Publication Date: January 14, 2019
Links: Amazon | Goodreads
Those who bear marks on their skin are doomed to a life of slavery. Lexil has seven. Sold into servitude, Lexil must deal with brutal punishments, back-breaking labor, and the loss of every freedom. When a young child she has befriended faces a horrible fate, Lexil must intervene to protect her, no matter what the risk.
With the help of a boy named Finn, the trio flee into the Wastelands. There, they must evade those who hunt them while trying to survive a barren landscape. Lexil must face challenges she's never imagined existed, all while learning what it means to truly be reborn.
The Red Queen meets The Hunger Games in this stunning new release. Buy REBORN now to find out if being branded a reborn is a myth, a curse... or a destiny.
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by Jenna Greene
The
idea that teens can’t handle deep and dark themes in literature is a pretty
obsolete notion. It isn’t just the Internet that has exposed adolescents to the
trials and tribulations of the world. Children live; therefore, they are
exposed to poverty, abuse, strife, inequity, and prejudice. They might not
experience it all themselves, but they can see it. They know about it. The eyes
and ears of the young are far keener than anyone might expect.
So
why would we put it in literature as well? Why would we write about slavery,
intolerance, or racism instead of more cheerful topics? Won’t this just remind
the readers of the injustices in the world and how there is so much darkness
surrounding them?
Yes.
But it’s also a way to show characters experiencing unfortunate events … and
surviving. Even thriving. YA books can show protagonists enduring and overcoming.
Not only that, but having an impact on the world they live in, changing it for
the better. What could be a more positive, uplifting thought than that? Isn’t
that why the original fairy tales were created? To show horrific circumstances
and people overcoming them. Facing adversity and overcoming the odds.
That’s
really the power of all literature. Sure, not every book will tackle issues at
extreme depth and emotion, but every story has a conflict of some sort. A
struggle. And even those that don’t end happily, still end. That is a
resolution, of sort, which the reader must sort through internally. And,
whether they know it or not, that emotional turmoil will stay with them and, to
a degree, help them as they continue with their life.
And
who needs these tools better than children?
I
can’t think of anyone.
Sure,
the images have to be presented in an age-appropriate manner. Some action must
take place ‘off-stage’ or be inferred to, rather than seen. But the base
conflicts can be present. And, yes, adolescents can handle it.
About the Author
