The surprise interim banning of Ted Dawe's young adult novel Into The River might, in a peculiar way, have beneficial outcomes.
For a start, the ban has focused minds on the issue.
There have been protests, newspaper and internet opinion articles, comments by the page load and outrage generally.
The book includes some sex and drug-taking scenes but these are neither condoned nor glorified.
They are specific incidents within wider contexts and the themes concern racism, bullying and dislocation.
As for the language, conservative lobby group Family First might have added up the number of ''offensive'' words but they actually total less than what might be heard in 10 minutes in the street outside a secondary school.
Such language and such scenes have made their way on to various television programmes, albeit generally later in the evening, and the content of some popular music is right on or over the edge.
What, too, about the values portrayed in books like 50 Shades of Grey or the masses of material of all sorts available to just about everyone on the internet?
The president of the Film and Literature Board of Review, Don Mathieson QC, on September 3 issued an interim restriction order temporarily banning the sale or distribution of the book.
The novel had been given an R14 classification in 2013 by the board, although Dr Mathieson had argued for R18.
This was removed by deputy chief censor Nic McCully, making it open to all, and Family First and supporters protested.
Dr Mathieson then applied a total ban until the board could meet and review the matter.
In making his decision, the first ban since the current system was introduced 22 years ago, he said the matter was of wide public concern and ''the correct classification ... will operate as a semi-precedent, and will exert a significant influence upon other decisions portraying sex and drug-taking''.
Something seems strange with the process.
The book was not banned originally by the Board of Review and even Family First is claiming an R18 would be sufficient.
Surely, the logical interim classification, if one was required, would have been back to the board's earlier R14.
The board next month is to reconsider the matter, and an R18 limit on a book aimed at teenagers would be almost as effective as a ban because the target audience would be excluded.
As Emma Neale, the Dunedin editor and writer who protested against the ban yesterday, wrote in the Otago Daily Times this week, ''literature is one of the places that young people can safely think through situations, and rehearse their moral choices, without the grave personal compromise that living through the real events might involve''.
There is, for many, a vast gulf between the impact of harsh reality and exploration of ideas through fiction. For some, such literature reflects their reality.
Another strange part of the whole process is the way New Zealand bookshops and individuals are threatened with fines for selling or sharing the book while it is easy to download from overseas.
It comes up as a ''best seller children's'' book on Amazon.
The flurry of publicity will do wonders for sales.
Into The River might have won Book of the Year at the New Zealand Post Children's Book Awards in 2013, but publisher Penguin Random House could never dream of buying the publicity it has received.
Banning a book, particularly for serious fiction, should only take place in the most exceptional circumstances.
One can imagine non-fiction on the promotion of paedophilia or the most vile hate speech or detailed instructions for making back-pack bombs as examples where society has to set limits.
But what a contrast between encouraging or explaining illegal acts and a thought-provoking novel in context.
Generally, free speech in all its forms - and this includes the rights of Family First itself to argue its case even if some might actually find the organisation homophobic and sexist - is precious and must be safeguarded.
For free speech and freedom can be stifled and trampled on, not just by institutional or bureaucratic restrictions, as in this case, but also by the power of righteous pressure.
