“I hadn’t set out to write a novel young adults could read,” said author Diane McGyver when asked about Natural Selection. “Yet, after reading the first draft, I realised it was suitable for someone as young as 14 years old.”

Natural Selection doesn’t contain harsh curse words (no f-bombs), there is no graphic violence and no sex scenes. A few scenes of conflict result in death, but the injuries are not described in detail. Characters kiss, but it goes no further, and their thoughts are not on intimate activities.

“My stories choose their own path,” said McGyver. “And Natural Selection spoke to me in a simple, mild manner. While I’m certain curse words used today in society will be around in 30 years time, they would add nothing to this dystopian novel.

“Many readers don’t mind reading stories riddled with f-bombs,” she added, “but many other readers don’t want this word in their books. I see negative comments about harsh language in reviews.”

Look for Natural Selection‘s release later this month.