Тhe “Booklash” Factor in Young Adult Books in the United States: The Publishers’ Reader Problem

Abstract

The relevance of the topic of banning and censoring books for young adults in the United States has been confirmed by data from the American Library Association (ALA) and PEN America. According to PEN America's statistics, book banning cases have increased dramatically between 2021 and 2024, with 10,046 cases recorded in the 2023-2024 school year. This study examines the reasons for these bans, focusing on the specific themes and words that trigger censorship. The main argument in the present study is that in young adult fiction books published in the United States, there are taboo themes and words that become the reason for their ostracization by readers. The objectives of the study are: first, to present current definitions of the terms: ‘young adults’, ‘dangerous content’, ‘harmful content’, ‘censorship’, ‘problematic book’, and ‘book banning’; second, to outline the norms for censoring fiction content for young adults in the United States; third, to retrieve data on the danger and harmfulness of young adult books, on censuring and banning them; fourth, to present and analyze examples of young adult fiction books containing taboo topics or words and forth, to outline and summarize publishers', authors' and readers' actions towards young adult fiction containing taboo themes or words. The methods of the study include a review of theoretical sources, statistical analysis, and examples from practice. The conclusion of the study is that the commercial success of books for young adults can be predicted by keywords (taboo words) before the books are even published. Taboo words are: slave, crazy, silly, scary, plump, and Afro-American.