Throughout his works, Zindel engages his characters in behaviors that were new to young adult literature when he first included them, such as smoking, drinking, swearing, having sex, enduring abortion, and showing obvious dislike of school; the author also writes about serious topics, including death by illness, suicide, divorce, and desertion. Perhaps Zindel's most provocative trademark is his treatment of his adult characters. Described by Joan McGrath of Twentieth Century Children's Writers as "drunkards; bullies; slatterns; dolts and drearies," the adults in Zindel's books are often parents or authority figures who treat the young adults at the center of the stories with cruelty, dishonesty, irresponsibility, or indifference. Consequently, the teens have developed personal problems and low self-esteem as well as sardonic views of life. Through their experiences, the protagonists learn lessons about coping with both life and death; although they lose some of their innocence, they begin to see the world more clearly and attain a greater sense of place within it. Zindel's young narrators, who often alternate chapters, communicate by using what the author calls "transitional pictures," letters written in cursive, lists, graffiti, and doodles.
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