Why I’m Tired of YA Genre Fiction -- And Why You Should Be Too

I just went through and removed every YA novel from my Goodreads “To-Read” list.

Why?

Because YA genre fiction is so stuck in a mire of stagnation that the entire genre has become a parody of itself. With so many books demanding my attention, I don’t have time to waste on the same story over and over again.

When did this happen? Why aren’t YA authors taking more risks? And why do we have a market flooded with books whose plots are seemingly chosen by throwing darts at a wall chart?

Choose setting: fantasy, dystopian or sci-fi. Insert female protagonist. Determine obstacle that she has to overcome (bonus points added for some kind of hidden past). And select love interest. If the author can somehow convoke a love triangle (a la The Hunger Games), that’s all the better for “narrative tension.”

Without coming off like a boy who hates lovey-dovey plots because of cooties, I can’t help but wonder: Where are the gay and lesbian protagonists? Where are the transgender protagonists? Where are the neuter protagonists who don’t care about finding sudden and meaningful love in the ruins of civilization? Hell, where are the male protagonists?

A good writer should create characters that the reader cares about — regardless of gender or sexual orientation. As a young reader, I loved Patricia C. Wrede’s Enchanted Forest Chronicles, even though the protagonist was a female princess, albeit an unconventional one. The fact that the main character of the book was a young woman didn’t matter; it was the character and plot that made the difference. (Wrede’s princess, Cimorene, doesn’t find love until book two of the tetralogy, and even then doesn’t spend the entire volume swooning over Mendanbar’s warm lips and magical kisses.)

What happened to books like Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card), The Amulet of Samarkand (Jonathan Stroud) and The City of Ember (Jeanne DuPrau)? What happened to plots and romances — or lack thereof — that weren’t molded by the cookie cutter of today’s YA genre market?

Part of the blame undoubtedly rests with publishers, all of whom are looking for the next Harry Potter, Katniss Everdeen, Bella Swan or Tris Prior (and the lucrative film rights that go with them). This has, unfortunately, resulted in a trough of creativity as authors write toward current trends and publishers pump out copycat after copycat.

The only way for readers to respond is to demand with their wallets that YA genre fiction undergo a renaissance. We’ve already seen the start of this trend with YA genre films (see: Beautiful Creatures, The Host, Mortal Instruments) and the time has come for their source material to follow suit. Until then, I fear that I will find very little to inspire me in a genre that is in desperate need of reinvention.