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I'm sure that if you read the same books 10 years from now, you may interpret them differently. I think if you want to enjoy the story as told by the books, just focus on how you interpret it.

Some believe that authors are like artists in that once their work is released to the public, their original intent is not relevant and all that matters is what readers interpret from the work. While I don't like some of what she put in her books, nothing was offensive or attacking others, and it is such a small part of her books that at the end of the day, the sections are short enough to move on quickly. However, I agree with other comments that talk about how the elven world really isn't perfect, as well as how she has to be careful with her artist and publishing company.Īlthough I am uncomfortable with what I have explained above and in my post, I agree that it's better to just enjoy the world. While I understand that just because Shannon doesn't have LGBTQ characters in her books doesn't mean she is homophobic, I am more concerned about the fact that matchmaking comments give no suggestion that homosexuality even exists.

Forkle's discussion in Neverseen, it is true that many younger readers don't quite get it yet. I see your point, even though myself and probably many older readers didn't miss the double meaning of Sophie and Mr.

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I personally write a bit in my free time, but if I was a children's author, I probably would avoid including abortion/politics in my work. My post is more about the fact that I felt like she was trying to put her opinion on abortion/when life begins in a children's book. Judge the work by what is there, not by what isn't. It's a rigged game against a creator because there will always be someone else who doesn't feel represented. If every single work of fiction had to represent every minority type of person, the focus on representation would elbow out almost all other themes the author is trying to convey. I am also adamantly against the idea that lack of diversity in a work implies some bigotry from the author. If the work itself is good, just enjoy it and allow it to speak what it has to say, and at the very least you've gained a new perspective on things without losing something you love. People aren't evil because you disagree with them, and a fictional world isn't ruined because it doesn't align perfectly with your opinions. But even when I notice things in fiction that I don't agree with, I try not to see it as problematic or read anything sinister into it.

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With full disclosure, I am a conservative myself with pro-life views.

I definitely noticed the pro-life implications of elven pregnancy when that came up in Neverseen. I can't imagine any author keeping their work and their views entirely separate, so I expect to see these things in any work of fiction and I enjoy a creative perspective on things, even if I don't agree with it, as long as it is thought-provoking. I love this series, but I feel like some of the things I've just discussed are problematic. I understand that the publishers of her books may just want her to avoid it to not lose fans, but as a reader, I have no way of knowing if this is true or if she genuinely has a problem with LGBTQ readers. I kind of get the vibes that because 'elves are so perfect' that none of them aren't heterosexual, which creates the message that non-hetersexuality is a mistake. Honestly it makes me kind of uncomfortable reading that scene every time because it's so blatant and clear.Īlso, she's had characters talk about matchmaking several times where they, again, make it clear that only opposite-sex matching and marriage occur. I don't want to accuse Shannon of trying to force her beliefs on us, but I feel like she's trying to send a message to her (often quite young) readers. Forkle tells Sophie in Neverseen that her inception date is 'the day your life began.' Elves count their ages from conception, they never miscarry, and they seem to have an attitude that developing embryos/fetuses of elves are 100%, without a doubt, alive. The strongest thing I've really noticed are the comments that imply that she is pro-life. I honestly even feel guilty just typing that out I love these books and characters.

Shannon messenger child