tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388578325782539013.post6815270171985378001..comments2024-03-26T17:32:38.865-04:00Comments on YA Outside the Lines: Flawed Characters (And Author) by Janet GurtlerBrian Katcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15159532800819759917noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388578325782539013.post-4509420920754863672011-04-12T13:03:53.985-04:002011-04-12T13:03:53.985-04:00Thank you for this post, and for being so open abo...Thank you for this post, and for being so open about your "dark side" - I think you're right, for teens the dark side is often quite apparent. It's an ongoing struggle every day. Adults are better at hiding their darkness (perhaps a bit too good, in some cases). Flaws and weakness are what make characters interesting - and what makes us all human.Alisa M. Libbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09725133360811594353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388578325782539013.post-65203953363181658502011-04-06T20:18:51.559-04:002011-04-06T20:18:51.559-04:00See I'm amazed by people like you. Telescopes ...See I'm amazed by people like you. Telescopes and basketball are much better, but what the heck is spelunking.Janet Gurtlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09378521577302320423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388578325782539013.post-86082430423268571802011-04-06T15:58:29.797-04:002011-04-06T15:58:29.797-04:00I don't drink either, Janet. Not for the same ...I don't drink either, Janet. Not for the same reason...just never got started somehow. I was kinda "slow" in high school -- not in school stuff, but social stuff. I wouldn't have known how to get anything to drink. Or smoke, for that matter. I was into stuff like telescopes and basketball and spelunking. Brave post!R.A. Nelsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05917854943370784501noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388578325782539013.post-90604384404180524242011-04-05T22:00:44.529-04:002011-04-05T22:00:44.529-04:00Great post Janet!
Teens deal with real issues tod...Great post Janet!<br /><br />Teens deal with real issues today. As they did yesterday and years and years ago. Sweeping it under the rug and pretending like it isn't there helps no one. Teens included. I think today's teens deal with even more though. I wasn't oblivious to drugs and drinking in high school, but I wasn't exactly wrapped up in it either. My younger brothers are both in high school now and I worry about them. I worry that they'll get caught up and lose who they are because they don't even know who they are.<br /><br />The older one is comfortable and willing to talk about anything with my mom, but the younger one isn't. And he's already starting down a path that I hope we can get him off of. It's hard, but it's real. <br /><br />Contemporary YA is probably my favorite genre to read because it tackles life. Good, bad, and ultimately hopeful. I can relate to that.Nikki (Wicked Awesome Books)https://www.blogger.com/profile/10379785087255968519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388578325782539013.post-81490996998998470312011-04-04T22:13:36.977-04:002011-04-04T22:13:36.977-04:00Cocaine in high school makes me afraid.Cocaine in high school makes me afraid.Janet Gurtlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09378521577302320423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388578325782539013.post-35182750488545492012011-04-04T18:23:04.604-04:002011-04-04T18:23:04.604-04:00At my teen's high school, there's not a to...At my teen's high school, there's not a ton of drinking, but it seems like a huge number of kids smoke pot. Maybe I'm wrong, but I fear that less. We were talking the other day about how different high schools have different personalities. There's one very affluent high school nearby that has had a lot of problems with cocaine.April Henryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01193292966301864407noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388578325782539013.post-16194802959689978582011-04-04T17:00:25.166-04:002011-04-04T17:00:25.166-04:00Janet, I loved this post! This is exactly why I wr...Janet, I loved this post! This is exactly why I write contemporary fiction with flawed characters too. I faced a lot as a teen and coped in some unhealthy ways myself including drinking, drugs and cutting (Jenny, if you want any resources for that or someone to talk to about it, just drop me a line. I started cutting around 13 myself. My parents didn't find out until I was 16 and I can only imagine the shock.) I searched desperately as a teen for stories of real life survival. That's still what I love to read. Glad I'm Not Her is out there for teens!Stephanie Kuehnerthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15337734171729461782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388578325782539013.post-43119958143877509122011-04-04T16:24:13.243-04:002011-04-04T16:24:13.243-04:00You're right. Mistakes are how we learn and gr...You're right. Mistakes are how we learn and grow and discover who we are. Admitting our mistakes is the hardest part. :)Vonnyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09603117695506296939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388578325782539013.post-74532143677484631912011-04-04T11:28:42.232-04:002011-04-04T11:28:42.232-04:00Wow Rachel, thanks for ordering I'm Not Her! A...Wow Rachel, thanks for ordering I'm Not Her! And yes, Lydia there is alot of truth in those three sentences. It's a hard lesson (that I still struggle with sometimes)<br /><br />Jenny...that is so sad about those girls. There's som much pressure on teens and it just seems to be getting harder. I hope they make it through okay. I think it's wonderful your daughter talked to you about it. I hope my son keeps talking to me as he gets older. I really do.Janet Gurtlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09378521577302320423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388578325782539013.post-62569014397165648772011-04-04T09:37:17.107-04:002011-04-04T09:37:17.107-04:00I love your post. And I completely agree. My daugh...I love your post. And I completely agree. My daughter just told me that a few of her friends have been cutting themselves. Cutting!! And she's 13. I couldn't believe it, not because I didn't think my daughter would know girls who do that, but that I consider all of her friends sweet, kind, lovely girls. They go to a small private school where the teachers are hands-on, all have great, caring parents, and here they are finding a reason to cut themselves. The weird thing? I kept thinking, "Eating disorder I could understand, but this?" <br /><br />It totally blew me away. She wouldn't tell me who, but said that she and another friend told their advisor. I told her that she didn't have to come to me with this stuff if she didn't feel comfortable, but if she really loves her friends she'll tell some adult who can help. So I'm glad she did that. <br /><br />So, yes, flawed characters are my favorite as well. Because, they're like real people. They make good and bad choices and it doesn't need to define the whole person they are. It makes characters interesting, even if, in real life, it's not always pretty.Jenny O'Connellhttp://www.jennyoconnell.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388578325782539013.post-81064237128491848252011-04-04T09:12:10.006-04:002011-04-04T09:12:10.006-04:00But bad things happen to good people. And good thi...<i>But bad things happen to good people. And good things happen to bad people. And people usually learn to deal.</i><br /><br />There's a lot of "life wisdom" packed into those three little sentences. Love this post.Lydia Sharphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15328254761920829040noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3388578325782539013.post-13177022787925273352011-04-04T08:42:34.230-04:002011-04-04T08:42:34.230-04:00I ordered this book on Friday, looking forward to ...I ordered this book on Friday, looking forward to reading about Tess and how she does cope. Thanks for sharing :-)Rachel Harrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02711443001167188505noreply@blogger.com