With the popularity of YA fiction novels like The Hunger Games and All American Boys, you could say violence is on the minds of many young readers. Not surprising, given the rise of violence in our culture. I still remember how horror swept the country for months after the Columbine High School massacre in 1999. Now, mass shootings happen with such alarming frequency, they rarely command national headlines for more than a few days.
Detestable, yet frighteningly true.
So it’s the ultimate debate: Does teen fiction glamorize violence or combat it?
The scary answer is: both. Which is why I, an author of Christian teen fiction and reviewer of clean YA fiction, do not hold the same zero-tolerance policy for violence as I do for sex in fiction. But not all violence is acceptable between the covers of a book.
Hi, I’m Lauren Thell, author of Christian YA fiction and blogger for teens who are ready to exceed the world’s expectations.
In This Article
Violence in Clean YA Fiction
In my post 5 Terrific Reasons Why Christian Teens Should Read, I voiced the well-shared opinion that reading builds empathy. Fiction can open your eyes to the plight of those around you. Because of this, I believe fiction needs to tackle uncomfortable topics like violence. As author Catherine Bruton states in Violence in Teen Fiction Goes In the Dock, “Books can open up dialogue and challenge dangerous stereotypes in a way that no other medium can.”
Empathy is a huge part of emotional intelligence, and young adults who read fiction have a head start on developing both. But…
Have you ever read a scene where five guys are beating up one defenseless kid in the locker room, then a few minutes later he walks away with only a split lip?
You’ve just been lied to.
In reality, bones are not unbreakable, emotional scars take time to heal, and death affects everyone touched by it, no matter how distantly. Violence carries tough consequences, and books that ignore this hard truth have no place on your shelf.
Where to Draw the Line on Violence in Clean YA Fiction
Some writers believe teen readers should not be sheltered from difficult material. I agree, but excessive gore isn’t necessary to achieve the right impact. When you see gruesome pictures of a terrorist bombing in the Middle East, you’ll certainly feel something. But if you want that impact to be positive—the kind that builds empathy and the lasting desire for change—listen to the survivors tell their stories.
“Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.”
Colossians 3:2
Violence in teen fiction must serve a purpose other than shock value. When I promote a book as clean YA fiction, I draw the line at these nine oversteps.
Gratuitous violence.
“Gratuitous” is a fancy word for unnecessary. If the violent scene you just read seems only there to shock you, the author is likely using brutality as a substitute for good writing and character development. This kind of violence in fiction promotes desensitization rather than empathy.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins contains plenty of violence, but sadism isn’t the central theme. In fact, Katniss Everdeen’s main goal as she takes her sister’s place in the games is to protect her family, and each horrific scene shows the reader what she’s up against and why they should be rooting for her. Rather than driving the plot, the violent scenes show the harsh reality of the world she lives in.
Brutality used solely to create sympathy.
A classic example of this is the rape victim protagonist. You’re presented with a character who went through a horrific experience (often before the story begins) and is now defined by her status as a victim. The reader sympathizes with her solely because of what happened to her, thus promoting the idea that a young woman is only of worth if she’s been victimized in some violent way.
Kirra from Dani Pettrey’s book Sabotaged (Christian romantic suspense) suffered a devastating injustice that follows her through the story. But rather than being a shell of a person whose only claim to a reader’s heart is through what happened to her, we see her moving forward, rebuilding trust in others, and healing as she works to save lives.
Scenes that linger on the carnage.
No matter the reason for violence—even if it makes perfect sense in the context of the story—there’s a limit to how graphic the details need to be, especially in clean and Christian teen fiction. Skilled authors will give you just enough physical information to convey what happened, then focus on the reaction of the characters.
A sea of blood isn’t necessary to rouse emotions.
In the final fight scene of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight, Bella is viciously attacked by a rogue vampire. The narrative includes a few blips about blood and broken bones, but the majority of the torture is conveyed through Bella’s inner thoughts, which is more than enough to make the reader cringe.
Violence that encourages destructive behavior.
Bullying, suicide, vandalism, and overall disrespect for human life are not normal and should never be presented as normal. Such experiences come with steep, often tragic consequences, and books that portray them without emotional repercussions are lying to you.
