The Secret Root: Angry Rant: Publishers think only girls read YA, and it is ruining boys
I love Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone. It’s a wonderful, awesome book. It’s like Harry Potter written by a 19th century Russian novelist. It’s difficult not to enjoy, and it has the same sweeping, romantic feel that a lot of great YA shares with big, enveloping fiction for adults.
But…
Hey there,
First of all, thank you for the kind words on Shadow and Bone.
I’m reblogging this because I think there are some important issues here and that you addressed them thoughtfully. (It’s also important to me that a reader not feel ignored when he or she voices something less than 100% fannish.) I agree with a lot of what you had to say. To paraphrase Libba Bray: There are no boy books. There are no girl books. There are just books.
The vast majority of YA readers are women and girls. Is this because most of YA is marketed specifically to them? Definitely a possibility. And I think that we do male readers a disservice when we send the message that female characters are fundamentally “other.” (However, to say that publishers are “ruining boys” feels extreme to me.)
A few additional thoughts:
1. I think Macmillan did a fantastic job keeping the covers of Shadow and Bone and Siege and Storm gender neutral, so I’m sorry that you weren’t happy with the choices they made.
2. I think I get where you’re coming from, but I also think describing a particular item as only appealing to girls (or boys) is problematic in its own way. Men and boys can and do wear nail polish—particularly in colors like gray and blue. If you don’t think they could or should, I think it’s worth asking why. I had one male reader approach me at an event to object to the polish. But I’ve had other male readers snap it up for themselves or for their wives, girlfriends, or daughters.
Also, if a promotion like this is somehow alienating, is it because we teach boys that there’s something shameful in liking things that (some) girls like?
3. There will be other giveaway items associated with the book—buttons, bookmarks, and possibly more.
Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts and for your praise of Shadow and Bone.
Lb
