A Guide to Responsible Scaring: What are the Limitations of Horror in Young Adult Fiction?
Through a close reading of recent Young Adult (YA) horror novels – including Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare; Harrow Lake by Kat Ellis; and I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast is Me by Jamison Shea – as well as Dan Hunt’s own work-in-progress, this article explores the building blocks of the...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elen Caldecott & Lucy Cuthew
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Leaf Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://ojs.library.lancs.ac.uk/lj/article/view/117 |
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| author | Dan Hunt |
| author_facet | Dan Hunt |
| author_sort | Dan Hunt |
| collection | DOAJ |
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Through a close reading of recent Young Adult (YA) horror novels – including Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare; Harrow Lake by Kat Ellis; and I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast is Me by Jamison Shea – as well as Dan Hunt’s own work-in-progress, this article explores the building blocks of the YA horror genre. It explores how YA horror adapts and challenges traditional genre limitations to suit a younger audience, investigating the boundaries of fear in YA fiction by asking: how scary is too scary? The article argues that hesitations toward writing YA horror fiction stem from a misconception that the genre is bound by restrictive rules, leading to diluted narratives. However, this perception often arises from a lack of research and understanding. To challenge these misconceptions, the article offers a framework for “responsible scaring” in YA horror writing.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2dc88b87630a4b5b8aaac027f2df9816 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2753-6920 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Elen Caldecott & Lucy Cuthew |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Leaf Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-2dc88b87630a4b5b8aaac027f2df98162025-08-20T03:28:55ZengElen Caldecott & Lucy CuthewLeaf Journal2753-69202025-07-013110.58091/gpxe-4r95A Guide to Responsible Scaring: What are the Limitations of Horror in Young Adult Fiction?Dan Hunt Through a close reading of recent Young Adult (YA) horror novels – including Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare; Harrow Lake by Kat Ellis; and I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast is Me by Jamison Shea – as well as Dan Hunt’s own work-in-progress, this article explores the building blocks of the YA horror genre. It explores how YA horror adapts and challenges traditional genre limitations to suit a younger audience, investigating the boundaries of fear in YA fiction by asking: how scary is too scary? The article argues that hesitations toward writing YA horror fiction stem from a misconception that the genre is bound by restrictive rules, leading to diluted narratives. However, this perception often arises from a lack of research and understanding. To challenge these misconceptions, the article offers a framework for “responsible scaring” in YA horror writing. https://ojs.library.lancs.ac.uk/lj/article/view/117creative writing for young people young adulthorrorcreative writingpublishing |
| spellingShingle | Dan Hunt A Guide to Responsible Scaring: What are the Limitations of Horror in Young Adult Fiction? Leaf Journal creative writing for young people young adult horror creative writing publishing |
| title | A Guide to Responsible Scaring: What are the Limitations of Horror in Young Adult Fiction? |
| title_full | A Guide to Responsible Scaring: What are the Limitations of Horror in Young Adult Fiction? |
| title_fullStr | A Guide to Responsible Scaring: What are the Limitations of Horror in Young Adult Fiction? |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Guide to Responsible Scaring: What are the Limitations of Horror in Young Adult Fiction? |
| title_short | A Guide to Responsible Scaring: What are the Limitations of Horror in Young Adult Fiction? |
| title_sort | guide to responsible scaring what are the limitations of horror in young adult fiction |
| topic | creative writing for young people young adult horror creative writing publishing |
| url | https://ojs.library.lancs.ac.uk/lj/article/view/117 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT danhunt aguidetoresponsiblescaringwhatarethelimitationsofhorrorinyoungadultfiction AT danhunt guidetoresponsiblescaringwhatarethelimitationsofhorrorinyoungadultfiction |