"'Sick-lit'? Evidently Young Adult Fiction is Too Complex for the Daily Mail" by Michelle Pauli

Michelle Pauli's response article to the Daily Mail's article "Sick-lit" claims that their opinion of young adult literature being too disturbing and dark is wrong. She says, unlike the Daily Mail's opinion, that the books, such as The Fault in Our Stars, are very moving, and sensitively deal with controversial issues such as terminal illness, depression, sex, and substance abuse.  Michelle Pauli says that young adult fiction writers care about their readers, knowing that what they write will affect them, and so they are sure to make their writing suitable for them. She also says that, unlike what the Daily Mail thinks, young adult fiction often is written to protect the readers, so they can explore the world and its issues in the safety of a story.

Michelle Pauli uses a lot of craft moves to push her idea. She gives her own opinion and tells the reader about her experiences with these books, such as The Fault in Our Stars. She references the Daily Mails's article in a negative light very often, arguing against many of their claims. She also quotes John Green, writer of The Fault in Our Stars, an author named James Dawson, and Kate Wilson, the managing director of publishing company Nosy Crow to back up her claim.

I agree with her opinion on how the books affect the readers. These books give readers insight into real-life problems, no matter how dark they are, but it's safe for them since it's always within the pages. It is, after all, a story, made-up plots and characters, which makes it better than teens learning about and dealing with these issues in the real world, but also helps prepare them should they encounter it there too.

How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

     Being Lonely

            Daisy from How I Live Now is an anorexic girl trying to deal with her family problems when she’s sent off to a war-torn England. When her father moves on from his dead wife and marries Davina, Daisy feels anger and resentment towards the two of them. This is because she feels unwanted in her new “family”. Her desire to feel loved and wanted leads her to doing things that are irrational, and perhaps to some readers, controversial.

            Daisy thinks that her father no longer cares about her and that her stepmother never has. Her mother died after giving birth to Daisy, so she also feels like it’s her fault that she died, and that her father is trying to break all ties with her mother, including her. When Davina enters the picture, Daisy resents her because, to her, she doesn't belong with her father since her mom wasn't supposed to die. But with her father occupied with Davina’s pregnancy, it’s clear that he has moved on from his dead wife and maybe has forgotten about his daughter, but Daisy just won’t be swayed. She is unwilling to accept that he has a new life with a new family.

            Daisy’s want for attention leads her to becoming anorexic. She told the reader towards the beginning of the story that she wanted to cause trouble for her father, but then she just wanted to be thin. But he still doesn't realize how lonely and unwanted she feels, so he just pays for a bunch of therapists and ships her off to England. Eventually she recovers when she realizes that wanting to be thin in a society whose main goal is now staying alive during a war is pointless. “All this time I've been starving, and without noticing I said it out loud, so Piper said So have I, and without even looking up I thought No you haven’t, not in the same way and I hope you never are.” (Pg 134) She realizes that starving isn't making her happy, it's making her feel even more hurt and alone, and she doesn't want anyone else to feel that way, just how I wouldn't want anyone else to feel as sad and insecure as I do sometimes. But also while in England, she falls in love with her cousin. I think the reason she lets the relationship progress further and further until they begin having sex, is because she likes the feeling of being loved, like there’s someone who wants to break her walls after years of building them up because she was ignored. Also, in her eyes, her father’s relationship with Davina is “forbidden”, so she’s kind of trying to spite him with one of her own. It’s a “how do you like that?” sort of thing, and although they obviously love each other, it’s still something readers might find strange and unacceptable.

            Daisy represents teens who feel lonely and uncared for. The ones who will hurt themselves because they feel like they deserve it or because it’s their only way to ask for help, for kindness. I've had those moments of doubt where my insecurities get the better of me. I’ll look in the mirror and it will show me someone ugly and annoying and weird, and it will tell me that no one really cares. And even though I don’t really have a reason to feel like that, it still makes me want to do something rash so people will finally understand that I’m a little vulnerable and sad sometimes. But then I remind myself that I don’t honestly feel that way. And that’s what Daisy does, reminds them that they’re going to stop feeling so alone and that they won’t feel the need to abuse themselves to find people who will care about them.