A Goodreads user asked Laurie Halse Anderson:

I haven't read anything of yours in months, but I often think about your characters, mainly Hayley and Ash. My question is this: is it scary to publish books about teens who are so brutally (but truthfully) real? It's hard to accept the things that highschoolers go through, from substance abuse to broken families, but you do so with grace and apparently without fear. Do you receive a lot of backlash for these things?

Laurie Halse Anderson I've received plenty of backlash, but I know that any pain it might cause me doesn't come close to the pain suffered by teens who are dealing with these issues.

The criticism I've gotten for writing honestly about sexual violence, bullying, mental health, eating disorders, and the horrific reality of American slavery comes from adults who do not know how to talk about these things to their kids. Rather than confront their own fear and ignorance, they lash out at me (and other authors). I understand their pain. It proves that there is an enormous need for books like mine.

Maybe if we keep writing books about these things and promote conversations about the harsh realities of our world, we can help a generation learn how to handle the truth and grow up in strength and wisdom.

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