Another book has been added to Utah’s growing list of titles banned from all public schools in the state.
This time it’s “Living Dead Girl,” by Elizabeth Scott, which follows the story of Alice who — after being kidnapped as a child — endures years of abuse and manipulation while struggling to find hope and a way to escape.
In a YouTube interview with the book’s publisher posted after its 2008 release, Scott acknowledged “some debate” about whether the book is for teens. She countered that it’s “absolutely 100% for teens,” adding that, “when I wrote it, I never once thought about anyone but teenagers reading it.”
“Teenagers I think are very much aware of the world, and for anyone to assume that they don’t have any idea that things like this happen,” she said, “I really think it underestimates teenagers, and how much they see and know about the world.”
The addition brings the total number of books banned from all Utah public schools to 14, with all but one authored by women.
The state released its initial list of banned titles on Aug. 2, in accordance with a new law passed earlier this year.
The law, which went into effect July 1, requires that a book be removed from all public schools in the state if at least three school districts (or at least two school districts and five charter schools) determine it amounts to “objective sensitive material” — pornographic or otherwise indecent content, as defined by Utah code.
Since the law applied retroactively, school districts and charters were asked to reevaluate the books that they had already decided to ban before July 1 using the state’s new “objective sensitive material” criteria, a standard that did not exist before.
“Living Dead Girl” was officially banned Nov. 7 after the Davis, Washington County and Tooele County school districts removed the title.
The other 13 banned titles are:
“Blankets” by Craig Thompson.
“A Court of Frost and Starlight” by Sarah J. Maas.
“A Court of Mist and Fury” by Sarah J. Maas.
“A Court of Silver Flames” by Sarah J. Maas.
“A Court of Thorns and Roses” by Sarah J. Maas.
“A Court of Wings and Ruin” by Sarah J. Maas.
“Empire of Storms” by Sarah J. Maas.
“Fallout” by Ellen Hopkins.
“Forever” by Judy Blume.
“Milk and Honey” by Rupi Kaur.
“Oryx & Crake” by Margaret Atwood.
“Tilt” by Ellen Hopkins.
“What Girls Are Made Of” by Elana K. Arnold.
