Yes, l8r, g8r Is Banned!

l8r, g8r is the final installment of Lauren Myracle’s Internet Girls trilogy, told entirely through instant messages between three best friends navigating their last year of high school. Maddie, Angela, and Zoe deal with college applications, relationship drama, and the terrifying realization that their friendship is about to change forever. The IM format (remember those?) was groundbreaking when the series launched in 2004, capturing how teens actually communicated with a fidelity that felt almost voyeuristic. The conversations are funny, raw, and emotionally honest in ways that formal prose sometimes can’t be.

The Internet Girls trilogy has been one of the most challenged series in America, and l8r, g8r alone racked up 15 challenges across 7 states including Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, and Texas. The ALA named the series to its Most Challenged list multiple years running. Objections focus on sexual content, specifically the characters discussing sex the way real teenagers discuss sex: openly, curiously, sometimes awkwardly. Myracle has said she wrote the books because she wanted teens to see their own lives reflected honestly. Apparently, that honesty is exactly what makes adults uncomfortable.