Tuesday, July 7, 2009
The fade out
Several books we've read so far for Young Adult Lit and Literacy (including If I Stay, Living Dead Girl, and The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks) have ended with a fade out. That is, the endings are vague, much like a song that fades out rather than concludes. (It drives me crazy in music... fade out? More like cop out!) But somehow it works in books, especially for teens. The endings are, rather than inconclusive, open-ended. They are great for discussion. Did she live? Did she win? Is she really free? Why, why and why?
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Yup, most YA book endings these days tend to be fade outs--whether they want the readers to think/interpret what happens or they lead to a sequel (ha, Twilight ref). I think it's mostly the first reason--there are some titles, though, that do wrap up neatly. But that's boring, right?
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