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The Problem With Clean YA Fiction For Christian Teens

In an age where things that used to make people gasp and blush are now commonplace in literature—especially, young adult literature—it’s great to see a thriving “clean” YA fiction market. This means enough readers still demand virtue and integrity in their media. And if you’re a Christian, you might be tempted to download a clean YA reading list and load up your tablet with said titles before your next road trip. After all, if it’s clean, there’s no worrying about what you might encounter between the virtual covers. Right?

Not so fast.

Beware the wolf in sheep’s clothing. In some ways, clean YA fiction holds more danger for Christian teens than the more explicit books on the market. Because the term “clean” has a way of getting you to let down your guard and assume it’s safe. 

Unfortunately, this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Hi, I’m Lauren Thell, author of Christian YA fiction and blogger for teens who are ready to exceed the world’s expectations.

What You Read Matters

As I said in my post 5 Terrific Reasons Why Christian Teens Should Read Fiction, “What you fill your mind with determines the path of your words and actions.” In other words, you are what you read. 

You are what you read. 

If you read sexually explicit content, you will have a harder time controlling your thoughts and keeping from following through on your desires. But even if you manage to avoid explicit content, simply reading about people whose immoral choices are presented in a positive light can make you sympathetic to sin. You start to think, “Huh. This isn’t so bad.” Your moral compass, as set by the Bible, begins to waver. Maybe you might not engage in the sins you read about. But you’re less likely to fight those sins in others.

Clean fiction does not mean sin is not promoted, and this is the danger behind clean YA fiction for Christian teens.

4 Problems With Clean YA Fiction For Christian Teens

Let’s look at a few specific examples.

1) Normalization of Homosexuality

I single this one out not because it’s the mother of sins but because it’s so prevalent. In the past decade, the LGBTQ movement has worked hard to gain acceptance into our culture, and nowhere is this more evident than in our literature. Especially teen literature. 

Especially clean teen literature. 

The market has been calling for more stories where LGBTQ characters play the starring role. But even in heterosexual romances, LGBTQ side characters are prevalent—the best friend, the older brother, the parents. And they’re always extremely likable characters, people you can’t help but sympathize with. Why is this dangerous?

As they slowly increase the quantity and heat, your tolerance increases until you’re consuming five-alarm chili without breaking a sweat.

One word: desensitization.

Think of it like spicy food. If you weren’t born eating spicy food, you probably have a low tolerance for heat. If someone were to shove a ghost pepper in your mouth, not only would you notice but you’d probably spit it out and go racing for a big glass of whole milk to ease the burning. However, the same person could get you to consume peppers by hiding minute pieces of low-Scoville peppers in your spaghetti sauce or chili. You might not even notice. As they slowly increase the quantity and heat, your tolerance increases until you’re consuming five-alarm chili without breaking a sweat.

This is how sin becomes accepted by Christians.

PLEASE DON’T MISUNDERSTAND!

It’s not the presence of LGBTQ characters in stories that causes problems. It’s the sneaky way literature gets you to accept their lifestyle, pushing you to ignore God’s clear ordinances and accept sin in higher and higher doses. Gay and transgender people are souls who need to be shown the love of God too. And that means eradicating sin, not encouraging it. 

Read literature that makes you sympathetic to souls in need of Jesus, not sin in need of condemnation.

See my post How to Help a Friend Who Struggles with Gender Identity for more on this issue.

2) Clean vs. Closed-Door Fiction

A big myth about clean fiction is that it never includes sex. Total myth. Sometimes all clean means is you don’t get to see it happen. You’re shooed from the room, the door closes, and the scene fades to black.

But you know exactly what’s happening behind that door. This is the problem with clean YA fiction. Authors of clean YA fiction can still keep their books on “clean” lists simply by leaving out gritty details.

