They Suck, They Bite, They Eat, They Kill The Psychological Meaning of Supernatural Monsters in Young Adult Fiction

Teen readers have always been fascinated by monsters, but lately it seems like every other title written for young adults is about vampires, zombies, or werewolves. These titles are controversial as they look at the parts of life and human nature that adults prefer to keep hidden from teenagers. However, this is also a major part of why they are so important: these books provide a literal example of how ignoring life's dangers won't make them go away, and they demonstrate that ignorance of danger puts one at greater risk.  They Suck, They Bite, They Eat, They Kill: The Psychological Meaning of Supernatural Monsters in Young Adult Fiction examines six different monsters that appear in YA fiction: vampires, shapeshifters, zombies, unicorns, angels, and demons. Beginning with a discussion of the meaning of monsters in cultures all over the world, subsequent chapters discuss the history and most important incarnations of the aforementioned monsters. Titles featuring the same kind of monsters are compared, and interviews with authors provide insight into why they wrote these titles and information on why they are important. The bibliography at the end of the volume includes a comprehensive list of titles featuring the various monsters.  Analyzing the most important and well-written series and titles for teens, this book will be useful for parents, teachers, and anyone else wanting to understand why teens want to read books in this genre and what some of the benefits of reading them might be.