(De)constructing Imagination: Racial Bias And Counter-Storytelling In Young Adult Speculative Fiction

This critical content analysis examines representations of race and ethnicity in three young adult speculative novels: Children of Blood and Bone, The Black Witch, and Carve the Mark. This study utilizes Critical Race Theory to closely analyze texts to find and critique elements of bias and highlight counter-stories. Three major themes emerged from the analysis: BIPOC characters as dark aggressors, the construction of systems of oppression in world-building, and the transformation of characters encountering racism. In the discussion and implication, the author argues for supporting counter-storytelling and provides questions for analyzing representation in speculative fiction.