The most complained about books of 2017 revealed
13 Reasons Why topped the list
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Your support makes all the difference.Thirteen Reasons Why has topped the US most complained about books list. The American Library Association (ALA) has released its list of the 10 most challenged books of 2017, the Jay Asher novel making its second appearance on the list, having previously featured in 2012.
The 2007 book, which was recently adapted into a popular Netflix series, has attracted criticisms because it deals with the topic of suicide. The TV series of the same name has also suffered complaints from mental health activists for similar reasons.
Sherman Alexie’s National Book award-winning young adult novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian was the second most-challenged title of 2017, because of its “profanity and sexually explicit content”.
Alexie’s novel was followed by Raina Telgemeier’s award-wining graphic novel Drama, certain readers complaining about the book's LGBT characters. Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson’s children’s book And Tango Makes Three, about a gay penguin couple, came in at number nine.
George by Alex Gino and I am Jazz by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings are also on the list, complaints aimed at their transgender characters. Other books to appear on the list include Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner, Cory Sliverberg’s Sex is a Funny Word, and Angie Thomas’ The Hate U Give.
Only two books, The Hate U Give and Sex Is a Funny Word, are new arrivals. Three of the books on this year’s list – Drama, George, and I Am Jazz – were among the top 10 most complained about books in 2016, and eight of the books have ranked among the ALA’s list before.
There was an increase in the number of attempts made to censor books in the US last year, with the number of “documented requests to remove materials from school or libraries” recorded by the ALA jumping from 323 in 2016 to 354.
The ALA releases its list of “the most frequently challenged or banned books” each year as part of National Library Week.
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