YA Books and Character Development
Since I am a fan of fantasy and science-fiction literature, I am often accused of reading "kiddy lit." This is a badge I wear with honor. Some of the best books, in my opinion, were written with children in mind as the ideal audience, from The Hobbit and The Chronicles of Narnia, to more modern classics like The Blue Sword or Patricia C. Wrede's Enchanted Forest Chronicles.
Of course, YA is a hot genre right now, so it's more socially acceptable to be caught with a copy of, say, The Hunger Games than it might have been 10 or even five years ago. I guess what I'm trying to get at is that I read a fair amount of YA books.
That having been said, I've noticed a disturbing trend of late regarding character development in YA literature. Authors as famous as Suzanne Collins seem to be guilty of this misstep, and I'm wondering why it exists with such prevalence. Is making a character do or say something that is out of his or her nature meant to accurately represent the indecision and angst of adolescence? Or is it just lazy character development on the part of so many authors?
Let me offer an example from the book that prompted me to write this post. Ann Aguirre's Enclave is about a post-apocalyptic society that lives in small settlements underground (the eponymous "enclaves"). Deuce, the main character, is a Huntress charged with protecting her enclave from the mutated freaks that roam without. Her partner (and, of course, romantic interest) is a young man named Fade.
Deuce and Fade have a relationship born of soldiers who have fought together. This is important, because it underpins most of their actions and, indeed, their romance. Deuce and Fade trust each other, fight back to back (literally), and have survived terrible ordeals together.
When Fade loses someone important midway through the book, he begins to draw away from Deuce in his grief. This is not unexpected. What is unexpected are exchanges like these:
At this point, Deuce is still too emotionally closed off to utter a phrase like "I love you" or even "I like you." Her response of "I don't trust anyone like I do you" is perfectly in character, the epitome of their relationship. And yet Fade is unhappy with this. What? It simply doesn't align with the 220 pages that came before the exchange.
Dozens of similar examples exist in the Hunger Games trilogy, especially in the second and third books in the series. Katniss' actions, especially regarding her two would-be suitors, read like a rollercoaster with switchbacks. Before long it becomes impossible to even guess what she might do next -- and not in a good way that builds narrative suspense.
I'm not saying that characters shouldn't change or grow throughout the course of a book. On the contrary, the characters in these extraordinary circumstances would most certainly change unless they were made of non-sentient wood. But to have a character do something at random that is not in line with his development trajectory is, unfortunately, a hallmark of weak writing. Why is this happening so often in books that are climbing the best-seller lists?
Of course, YA is a hot genre right now, so it's more socially acceptable to be caught with a copy of, say, The Hunger Games than it might have been 10 or even five years ago. I guess what I'm trying to get at is that I read a fair amount of YA books.
That having been said, I've noticed a disturbing trend of late regarding character development in YA literature. Authors as famous as Suzanne Collins seem to be guilty of this misstep, and I'm wondering why it exists with such prevalence. Is making a character do or say something that is out of his or her nature meant to accurately represent the indecision and angst of adolescence? Or is it just lazy character development on the part of so many authors?
Let me offer an example from the book that prompted me to write this post. Ann Aguirre's Enclave is about a post-apocalyptic society that lives in small settlements underground (the eponymous "enclaves"). Deuce, the main character, is a Huntress charged with protecting her enclave from the mutated freaks that roam without. Her partner (and, of course, romantic interest) is a young man named Fade.
Deuce and Fade have a relationship born of soldiers who have fought together. This is important, because it underpins most of their actions and, indeed, their romance. Deuce and Fade trust each other, fight back to back (literally), and have survived terrible ordeals together.
When Fade loses someone important midway through the book, he begins to draw away from Deuce in his grief. This is not unexpected. What is unexpected are exchanges like these:
He (Fade) stared at me (Deuce) for such a long time that I grew uneasy. And then he asked, "Are we still partners? I know Silk put us together, but would you choose me now?"
As before, I had the feeling he meant something different with the word. "I don't trust anyone like I do you."
By the way his face closed, it wasn't the response he wanted.
At this point, Deuce is still too emotionally closed off to utter a phrase like "I love you" or even "I like you." Her response of "I don't trust anyone like I do you" is perfectly in character, the epitome of their relationship. And yet Fade is unhappy with this. What? It simply doesn't align with the 220 pages that came before the exchange.
Dozens of similar examples exist in the Hunger Games trilogy, especially in the second and third books in the series. Katniss' actions, especially regarding her two would-be suitors, read like a rollercoaster with switchbacks. Before long it becomes impossible to even guess what she might do next -- and not in a good way that builds narrative suspense.
I'm not saying that characters shouldn't change or grow throughout the course of a book. On the contrary, the characters in these extraordinary circumstances would most certainly change unless they were made of non-sentient wood. But to have a character do something at random that is not in line with his development trajectory is, unfortunately, a hallmark of weak writing. Why is this happening so often in books that are climbing the best-seller lists?
No comments have been added yet.
