apps, smart phones, tablets, and Wi-fi systems. Why not books?

I, for one, would love a ratings sticker or a content warning page inside every book, not only for myself, but because adult books with fairytale tie-ins draw children in as well.

Industry Standards Need to Change

The ‘burning’ of objectionable books has happened for centuries. It’s time we do something different—a more sustainable solution that allows room for artistic freedom while protecting young readers and informing consumers. Let’s call for publishers to take responsibility for the content they print by instituting a standardized book rating system that is clearly displayed on every book cover.

We need to protect age-appropriate spaces for our children and teens to explore literature. It’s time for us to take a stand, and for publishing as a whole to do better.

NOTE: Lorie is planning a petition on a state level starting with libraries and parents. If you would like to join her or have expertise in this area, she would like to talk with you. Please email us to get in contact with her at thespinningpen@gmail.com

To hear Lorie Langdon talk more on this subject click here. She is open for questions via her DM’s on Instagram.

Stay tuned for our next article on Recommended Reading Lists for Teens, Young Adults and Families!

Writing Villians by Disney Author, Lorie Langdon

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SP: First of all, congratulations on your 3 book deal with Disney to write a series of villains and their first love!

LL: Thanks so much! I’m thrilled to finally share the news!!

SP: In your social media reveal post you asked the question, do you think villains can be redeemed by love? So what do you say? 

LL: As to villains being redeemed by love, I have to say that entirely depends on how far they’ve gone the dark side (so to speak). But more often than not, a true villainous character cares about something more than love. Which means they will always put that passion or obsession above other’s needs, keeping them from experiencing the redemptive power of true love.

Continue reading →

TRANSITIONING GENRES

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TRANSITIONING GENRES?

scifi

Three tips to ensure a smooth move

It all started with a room in an abandon park…

It wasn’t just any room, but a particularly large, spacious and strangely unearthly one. It was as if the room was originally built for giants of men and heroes of old. After that day, I never saw that space again, but it remained etched in my memory. That was the room where the story first came to me.

At the time, I was already deep in the writing trenches of my YA fantasy novel. When this futuristic world began to reveal itself to me in that room, I couldn’t help but start frantically taking notes. There was a future world that existed out there and was waiting to be written.

I promised myself I’d finish up my current work in progress but after that, I would be switching to sci-fi. Though switching from fantasy to sci-fi sounded daunting, this past year was the year I made that jump.

If you’re considering changing genres, here are a few things I learned along the way that I hope help you:

Think about why you’re switching genres and if you’re a good fit

Hopefully, if you’ve completed another manuscript, you know what your strengths are. Do you write page-turning plot, life-like characters, or mind-blowing worlds? Take your list of strengths and weaknesses into consideration as you’re picking your new genre.

If your number one strength is developing deep characters and you really struggle to write anything fast paced, a thriller probably isn’t the best fit for you. Make sure that your strengths fit the new genre you’re about to tackle.

Think about what you’re passionate about

What makes you come alive? You may be the most gifted horror writer in the world but if you feel queasy at the thought of gore, is that really the story you want to tell? Writing is incredibly hard work. But it’s also fun! Write something that’s going to excite you and keep you up at odd hours because you love it.

Think about where you draw inspiration from

One more thing to take into consideration is your current environment. When I moved to Beijing a year and a half ago, I was in awe of city and curious about how it worked. I used my phone to pay for everything, scanned my face to get on planes, and had toilet paper delivered to my door by men on bikes. It wasn’t hard for me to begin extrapolating the world around me and converting it into a novel.

“I could see stories enfolding on every corner.”

That’s when I knew it was time to write the sci-fi novel I had stored away at the back of my brain since I first saw that room. It was a hard decision because I was about to start querying my other novel. I didn’t want to delay that any longer. But I also knew, I’d only have one year in Beijing and I’d never find inspiration like this again.

If you’re traveling, just moved, or are facing some other life change that is compelling you to write something new. Go for it! I typically wouldn’t advise completely neglecting your other WIPs but, especially if it’s a short stretch of time, take advantage of the inspiration around you! Tackle that new genre while the warm fuzzies last.

Just don’t forget, keep going even when they stop. Nerd out, turn it into a game, get organized, or keep wanderingbut do whatever it takes to keep writing.

 

Candace signing off to go hiking and get more inspiration.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Final Frontier: Starting Your Sci-fi

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Pen Friends ~ We are starting a series of posts on tips and how to write each genre- Fantasy, Contemporary, Sci-fi, Action-Adventure, and more. This Month is all about WRITING SCI-FI! 

First post of the Writing Sci-fi series:

Where do you start when you want to write a science fiction story? Just as with any story, you need to have an idea of your plot, your characters, their world and the struggle they’re going to face.

Plot Structure:

If you begin with a basic plot in mind, how are you going to structure your story? Is it going to be a straightforward and linear, or will you use frequent flashbacks?

You could insert official reports or journal entries to open a window into other perspectives. Or you could even jump around in the timeline – though this is tricky to keep track of – unless there’s a very plot-specific reason for it, I would caution against this.

Or perhaps you like to start with at your characters, and let the majority of the plot evolve with them.   Continue reading →

Author Interview: Natalie Mae & The Kinder Poison

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Pen Friends~ I’m so excited to introduce you to Young Adult Author, Natalie Mae, who will talk about her upcoming book, The Kinder Poison, out in just ONE WEEK, from Razorbill.

