Darkness Made Visible vs. the Best Books in Blood

 I think that Sherman Alexie contends that the best books written for young people should deal with hard subjects because that's what kids today are experiencing. If a kid hasn't personally encountered any of these struggles then they probably are aware of their existence. One of the best points he makes is that the real issue isn't that parents are trying to protect the kids being triggered by personal trauma, but parents "are simply trying to protect their privileged notions of what literature is and should be. They are trying to protect privileged children." This point really hit hard because I believe it to be 100% true. Parents that usually have problems with these kind of books are those who want to preserve their kids ignorance, which in this world is a privilege. In contrast, Meghan Cox has a lot to say about books being too dark for teens to consume. Cox says that books don't just mention these mature themes anymore and they go into gruesome details that vulnerable audiences shouldn't be exposed to. She also says that kids that don't suffer from these issues can be influenced by these dark stories and driven to indulge in self-destructive behaviors. I agree with Alexie's viewpoint because I think teens nowadays are exposed to so much more than we realize through resources like the internet. They are also dealing with so much and tend to be so isolated that finding solace in characters like them I think is something that's positive. Alexie reasserts this notion by saying "I write in blood because I remember what it felt like to bleed."  These books are seen as "too dark" when in actuality these books are very relatable for the masses that end up reading them.