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PG-13: Risky Reads At 13, you crave the adult stuff — the drama, the relationships, the mind-blowing ideas — even if you're not ready for adulthood. "PG-13" presents authors discussing the books that transformed and matured their teenage minds.
PG-13: Risky Reads

PG-13: Risky Reads

Transformative tales for teens
Books of Blood

Review

Slaughter In The Subway: A Tale Of New York Terror

As a kid, author Victor LaValle loved horror stories. But it wasn't until he read Books of Blood by Clive Barker that he found one set in his own hometown. Have you ever read a book that took place where you live? Tell us in the comments.

Slaughter In The Subway: A Tale Of New York Terror

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Wicked And Delicious: Devouring Roald Dahl

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Review

Wicked And Delicious: Devouring Roald Dahl

There's nothing scarier than having someone you love turn on you. For author D.W. Gibson, that someone was Roald Dahl, who, in addition to children's books, wrote short stories that are truly terrifying. Is there a book that haunts your dreams? Tell us about it in the comments.

Wicked And Delicious: Devouring Roald Dahl

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It

Review

Grotesque Horror Through A Kid-Sized Window

Stephen King's It showed Erin Morgenstern that the demons and ghouls of childhood stories don't hit the road just because you grow up. Have you read something that both scared and enticed you? Tell us about it in the comments.

Grotesque Horror Through A Kid-Sized Window

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Flowers in the Attic

Review

'In The Attic': Whips, Witches And A Peculiar Princess

Flowers In The Attic is saucy and scandalous, but author Gillian Flynn says it was the complex, often evil women in the story that kept her turning the pages. Do you have a favorite female villain? Tell us about her in the comments.

'In The Attic': Whips, Witches And A Peculiar Princess

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The Sun Also Rises

Review

Bullfights, Bankruptcy And A Damn Dangerous Book

Reading The Sun Also Rises as a 12-year-old, author Ben Mezrich realized he wanted to be just like the main character — an alcoholic. Not that he knew what that meant. The book also helped him find his true calling. Have you wanted to be like a character in a book? Tell us about it in the comments.

Bullfights, Bankruptcy And A Damn Dangerous Book

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Bordellos, Bandits And One Big Mississippi Adventure

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Review

Bordellos, Bandits And One Big Mississippi Adventure

This Friday marks the 50th anniversary of William Faulkner's death. His novel The Reivers was the coming-of-age story that author Ralph Eubanks needed to rocket him into his teenage years and on to adulthood. What is your favorite coming-of-age story? Tell us in the comments below.

Bordellos, Bandits And One Big Mississippi Adventure

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Lisa, Bright and Dark

Review

Teenage Brain: Gateway To A 'Bright And Dark' World

For author Meg Wolitzer, John Neufeld's 1969 novel Lisa, Bright and Dark opened the door to more intense reads on mental illness. Has a book you've read ever acted as a gateway to harsher, truer or more literary novels? Tell us in the comments.

Teenage Brain: Gateway To A 'Bright And Dark' World

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On the Beach

Review

The End Is Near, And It's No Walk 'On The Beach'

Growing up in the '80s, author Myla Goldberg crafted a survival plan in the event of a nuclear war. But all that changed when she read On the Beach by Nevil Shute. Have you ever read a book that gave you a sobering picture of the world? Tell us in the comments.

The End Is Near, And It's No Walk 'On The Beach'

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Rubyfruit Jungle

Review

Teenage Tales: Sneaking Looks In Sexy Books

Coming out as a teenager can be difficult. That's why finding Rubyfruit Jungle was important for author Emily Danforth. The book's lesbian narrator helped her figure out who she wanted to be. Have you ever found a book that helped you understand yourself better? Tell us about it in the comments.

Teenage Tales: Sneaking Looks In Sexy Books

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I Am the Cheese

Review

'I Am The Cheese': A Nightmarish Nail-Biter

Something about Robert Cormier's I Am the Cheese, made author Ben Marcus worry. It was the first time he had encountered an unreliable narrator — and he found it disconcerting. Do you have a favorite narrator who doesn't quite tell the truth? Tell us who in the comments.

'I Am The Cheese': A Nightmarish Nail-Biter

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