What Makes A Book “Edgy?”
Like so many labels, the term “edgy” has a somewhat nebulous definition. As a number of texts by the Class of 2k7 are categorized as “edgy,” we asked classmates and a few of our associates to share definitions and thoughts on the label.
- “I think it varies with each editor and publisher. ‘Edgy’ is simply a way of saying ‘pushing the envelope.” (Stacy Whitman, Mirrorstone editor)
- “I sometimes think edgy is a catchall phrase for anything shocking.” (Kelly Bingham, SHARK GIRL)
- “Sometimes I think ‘edgy’ is the term people use to describe books that contain subjects that make you ‘squirm.’ A code word for “this book contains sexuality or violence.” (Sarah Aronson, HEAD CASE)
- “A book that discusses things we usually don’t talk about openly.” (Judy Gregerson, BAD GIRLS CLUB)
At base, edgy is that which takes readers to an uncomfortable place. Edgy books might include harsh language, sexuality, violence, chemicals, once-taboo topics, plots that focus on difficult issues (rape, abuse, addiction, violence, et al), or characters who are not “mainstream” (pierced, tattooed, disenfranchised, alt lifestyle , et al) … and therein lies the problem: one reader’s alt or taboo is another reader’s normalcy. The dilemma, we suggest, results from the inability to agree on what “shocking” is: what makes one writer squirm evokes barely a shrug from Writer J, yet pulls a gasp from Writer V. Despite this, the term is used rather constantly. Perhaps the key is not definition but appeal.
So, what’s the appeal? One suggestion is that readers—and writers— are drawn to the idea of seeing a world that is not-normalcy to them. Jeannine Garsee, author of BEFOR, AFTER, AND SOMEBODY IN BETWEEN , suggests, “I think kids are drawn to edgy books for the same reason adults are drawn to certain TV shows (CSI, 24, etc)—it’s human nature to be curious about the ‘other’ side of life, but to be able to view it safely from a distance. Some kids lead very ordinary lives, and these books give them a chance to experience a life that, hopefully, will never be theirs. Plus, for the kids who do live life on the edge, maybe it A. gives them a feeling that they’re not entirely alone, and B. they appreciate reading something they can identify with.” Sociologically speaking, one defines him/herself by what we are not and what we are. It’s a matter of our in and out group affiliations.
Of course, there’s also the very basic appeal to what’s dangerous or tempting. Eric Luper, author of BIG SLICK, notes, “I think edgy is popular because there is a certain mystique around ‘naughty’ things. There has been fascination with sex, drugs and rock & roll for centuries. Okay, rock & roll only since the fifties, but I’m sure Scott Joplin and his crazy ragtime syncopation really ruffled feathers in its day. So did William Shakespeare with his bawdy, head-turning references.” And isn’t part of being a teen about finding a few boundaries to push? From that angle, it makes good sense that teen literature would be filled with edginess. A.C.E. Bauer, author of NO CASTLES HERE, adds, “… edgy, for me, focuses on that part of teen life that most adults shy away from—risky behavior that, at a certain age is actually illegal (or perhaps is illegal at all ages) but which kids who are fundamentally good, engage in anyway, all the time. It’s acknowledging that a whole lot of now mainstream adults once engaged in those behaviors without the dire consequences that mainstream literature likes to tack on.”
Or perhaps the key is in the function of edgy books.
Some edgy books serve an important social function by allowing teens to tread the ledge without jumping off the cliff. Gail Giles, author of SHATTERING GLASS, explains that “…our edgy YA writers are serving today’s teens a bit like the Brothers Grimm served generations of younger readers. We show our readers the dark woods in hope that they won’t venture into them…Many teens want to wander down those trails; they long to look into the abyss. And dark and edgy books are a wonderful safety valve. These books are a way to peer into that abyss without actually…toppling over.”
Other so-called edgy texts are about what happens after or during the abyss. They function to remind readers that being over the edge isn’t always fatal to one’s physical person, spirit, or happiness. Melissa Marr, author of WICKED LOVELY, suggests that “… it’s not about looking over the edge of the abyss; it’s about having been over what someone perceives as an edge. I believe Faulkner’s stance: we can endure and overcome. Even those things that seem impossible can strengthen us. It’s not about titillation or didacticism for me; it’s about celebrating alternative paths and overcoming the swamp if those paths take us too far afield.”
Regardless of which aspect of the definition, appeal, or function applies to a text, one unifying trait of edgy books is that these texts are often the first books to suffer from censorship. Brent Hartinger, author of nine YA and MG novels including THE GEOGRAPHY CLUB and founding author of the group AS IF (YA author collective promoting intellectual freedom in teen books) notes “I’m not sure book banners are even aware enough of books, or privy enough of the talk in book circles, to even hear a book called ‘edgy’ (I’m not sure these folks read much to begin with!). But yeah, it probably doesn’t help, in terms of book-banning.” The same traits that make these texts compelling to some readers evoke panic in others.
Like everything else about young adult texts—and young adults—edgy books are not neatly categorized. The application, and perceived applicability, of the term varies by individual. And, perhaps, therein lies the appeal of “edgy” books: if they were easily sorted into boxes, why would they appeal to readers who aren’t interested in being boxed in?