Banned Books: Adult Fiction

A classic African American novel of race, poverty, and longing to be something that you’re not. Why it was banned/challenged: A classic of American literature, Morrison’s novel was labeled by some as sexually explicit and “an underlying socialist-communist agenda.”

Nine-year-old Oskar Schell has embarked on an urgent, secret mission that will take him through the five boroughs of New York. His goal is to find the lock that matches a mysterious key that belonged to his father who died in the World Trade Center on the morning of September 11. Why it was banned: Passages being described as “extremely vulgar detailing sexual acts” caused this bestselling novel to land on some banned lists.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s masterful novel places readers in the late 1960s, a time of great upheaval as an independent republic, known as Biafra, was briefly seceded from Nigeria. Adichie situates five characters within this civil war. Why it was banned: This novel, which takes place during a civil war, was deemed to have violent and sexually explicit language.

The paths of two characters, a 15-year old runaway and an elderly man still recovering from a wartime injury, intertwine in surprising and surreal ways in the Japanese novelist’s novel that takes readers on a mind-bending journey full of pathos. Why it was banned: Violence and sexual imagery caused controversy for this title as well.

Two motherless boys grow up in Kabul in the early days of the Soviet invasion. Amir is the son of a wealthy businessman. Hassan is the son of Amir’s household servant. Despite their differences, they are friends. When Amir betrays Hassan, the childhood hurt causes lasting devastation that will haunt Amir through the years. Why it was banned: Hosseini’s runaway bestseller was deemed as inappropriate for students, containing offensive language and being sexually explicit.

For Mike Muñoz, life has been a whole lot of waiting for something to happen. Not too many years out of high school and still doing menial work—and just fired from his latest gig as a lawn boy on a landscaping crew—he’s smart enough to know that he’s got to be the one to shake things up if he’s ever going to change his life. But how? Why it was banned: This coming-of-age novel was deemed as sexually explicit, as well as containing LGBTQ+ content.

Ruby King’s mother is murdered and the police aren’t bothering to investigate. She’s left with her violent father, a pastor, who tries to stop Ruby’s best friend Layla from seeing her. But Layla is determined to save Ruby. Why it was banned: Violent imagery and themes of racism caused this book to be added to the long list of books that were challenged in Pennsylvania’s Central York School District.