This practitioner-research study investigated the effect critical literacy has on content area preservice teachers' abilities (N = 14) to perceive the sociocultural influences in text. The study further investigated how content area pre-service teachers engage in critical stance during situated reading practices that centered on discussions of young adult literature. Quantitative data were collected on a pre- and post Literary Response Questionnaire (LRQ). Qualitative data collection included videotaped and audiotaped recordings, interviews, and dialogue journals. Results from a paired samples "t test" found there was a statistically significant difference between the LRQ pre- and post survey. Informed by grounded theory, reading young adult literature engaged content area pre-service teachers in critical stance through powerful voices in discussion and pens through dialogue journaling.