Utah officially bans its 19th book from all public schools

Photo: Photo by Kimberly Farmer

SALT LAKE CITY, UT — The state of Utah has made a significant move in the growing trend of school-library book restrictions by adding the young-adult novel “Thirteen Reasons Why” by Jay Asher to its statewide “no-read list.” This brings the total number of banned titles in public schools across Utah to 19.

Under state law HB 29, passed in 2024, any book classified as “objectively sensitive material” and removed from at least three school districts (or two districts plus five charter schools) must be removed from every public school library statewide. According to Book Riot, the book was officially banned after it was removed by three Utah school districts: the Nebo School District, Tooele County School District, and Washington County School District.

Asher’s novel, published in 2007, became a bestseller and was adapted into a Netflix series. The book explores themes surrounding youth mental health and suicide.

What This Means

The requirements of the law mean that decisions made in just a handful of school districts can trigger a statewide ban.

Advocates argue that this undermines local control of school libraries and concentrates significant censorship power in the hands of a small number of reviewers. Consequently, Utah has emerged as one of the states with the most extensive book bans. Book Riot reports that of the 19 titles, 16 are written by women, and the average publication date is 2011. For comparison, South Carolina maintains a statewide banned-book list consisting of 21 titles. At the same time, Tennessee has a mechanism for statewide bans, although no titles have been added to its list yet.

Author and Advocates Speak Out

Asher told PBS NewsHour that, while some authors see book bans as a badge of honor, he does not. “If we say issues of teen suicide, drinking, sex, or sexual assault are inappropriate, we’re telling teens who may identify with those themes that there isn’t a safe space for them,” he said.

Madison Markham of PEN America argued that the law effectively gives a small minority statewide control over what students can read: “Students are not being protected by this ‘no-read list.’ They are instead being deprived of books that could help them understand their lives and the world around them. By adding a 19th book, Utah is in a race to the bottom following the implementation of HB 29, the law that advocates warned would erode local control over schools. That seems to be exactly what is happening, as only a few districts out of more than 40 are responsible for the bans on books statewide.”

The 19 banned titles in Utah schools are:

– “Thirteen Reasons Why” by Jay Asher
– “Water for Elephants” by Sara Gruen
– “Tilt” by Ellen Hopkins
– “Fallout” by Ellen Hopkins
– “Tricks” by Ellen Hopkins
– “Blankets” by Craig Thompson
– “A Court of Thorns and Roses” by Sarah J. Maas
– “A Court of Mist and Fury” by Sarah J. Maas
– “A Court of Wings and Ruin” by Sarah J. Maas
– “A Court of Frost and Starlight” by Sarah J. Maas
– “A Court of Silver Flames” by Sarah J. Maas
– “Damsel” by Elana K. Arnold
– “Empire of Storms” by Sarah J. Maas
– “Forever” by Judy Blume
– “Like a Love Story” by Abdi Nazemian
– “Living Dead Girl” by Elizabeth Scott
– “Milk and Honey” by Rupi Kaur
– “Oryx & Crake” by Margaret Atwood
– “What Girls Are Made Of” by Elana K. Arnold