For Christian teens, it’s the same issue as with LGBTQ situations: the normalization of sin. And with sexual content, you don’t have to be standing in the room (or reading it on a page) for your mind to conjure up the images. Sometimes all we need is the hint of sex to get the imagination running in that direction. 

clean vs. closed-door fiction

Don’t give it the chance to do that. Check out these related posts:

3) Acceptance of Teen Drinking and Other Dangerous or Illegal Behaviors

I always scratch my head whenever I encounter this in a teen fiction book: A party where the “good girl” is offered a beer and takes it without blinking an eye. Really? Is this one of those “can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” scenarios?

“Well, all teens are going to drink so we might as well make it look like it can be done safely.“

I happen to believe teenagers are capable of choosing and maintaining high standards.

Um, hello! The consumption of alcohol is still illegal for any and every teen, regardless of how “responsible” he or she is. 

Forgive me if this offends you, but I happen to believe teenagers are capable of choosing and maintaining high standards. That’s what this blog is all about. 

My young friend, don’t fall for the lie that you have no self-control and are supposed to go through a seven-year period of irresponsibility. Your teen years are a time to buck the trends and prove you care about things like integrity and eternity. It’s okay to expect the literature you read to reflect higher standards.

See my posts Feeling Left Out? Remember This When Sin Looks Attractive and “Everybody’s Doing it!” How to Overcome the Lie Behind Peer Pressure.

4) Swear Words Still Exist in Clean YA Fiction

Problems arise when a reader picks up a designated clean read, expecting “clean” to also apply to the language. Half the time you will be disappointed.

This is a tough one that even I struggle with: How many curse words are too many for a 300-page novel? When have we crossed the line between clean and explicit?

Some clean fiction lists (and authors) speak of clean strictly along the lines of sexual content. No sex? No problem. Therefore, problems arise when a reader picks up a designated clean read, expecting “clean” to also apply to the language. Half the time you will be disappointed.

That’s another problem with clean YA fiction: differing opinions on what makes a book “clean.” Some writers believe crude language is the norm for teens (and one walk down a high school corridor would seem to support this). But I think you can do better. And you can expect better.

An Author’s Unique Perspective on Profanity in Fiction

As a reader, I prefer books with zero curse words, though I’m capable of overlooking the occasional slip. And please, for the love of sweet Jesus, no OMG phrases. But as an author…

I absolutely commend authors who can portray brutes and delinquents without reaching for crude words.

Sometimes it’s difficult to avoid crude language when authenticating certain characters. Think of the roughneck boy who’s been hardened to life and love. He’s not likely to be careful with his words when he first meets the sweet protagonist who’s going to soften his heart by the end of the book. How do you stay true to his character without turning to R-rated language?

It’s tough, but skilled authors can do it. I always point to S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders as an example. Talk about a motley bunch of ruffians that make up the cast for the book. And yet, she somehow manages to portray their toughness without dipping into expletives even once. And it feels authentic.

Because of this issue, I don’t automatically cull a book from my recommended reading list simply because it has a few mild swear words in it. But I absolutely commend authors who can portray brutes and delinquents without reaching for crude language.

clean YA Fiction for Christian teens

Feeling Intimidated? Let Me Do the Hard Work For You!

Okay, Lauren. If I can’t trust clean reading lists, what am I supposed to read?

This is why you need to subscribe to my blog! Not only do I talk about current trends in the YA fiction market, but subscribers will get monthly reading recommendations right to their inboxes—truly clean YA fiction for Christian teens. When I recommend a book to my subscribers, you can bet that it:

  • Avoids explicit sex and innuendo
  • Promotes moral choices that align with biblical values
  • Contains little to no swearing (I always warn of any instances of foul language)
  • Shows sin for what it is (i.e. teen drinking is not shown in a normalized light)

You can also follow me on Goodreads and check out my ratings and reviews, each of which contains a content analysis.

Let me do the weeding for you! 

Reading Lists From My Blog

More Resources to Help You Find Books for Christian Teens

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