So the county I live in schools had a PTA meeting to attempt to ban this book. The final conclusion was that kids 18+ can borrow it. Since there was a huge stink of it, I borrowed a copy of the audio book via the hoopla app. Please be aware the following paragraph to avoid spoilers if you want to read this. However, I will break down my thoughts and observations after the next paragraph.
(Spoiler paragraph)The book is about a girl named Claudia who returns home from summer vacation to discover her best friend, Monday, is missing. The majority of this book is her attempting to find her friend while everyone around her acts as if all else is normal, including the school system, police, and child protection agencies. Unfortunately we learn that >!Monday was murdered by her mother and had been dead for 8 months before her body was found inside her apartment. We also see the intense damage this does on Claudia through severe disassociate PTSD.!<
So the big fuss was over some sexual content in this book. And yes, there is some adult language and there is a scene that describes sex, about ten seconds of audio. Every sexual mention in this book is in a negative light, such as women feeling trapped and finding worth in their bodies by reluctantly giving in to men with bad intentions, guilt of peer pressure, and the regret after. MUCH different than the smut books your aunt was always reading on her wine nights. However, the PTA counsel was calling this “pornography” and even compared it to handing children a playboy.
It wasn’t until later in the comment section that I saw someone mention the “horrible CRT”. It all rang for me… this is a book written by a black woman and in the book it touches on the realities of gentrification, the struggles people of color face, and the fact that so many missing black girls go missing and nothing is done about it.
People either let the local tea party here tell them what to think, or they used their own racism to compare a book to porn.
I personally liked the book, but like others have said, the timeline is very confusing.
by Grandaddyspookybones
5 Comments
When I was a freshman in high school we were prohibited from reading “The Kite Runner” due to its graphic depictions of several harsh subject. However the book itself holds merit as a depiction of sincere personal growth, remorse, and character development as well as a perspective on middle eastern cultural awareness.
This was in small town conservative central Texas.
My teacher purchased fifteen copies of the book and distributed them to those of us who wanted to finish the story. I declined at first as I was put off by some of what I had read, but I later went back and completed the book..
I recently returned to my hometown and the school library had literal smut available for kids to read. Personally, I don’t care but it struck me as odd.
Kids are going to experience sex, trauma, violence and terror in their lives. Probably best to witness it through written media.
I always find it so telling about a person when they call books where the only sex that’s described is traumatic or predatory “pornography.” Im like oh imma keep my children far away from you.
Banned books are awesome! If a book makes people afraid it’s worth it to look at why. Currently reading Tricks which is one of the most banned books in the US about children who end up in the sex trade. It is brilliant and tragic and should required reading for anyone thinking about banning books.
Books can teach children about the dangers of the world without putting them in actual danger. Banning them takes away a tool to learn in safety.
This book is AMAZING! I highly recommend it. I had it in my middle school library. Probably better for high school, but I knew my patrons.