03. Inexcusable

Lynch, Chris. Inexcusable. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2008. Kindle file.
Annotation: If Keir can just get Gigi to listen to him, she'll realize that last night isn't the atrocity she insists it is.

Justification for nomination:
Inexcusable is a raw, gut-wrenching story of an adolescent reflecting on the events that led up to the previous night, a night where he raped the girl he loved. He insists that this night is not the way that she claims it is, and presents the events of the previous several months, and is insistent that this could never have happened because "I am a good guy. Good guys don't do bad things."

The book sets up a situation that leaves the reader condemning the narrator on the first page. It then steps back, and walks through the baby steps that the narrator takes down the path to this conclusion. The character is very carefully crafted. Even after the initial condemnation, a reader can't help but understand and even directly identify with each decision that is made.  The power of the writing cannot be overstated. This book is expertly crafted. By the end of the novel, the conclusion feels not only predetermined, but completely logical. The novel manages to do this in such a way as to have a huge emotional impact, a hallmark of great YA literature.

This novel offers the utmost respect to the YA reader. Drug use, rape, and pressure from the peer group  are all approached honestly. There are no exaggerations of the dangers of drugs. Though the actual rape occurs with both drugs and alcohol involved, these are not blamed for the situation.

One key element of great YA literature is a focus on optimism and hope. This book does not have any on the page. It is a great downward spiral to Keir's realization that he is directly responsible for the terrible act that he committed. That said, the message is one that is optimistic. There are many, many moments where Keir could alter his path. The reader is left with the feeling that there is no reason that they should fall into the same trap that Keir does. So, while the text itself is pessimistic as it relates to Keir, the theme is completely the opposite.

Lynch has crafted one of the most potent emotional experiences that literature has to offer.

Genre: Realistic/ “Edgy” / Problem Novel, Coming of Age