Another concern of critics is how the novel's subjects of bullying and suicide impact young adult readers. Despite its controversial subject matter, Festus High is one example of a school that supports the novel.[3] Principal Diana Allen said, “If we don't talk about it, we're hiding from it," and shared that she wants students to have conversations about the book and be aware that counselors are there to support them.[3] Further, educators James Chisholm and Brandie Trent argue that incorporating the novel into school curricula can not only increase students' reading comprehension and analytic skills, but also their ability to apply the themes of the novel in their own lives as well.[26] Other proponents of teaching the novel claim that its use in school anti-bullying efforts benefits young adult readers who are close in age to the characters. The author encourages high schools to adopt the novel as a means of starting conversations on bullying.[27] More generally, the novel has been hailed by adults outside the classroom as being a supplement to local initiatives in starting the conversation between parents and their children about suicide.[28]
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