Themes in Destroying Avalon

Kate McCaffrey’s novel “Destroying Avalon” is a very revealing text that is highly recommended for parents and teenagers to read. This novel teaches teenagers and parents the consequences of bullying over the cyber world and how it affects not only the victim but also the loved ones and even the bully. This is displayed by McCaffrey’s interesting plot structure. “Destroying Avalon” draws the attention of teenagers as it has great use of suggestive and unique language techniques. The subject matter of “Destroying Avalon” is Bullying, in the form of Cyber Bullying. The themes conveyed in this text are the consequences of bullying and belonging. This helps the reader consider how bullying affects the victim and how belonging is significant in the lives of teenagers. Suicide is presented as the most impact of bullying. The result of bullying depends on the person, in this novel Avalon takes on the bullying cyberly leaving her with aggression, depression and high anxiety. “The bad feeling was threatening to overwhelm me; my stomach twisted and my skin broke out in tiny goosebumps. I clenched my fists tightly...” This quote clearly reflects how Avalon is feeling when she checked her email to see, only the beginning of what was left to come. The constant attack on Avalon on the blog, makes her feel self conscious, excluded and with the need of belonging. Belonging is depicted in this text, as Avalon a new girl has the need of belonging in her new school environment. Marshall, who is supposedly gay always feels the need to belong as he is being falsely tormented for his sexuality and just wants to be like the all the other boys. Kate McCaffrey’s choice of themes create the perfect novel for parents and teenagers to peruse to have a deeper perception of Bullying.

“Destroying Avalon” reveals itself as a climax when things seem to get better - something unanticipated occurs changing the text into a more serious content. Avalon moves to a different town and school,