Wednesday, November 18, 2009

If You Think BREAK's Language is Inappropriate for Teenagers

As 90% of my teenage reviewers haven't mentioned the language and 90% of adult reviewers have, I'm going to say that if anything, the language is inappropriate for adults.

There should maybe be a warning on the back? WARNING: This book may not be suitable for readers over 21.

(Like, are you kidding me? What the fuck do you think they hear in high school?)

11 comments:

Suzanne Young said...

HA HA HA I love that warning! Not suitable for adults! haha

Cat Hellisen said...

Okay, I think it's time for you to have my babies.

Amber said...

Perfect. Adults still haven't gotten used to the new YA yet. They keep being brought back to their "YA" books of the day.

MeganRebekah said...

In the "adult" world cursing isn't an acceptable standard. If you walked around your office cursing you'd get reprimanded, written up or maybe fired (depending on where you work). So adults learn to phase out those words. Yeah, we might say them at home (or in the car when some jerk cuts us off) but that's it. In high school I wouldn't have batted an eye at hearing the "F" word. Today I would, because it's unusual in my sadly grown-up world. Today the "F" word sticks out like a sore thumb.

I don't mind cursing in YA books. I'm telling myself that it's because I'm still young enough to remember high school. :)

CKHB said...

THANK YOU. I'm talking about taboos and profanity on my blog today, how timely!

Anonymous said...

Yep, yep, yep. I had to adjust my language for the work place, but it doesn't mean I think that language is inappropriate in a book.

I barely noticed the language in BREAK which means it was done seamlessly, and well-placed.
(Lera)

Mahesh said...

Lol Hannah your so funny and honest i love it

hannah moskowitz said...

ooh, and A Softer World shares my brain:

http://www.asofterworld.com/clean/bricked.jpg

Jenn M. said...

Watch it young people! :) I still remember high school all 12 years ago. I thought the language in the novel was part of what made it authentic. I mentioned it in my review, only because I feel it is something that some viewers want to know. Some for their own reading, some for their children. Personally I don't censor what my daughter reads, but some people get weird about that stuff.

I think MeganRebekah has it right. As adults we are conditioned to a world where swearing is taboo. In high school, I knew not to tell my parents to 'fuck off' or a teacher, but with my friends...different story. My husband just started a job at a newspaper where everything is VERY laid back. He was in shock, and a little bit giddy, when someone walked up on his first day and said, "Hey new guy! How the fuck are you today?"

Very, very, VERY long story short, I mentioned the language, but it is part of the reason I liked Break so much.

Ashe said...

Seriously? I mean I hear every 'swear word' in the novel all the time, like every day. Funny, maybe there should be an age limit warning, since the adults don't seem to get it. Highschool kids swear all the time! Excessively and even without meaning too.

Anyways this is totally off topic, but I recently just broke two of my toes, and thinking about Break, I was like AH! How did he bash his toes with a hammer? It hurts so friggin much!
I also did not break my toes with a hammer, I broke them against a corner of a wall not meaning too. Sigh. Oh well.

Anonymous said...

I adore you. That's exactly what i thought the first time I saw someone mention Break language. Seriously? Do you realize how many times I say/hear the word fuck at school? They say we are in our own little bubble...