Summer reading books are depressing.

[Rye]

I dunno if this should be in The Lounge or not, so sorry.

Have you noticed how awfully depressing they make teen reading books that are required for school? Of the depressing summer books I read:

Speak: A good book, but depressing. (SPOILER)Girl got raped.

Shattering Glass: Depressing and scary. (SPOILER)Two guys are molested.

The Pact (This is one of the books I have to read this summer): These two friends make a suicide pact, and one goes through with it, but the police finds the other. (SPOILER)I think the girl in it is molested, I dunno though, that's what I've heard.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn: I really liked this book, it was the only summer reading book that I really enjoyed, but this book makes you feel down. (SPOILER)The awesome Dad dies, there is a rapist, the mother is mean, etc.

And it's not just summer ones. The school year books are bad too.

So yeah. Why can't they pick out some more uplifting books on the list, or at least if they're sad, not in the traditional teen "omgz dat girl got wasted nd raped" way, which is in too many books. Some books that are sad are good to read though, like ones on the holocaust. Those things need to be known. That's why I loved reading The Cage in school. We met the lady who wrote it, it was a sad but good experience. But not those teen tragic ones.

What do you think on the state and schools making us read these depressing books? Also, what over depressing books has your state made you read to "enlighten" you?