(no subject)

[cabbagemedley]

Oh god. I have an essay due next week and one of the texts I can use - but don't have to - is Coram Boy. I went to order it but despite (actually because of) being twenty years older than the target audience I don't think I can cope with the subject matter at the beginning. I've been a wreck just reading blurbs and reviews. So I'm going to have to go for the other option - a sci fi thing called Mortal Engines - which probably doesn't fit the question as well. And it's a higher weighted essay. But. I don't want to read about killing babies. *wail*

Comments

[ludy]

Mortal Engines is awesome (and unusually for non-specialised YA fiction has some positive LGBT mentions - which become stronger in the prequels)

Coram Boy is tough (i read it because my Parents live on a street named after Thomas Coram near to the site of the Foundling Hospital) but the graphic Baby-Killing is only at the beginning. If you can get past the horrible initial scenes it does get easier (while staying pretty absorbing)

[cabbagemedley]

That's useful to know, thank you. I think I've probably read most of the harrowing bits already from googling blurbs and reviews! Have decided to go with Mortal Engines for this one because time's getting short - and actually having finished reading it I feel tons happier about being able to answer the essay question. (It's only going to be a small part of the essay anyway, there are two other books to cover as well and only 1800 words to do it in...) So no longer panicking!

[zyrya]

My YA exposure is non-existent (well, until it's made into a big Hollywood movie!), so I looked up 'Coram Boy'. It sounds dire. And they made it into a musical. A MUSICAL.