In The Maze Runner by James Dashner, the boys, out of fear for their safety, banish one of their own into the maze and certain death. It’s a brutal act and the boys know it, as evidenced by the gloom and heartache hanging over the glade afterward.
This is the reality of violence, and you should never walk away from a violent scene and feel like it was all in a day’s work.
Violence that paints one group of people as “bad guys.”
If every black male in a book is depicted as evil, what kind of message does that suggest? No entire group—males, females, blacks, whites, Russians, left-handers—is entirely bad, so beware of fiction that tries to pit your mind against a whole people.
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton details the conflict of two rival gangs divided by socioeconomic status. But while the MC is clearly devoted to his own, he also at times acknowledges they’re not all that different from each other. The book makes clear the sad reality of former teammates finding themselves at odds on the street.
Books with so much violence, it becomes a fetish.
Let’s be real here. Readers need a break from brutality. Kellie M. Parker does this well in her book Thin Air, where moments of high-altitude horror are separated by scenes of bonding and suspicion between teens who are fighting to avoid becoming the next victim. The same is true of Therese Heckenkamp’s Frozen Footprints, a Christian YA novel with disturbing violence. The spiritual battles and relational growth between the brother and sister characters give the reader a necessary break from grisliness.
Normalization of murder.
Death is a part of life, but murder and abuse are not normal. So when you see characters walk away after a violent encounter without showing any signs of emotional trauma, something is definitely wrong. Violence should rattle their core. (Unless the point is to show the sadism of a particular character.)
In Jared C. Wilson’s Echo Island, one of a group of four teen boys witnesses another dying in a fire, and though he wasn’t terribly keen on the guy, his death hits him hard nonetheless.
This is the reality of witnessing violence.
Animal torture.
The torture of animals is considered a huge red flag for psychological impairment, a fact that should not be ignored in fiction. Don’t get me wrong: I come from a family of hunters and view the humane killing of animals for food as a natural part of life. But, as with all other violence, there’s no need for it to be graphic or sadistic in fiction
One scene from Brian’s Winter (a spinoff from Gary Paulsen’s popular book Hatchet) shows Brian bagging his first moose. But even though the kill was necessary for his survival, he still feels the sadness that accompanies all forms of death.
(Oddly enough, a large number of people cry “foul!” to violence to animals in fiction but barely blink an eye when a human character is shot and killed. Don’t undervalue human life.)
Graphic aftermath
Even when an author closes the curtains on the physical act of violence itself (as with many murder mysteries), the description of the scene afterward sometimes crosses the line into Goreville. Skilled authors can portray the horror of the action through character reactions rather than vividly describing the blood splatters and dismembered body parts. Agatha Christie does this well with all her murder mysteries, including The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. The reader is invited to view the scene, but the details are presented from an investigative standpoint rather than an explicit description of carnage.
Why I’m Not as Stringent About Violence in Clean YA Fiction as With Sexual Content
As a reader and book reviewer, I have zero tolerance for graphic sex scenes (even between married couples) and closed-door hookups that normalize sex between teens and other unwed persons. But I’m not opposed to some violence in clean YA fiction.
Seem like a double standard?
The truth is, few people are not drawn to violence when they read about it while nearly everyone struggles with sexual temptation on some level. You might be shocked by a scene of violence, but a sex scene—or even the implication of sex—will have your body reacting in a totally different way.
The Bible commands in Ephesians 5:3 that among us, there “must not be even a hint of sexual immorality.” Not a hint means none.
Skillfully written books can help teen readers process the hard realities of violence in a healthy way. The exploration of sex, however, belongs in marriage, so save it!
Know Thyself
Everyone has a different tolerance level for violence. Your personality and life experiences will dictate yours. Are you a victim of violence or abuse? Do you struggle with anger management? This will change how you react to violence in fiction and, in some cases, means you should avoid it.
Never feel like you must read a book for the sake of expanding your horizons or keeping up with pop culture.
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
Philippian 4:8
Fill your mind with good things!
Finding Clean & Christian Teen Fiction
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Every book review on my blog or in my newsletter contains warnings about violence. You can also screen books using the suggestions in How to Find Clean Young Adult Fiction in a Dirty Market.
Looking for low-violence reads? Check out these lists: