Title: l8r, g8r (from the “ttyl” series)

Published: 2007

Author: Lauren Myracle

Challenge status: Books in this series were #1 most challenged books in 2011 and 2009, #3 in 2008, and #7 in 2007.

Why: Offensive language, religious viewpoint, drugs, nudity, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group.

First line: “zoegirl: maddie!!! i’m so excited, i can’t sit still! i can’t *believe* i’m gonna c doug in 2 hrs!”

Synopsis: I did not like this book.

No, it was no more banal than the Young Adult book-a-month series I read growing-up, and – while it’s true that high-school seniors swear, drink, do drugs, have sex, and engage in stupid shenanigans, I just don’t think this book really went anywhere. And while I know the upcoming generations communicate with each other probably primarily via IM and text messages, there was something a bit artificial and forced – cutesy gone too far – about the rhythm and pacing of the language. Almost 300 pages of it. Was it offensive? Yeah, in a kind of American Pie v6.0 with some additional drug references and swearing, written for 13 year old girls kind of way.

If you want to read something that is going to Freak You Out and also use teenage language like a weapon, check out Jack Womack’s Random Acts of Senseless Violence. If you want something a little more edgy than The Complete Anne of Green Gables for your 12 year old niece, maybe try the The Hunger Games.