Book #472 – Saga by Brian Vaughan

Before anyone asks about why I’m adding a science fiction Romeo and Juliet type story to the Halloween reading list, please look up “Saga The Stalk” and tell me she isn’t nightmare fuel! Also, there’s a pink disemboweled ghost as one of the main group of characters, as well as several races of creatures that would probably be termed as monsters if the comic series was set on Earth (Ginny the bat woman, and Heist the cyclops along with MANY others).

The first chapter of Saga was published in March of 2012, with chapters published monthly up until it’s hiatus in 2018. There are 54 chapters currently, published in 9 volumes or 3 books or 1 large compendium. I went with volume choice myself, as it seemed to be the most popular option, and split the book into what are considered the arcs of the story line. Also, just as a warning in case you decide to run out to the store and buy all 9 volumes, it’s been referred to as “the Star Wars for perverts” by the author, and he’s not kidding.

Book #23 – The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

First up in the reading of Banned Books, is this coming-of-age novel from 1999, set in the early 1990s. It is like the updated version of Catcher in the Rye, and reads in a similar fashion to The Curious Incident, to be honest. It was challenged in 2016 when it was placed on the seventh grade advanced reading list at Pasco Middle School. The reason for the challenge was the depictions of sexual activity and drug use, but the book was maintained after many came protested, telling how they connected with the book. Like it’s predecessors, Catcher in the Rye, A Separate Peace, etc, the book basically gives a more raw look into teenage life, and that likely speaks to young teenagers trying to figure out what normal even means.

For me, the book felt a tad juvenile, but I’m almost 30, and I think I may be outside of the normal age-group for this book. As for the “graphic content” I’d rather read about a kid figure out sex, drugs, and music than some of the more bloody books they selected for my freshman reading.