[dinalapomy101 Posts: 2,531 Status: Offline Happy writing to all! WWW]

I only saw the film, which combined the first two Persepolis. It dealt with some pretty heavy content - rape, murder, warfare, lots of language - I haven't gotten around to reading the comics yet, but if the film was an accurate representation (which I believe it is, given that Marjane Satrapi directed it), then I don't think I could bring myself to categorize it as YA. Some people in that age group would be fine with it, but not everyone.

At my public library, our YA section is for grades 6-12, so we have PERSEPOLIS there, but I do think it could go in adult, too! Graphic novels are tough to break down by age group, I've found. Lots of titles in our YA area feature adult characters but the situations are fine for most older teen readers. We have thought about just having a Graphic Novel section with materials intermixed for all ages, BUT then you could end up with a 6-year-old checking out PERSEPOLIS or a 10-year-old taking home Y: THE LAST MAN and his parents getting upset about it. Yet I have WALKING DEAD in with teens.

[marla-lesage Posts: 426 Status: Offline Write. Illustrate. Revise.]

I only saw the film, which combined the first two Persepolis. It dealt with some pretty heavy content - rape, murder, warfare, lots of language - I haven't gotten around to reading the comics yet, but if the film was an accurate representation (which I believe it is, given that Marjane Satrapi directed it), then I don't think I could bring myself to categorize it as YA. Some people in that age group would be fine with it, but not everyone.

You do have a good point. I still think it fits easily into either genre though (Part 1 - I haven't read part 2. But she is older in part 2 so as a whole combined definitely adult.) Not as violent as Hunger Games IMO and rape is not erotica  - sex is fine in YA if it is true to the story. I don't recall rape or sexual themes in Part 1 (Part 1 is it's own book as a whole. I didn't find out there was a sequel until I went online and started researching Marjane Satrapi). I think this is a pretty common convo re: YA vs Adult. With graphic novels it's a bit more in your face with the illos but in Persepolis I found the depictions of violence to be more representative whereas in Walking Dead it seems more graphic/gorey. I do keep my Graphic Novel selections higher/away in my house so that my 5 & 8 year old don't stumble across something I don't think they need to read yet. Although by the time they hit grade 6-7 I'd be fine with them choosing their own books from either the YA or Adult section of the library. But I'm not a big believer in censoring those topics - likely because I read anything & everything at that age. I know there's lots of parents/teachers out there who feel differently.