YA Deal Breakers?

you're fine.

That's absolutely fine.

I don't think there's any subject that's a dealbreaker if it's handled extremely well. (Though the flip side of this is that there are plenty of subjects that are dealbreakers if handled poorly.)

My time-travel device is a tarot card possessed by the spirit of a disembodied witch.

So, yeah, I think an injection is a pretty original device. I just don't get the logistics of it. Is the character literally going back in time, or is it like A CT Yankee, with its crowbar to the head-type scenario?

I think if the serum were addictive, you might have a problem. BUT, only if this addiction was glamorized and not faced head-on; whether the person successfully overcame the addiction or not.

I'm honestly not sure why you would be worried about it. If your agent didn't see it as an issue, I wouldn't worry about it.

Modern YA, you have kids going on actual acid trips with their friends. You're a-okay.

I hope it wouldn't be a problem. If it is, it's no wonder I have such trouble finding good books in the YA section - the gate keepers must be censuring everything!

But as peach said, there's much more direct references to drugs in some YA books. I'm sure I've read one that was basically the retelling of a kid's acid trip. And I think that's fine, as long as it doesn't give off a "Go try it, kiddies!" sort of message. Which it didn't.

Also, I think that would make for some really interesting scenarios if the time-traveling serum ended up being addictive. Let me know when you get that sequel published!