Discussion question

[rolanni]

Some While Back, I read an interview, it may have been, with an author who writes adult post-apocalyptic SF and also YA post-apocalyptic SF.

The single comment that stuck with me from this interview was that the author worked to make sure the YA work had a happy ending, because young readers deserved hope.

The implicit statement -- I don't remember at this remove if it was explicit -- being that adult readers don't deserve a happy ending.

Discuss.

Comments

Hope Shmope

[od-mind.livejournal.com]

I would say that young readers deserve honesty, which includes both hope and Bad Stuff Happens. I haven't met any young readers who found (say) Frodo's fate in tLotR to be either unrealistic or crushing of hope.

That said, I can see wanting a character that you expect your young readers to identify strongly with to end up in a place from which it is possible to go on. Sam, as opposed to Frodo (perhaps).