They Suck, They Bite, They Eat, They Kill : The Psychological Meaning of Supernatural Monsters in Young Adult Fiction /

Bodart, Joni Richards.

They Suck, They Bite, They Eat, They Kill : The Psychological Meaning of Supernatural Monsters in Young Adult Fiction / Joni Richards Bodart. - Lanham, Md. : Scarecrow Press, 2012. - xxxi, 268 pages ; 23 cm. - Scarecrow studies in young adult literature ; 43 . - Scarecrow studies in young adult literature ; 43. .

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction: Here be monsters, who and why -- Vampires : the aristocratic monster. 'The silver kiss' by Annette Curtic Klause -- The tantalize series by Cynthia Leitich Smith -- The blue bloods series by Melissa de la Cruz -- The drake chronicles by Alyxandra Harvey -- The chronicles of Vlad Tod by Heather Brewer -- 'Jessica's guide to dating on the dark side' by Beth Fantaskey -- Shapeshifters : the transforming monster. 'Blood and chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause -- The wereling/changeling series by Steve Feasey -- The wolves of mercy falls trilogy by Maggie Stiefvater -- The nightshade series by Andrea Cremer -- The firelight series by Sophie Jordan -- Zombies : the reanimated, resurrected monster. The rot and ruin series by Jonathan Maberry -- 'The cellar' by A.J. Whitten -- The enemy series by Charlie Higson -- The generation dead series by Daniel Waters -- The revenants series by Amy Plum -- Angels, unicorns, demons : the unexpectedly deadly monsters. Killer angels : the angel burn trilogy by L.A. Weatherly -- Killer unicorns : the rampant series by Diana Peterfreund -- Killer demons : the demon's lexicon trilogy by Sarah Rees Brennan -- Afterword: Looking back, looking ahead.

"Teen readers have always been fascinated by monsters, but lately it seems like every other young adult (YA) book is about vampires, zombies, or werewolves. These works are controversial, since they look at aspects of life and human nature that adults prefer to keep hidden from teenagers. But this is also why they are so important: They provide a literal example of how ignoring life's hazards won't make them go away and demonstrate that ignorance of danger puts one at greater risk. In They Suck, They Bite, They Eat, They Kill: The Psychological Meaning of Supernatural Monsters in Young Adult Fiction Joni Bodart examines six different monster--vampires, shapeshifters, zombies, unicorns, angels, and demons--in YA literature. Bodart first discusses the meaning of these monsters in cultures all over the world. Subsequent chapters explore their history and most important incarnations, comparing the same kind of creatures featured in different titles. This volume also contains interviews with authors who provide additional insight and information, and the bibliography includes a comprehensive list of titles featuring the various monsters. Analyzing the most important and well-written series and titles for teens, They Suck, They Bite, They Eat, They Kill will be useful for parents, teachers, and anyone else hoping to understand why teens want to read books in this genre and what some of the benefits of reading them might be."--Publisher's website.

9780810882270 (cloth : alk. paper) 0810882272 (cloth : alk. paper) 9780810882287 (ebook) 0810882280 (ebook)

2011029544

016008818 Uk


Young adult fiction, American--History and criticism.
Monsters in literature.
Supernatural in literature.
Literature.
Monsters.
Supernatural.
Young adult fiction, American.


Criticism, interpretation, etc.

PS 374 .M544 B63 2012