NatalieMae_headshot_200
SP: Hi Natalie! Thanks for joining us! Before we start talking about your debut, The Kinder Poison, we’d LOVE to know a bit about you and your writing journey?

NM: Thanks so much for having me! I’m a Colorado author who graduated with an

Information Technology degree from CU Boulder, because I didn’t think writing books could be an actual job. (I guess I thought authors just “existed” out there? Like stars?) Very happy to say that I soon found out anyone could pursue authorship, and the rest is history! It’s taken about 8 years to get where I am now. It took me 2 of those years to get an agent, and though we sold my debut (a YA sci-fi) within months, it would be another 4 years before I sold The Kinder Poison. And another 2 1/2 years from then until it would publish! So it’s definitely felt like a long journey, but I’m so grateful to be published at all and to be able to write for a living.

SP: The Kinder Poison will come out with Razorbill next week! TheKinderPoison_web

Here is a blurb:

Zahru has long dreamed of leaving the kingdom of Orkena and having the kinds of adventures she’s only ever heard about in stories. But as a lowly Whisperer, her power to commune with animals means that her place is serving in the royal stables until the day her magic runs dry.

All that changes when the ailing ruler invokes the Crossing. A death-defying race across the desert, in which the first of his heirs to finish–and take the life of a human sacrifice at the journey’s end–will ascend to the throne. With all of the kingdom abuzz, Zahru leaps at the chance to change her fate if just for a night by sneaking into the palace for a taste of the revelry. But the minor indiscretion turns into a deadly mistake when she gets caught up in a feud between the heirs and is forced to become the Crossing’s human sacrifice.

Now Zahru’s only hope for survival hinges on the impossible: somehow figuring out how to overcome the most dangerous people in the world. Continue reading →

Guest Post: “Beginning in the Middle” by Author Laura Moe

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In the monthly writing workshop I conduct at a local library, the other night I talked about Write Your Novel From the Middle by James Scott Bell. The concept is described as “like popping open the hood and showing writers how they can be intentional about the story.”

In this book, Bell claims that for a book to be effective, there must be a “mirror moment” where the main character can literally or figuratively look in the mirror and questions his/her beliefs about himself. It helps enormously to know the middle moment/mirror moment, because knowing this moment “illuminates the entire book” you’re trying to write. It’s the “deep tissue of the story,” (or the engine that drives it.) which many writers don’t discover until much later, sometimes after several drafts or even once the book is published.

Continue reading →

Author Interview: Hanna Howard

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Pen Friends ~ Today’s interview is such a treat! Debut YA Author, Hanna Howard, shares about her upcoming novel, IGNITE THE SUN and her beautiful (and somewhat painful) journey to becoming an author. Don’t miss the blurb to her novel. The premise is entirely captivating!

hhSP: Hi Hanna! I’m so excited to have you on the Spinning Pen to talk your upcoming debut, Ignite the Sun. But first, can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you started writing? Continue reading →

7 Killer Approaches to Writing a Killer Opening Line

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As we know, a good first line of a book (and chapter) can do much more than just begin the story. It grabs our attention, sets the tone, reveals something to come, lets us taste the narrative & voice, gives the first impression, and can be locked into our memory for years to come IF it is done well.

Look at the 7 approaches below and study them. (FYI: Thanks to Lorie Langdon for sharing these with us!)

I’ve also added links to some of the most popular first lines in YA Literature. Compare, enjoy, and then mentally put them into their correct categories. Then look at your own first lines. Where does it fit? Practice rewriting your first sentence. And if you are so bold, share it in the comments!

  1. A statement of eternal principle

– Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.”

– Paper Towns by John Green: “The way I figure it, everyone gets a miracle.”

 

  1. A statement that conveys the narrative

– Isak Dinesen’s Out of Africa: “I had a farm in Africa.”

– Stardust by Neil Gaiman: “There once was a young man who wished to gain his Heart’s Desire.”

 

  1. Characterization

– Stephen King’s 11/22/63: “I have never been what you’d call a crying man.”

– The Old Man and The Sea by Ernest Hemingway: “He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish..”

 

  1. Start mid-action

– Lorie’s current WIP:“A brisk gale whipped the sea into peaks that pitched the Skylark around like a leaf in a flooded stream.”

– The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner: “Through the fence, between the curling flower spaces, I could see them hitting.”

 

  1. A statement of paired facts

– Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo:“Joost had two problems: the moon and his mustache.”

– A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…”

  1. 6. Statement laced with significance and/or conflict

– Heather Webb’s Becoming Josephine: “The missive arrived in the night.”

  • DOON by Corp and Langdon:“I skidded to a halt in the crowded corridor, totally unprepared for a showdown with the evil witch of Bainbridge High.”
  1. 7. Start with setting that evokes emotion, establishes mood, or raises questions

-A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas:“The forest had become a labyrinth of snow and ice.”

-Maria V. Snyer’s Poison Study: “Locked in darkness that surrounded me like a coffin, I had nothing to distract me from my memories.”

 

LINKS:

https://www.bustle.com/articles/164702-20-ya-novels-that-will-hook-you-from-the-first-line

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/teen/15-of-the-best-opening-lines-in-ya/ 

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/38-best-first-lines-in-no_b_8836484

 

Thanks Lorie, for sharing your tips with us! *Find Lorie’s books on amazon here & her website.

Nova, signing off!