How graphic can murder/crime scenes be in YA?

Lalaloopsy

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In my novel, there is a murderer on the loose. He kills his victims in a brutal way. Would it be inappropriate to write about how the some of the bodies were dismembered, others were stabbed to death, some had slit throats, and others were burned?
Or should I not describe the bodies at all?
Thanks.
 

KateH

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I wouldn't make it overly long and gory, but you can describe the bodies. The YA book I just read described an eye being gouged out, so :Shrug:
 

CheesecakeMe

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Read a couple of YA crime books and see how much they get away with, best way to know for sure.
 

frimble3

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Who is doing the describing? Is it the author, setting the scene; the killer, to himself; a story in the newspaper, or another character just taking about the crime? I imagine the killer or the author would give the most details, the newspaper the least, and another character would vary, depending on who and when.
 

Lalaloopsy

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The narrator is describing it. She's seeing the dismembered bodies in her dreams.
 

frimble3

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Did she actually see the real dismembered bodies, or are her dreams making it up out of what she's heard? Which could be more or less graphic than reality - her dreaming brain might automatically go to worst-case scenarios, or try to protect her by blurring out or glossing over the details. Actually, that could happen even if she saw the actual bodies. Go with what works for your story.
 

Lalaloopsy

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She was kidnapped and locked in a room with the bodies. The killer used to tell her she was next. Luckily, she escaped.
 

p.s.w. gear

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Be descriptive but not grotesque. If it's the narrator seeing the bodies then the reader should know what she sees. Unless she's the squeamish sort, then it would make sense that the reader still only bits and pieces because the MC couldn't really admit to what she's seen.

There's a sticky thread here that discusses what to include in edgy YA. Perhaps you'll find further help there.
 

m.f.alira

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If the book is about a killer on the loose that conducts their killings brutally then I would suggest that you research your market and hesitate only when necessary; like if your readers may feel uncomfortable with the content. For example in my WIP the original content of the deaths/ attacks that occurred had to be dialled down because I knew that I was turning away my audience by making the deaths too graphic.
Each market caters to different needs.
Post a snippet of this scene, maybe it isn't too graphic.
 

RickyPine

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Me, I allude to some pretty gruesome murders in my own writing, but most of these happen offscreen, as it were. One, however, forms the book's climax, and my protagonist describes it in detail.
 

ZachJPayne

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I remember in the Mara Dyer books, the MC talking about getting a "confirmed kill" with a scalpel. It was pretty bloody, and gave me the heebee jeebies, but it worked. That's the bloodiest series I can think of, off the top of my head.
 

Fuchsia Groan

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For a comp, check out I Hunt K1llers by B@rry Lyga. It features gory and disturbing crime scenes, though not at the Thomas Harris level. The narrator mentions various gruesome murders that happened in the past, but doesn't describe the corpses in loving detail or anything.

I chose to forgo gore in my serial killer book for various reasons (mainly, it seemed like a distraction), but no one ever told me it was off limits.
 

Sage

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I was worried about the torture scenes in the third book of my trilogy, but nobody thought they were out of line for YA