The Reading Culture

We all want to feel in control, mold our lives and experiences, and shape the world into something we can hold. But control is slippery; one moment, it can steady us, the next, it slips away.

Unfairness is a pervasive theme in a lot of fantasy fiction. With battles between good and evil dominating title after title, these tales appear to have a tight grasp on fairness and justice. But for Victoria Aveyard, the world of fantasy has always fallen short on these promises. Even in some of her favorite works, the light may ultimately overcome the darkness, but not every character is given a fair chance to shine.

Some of the most unsettling monsters don’t come from nightmares or ghost stories. They walk among us in daylight, smiling widely and blending in. They can be shaped by our environments, our circumstances, or people’s choices—and in stories, as in life, they challenge us to look closer and see the human before the horror.

What if there were two stories running through your life: the one you’re telling the world, and the one you’ve never even admitted to yourself? That’s the kind of truth Becky Albertalli explores in her writing, and that she’s lived in her own life.