READER’S FORUM

June 22, 2024 at 06:21 pm Reply

Anna

I wanted to thank you for all of the books you’ve done. I am an avid reader and can proudly say that I’ve read all of your stand alones and most of your series. I especially wanted to thank you for The Fort and The Juvie Three. Not many authors address the issue of abuse and, if they do, it’s not often written in first person. I broke down and sobbed the first time I read The Fort, and no matter how many times I read it, it still brings tears to my eyes. My father was abusive when I was a kid. Nothing like Marcus was, but it really screwed me up. He was mentally abusive and physically abusive too at times. It hurt my soul to read what CJ was going through because it was so relatable to me. The first time I read The Juvie Three, I was astonished that you made Terence become a criminal and a gangbanger as a result of an abusive father. A lot of people don’t realize that for someone who’s in that situation, they would do anything to get out. Even go to prison. I also have a related question - did something ever happen to you that made you want to write about these topics? When reading The Fort, CJ’s thoughts seemed very accurate compared to the thoughts that other authors write. Did something ever happen to you that made you understand those thoughts, or did you talk to abuse victims to understand them, or did you just kind of wing it? And if you answer, thank you so much. You are one of my favorite authors, and the only one in my top 4 who’s still alive
June 22, 2024 at 07:55 pm Reply

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Hi, Anna,

Thanks for posting and for all the positive things you said about my work, notably THE FORT and THE JUVIE THREE. I'm pleased that those books were able to reach you on such a personal level.

Your question: I was one of the lucky ones -- sheltered, even spoiled, an only child with happy, well-adjusted parents. Anything I know (or knew then) about abuse and growing up scared was strictly empathy. I never came across it, not even among any of my friends. THE FORT is fairly recent, but "Juvie" was written back in 2007. I guess I had a solid grounding of what good parenting can do, and also what the lack of it can bring on.

Thank you for reaching out, Anna. -----Gordon Korman-----
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Hi, Anna,

Thanks for posting and for all the positive things you said about my work, notably THE FORT and THE JUVIE THREE. I'm pleased that those books were able to reach you on such a personal level.

Your question: I was one of the lucky ones -- sheltered, even spoiled, an only child with happy, well-adjusted parents. Anything I know (or knew then) about abuse and growing up scared was strictly empathy. I never came across it, not even among any of my friends. THE FORT is fairly recent, but "Juvie" was written back in 2007. I guess I had a solid grounding of what good parenting can do, and also what the lack of it can bring on.

Thank you for reaching out, Anna. -----Gordon Korman-----