Get Over it Already!
Ok, I have to take this moment to vent a little steam. When it comes to reviews, I like to think I have thick enough skin not to get offended and take the negative along with the positive. However, there is one thing that I’ve noticed, not only in my reviews but also in other YA novel reviews, that has annoyed me to no end. And now I feel I must address it.
I’m going out on a limb here considering I don’t actually know the minds of reviewers not to mention the rest of the world, but it seems to me that ever since the craze over the YA novel turned movie saga, Twilight, started and ended, there has been this aversion to anything YA that has even a remote sense of romance involved. What I have derived from different reviews, including one of my own, is that teenage romance is now considered “cliche”. Whether it be in a novel or a movie. I’ve read book reviews where readers are actually comparing a totally non-related book to Twilight and comparing characters, even using Twilight character names.
Before Twilight was ever concieved, falling in love as a teenager was an every day reality and to my knowledge it still is, which I would assume most parents of teenagers understand and have probably already gone through the experience with them.
I fell in love at the age of 17 and married him just before I turned 22. I will soon be 31 and we’re still together. High school sweethearts are created from two teenagers falling in love during this confusing time in their lives. I realize some think they’re in love but soon find that wasn’t the case. However, I still despise when someone says teenagers don’t know what love is. Um, yes they do. It may not be the serious I’m-gonna-marry-you kind of love but it’s still real. So real that breaking up is a serious heartbreaking, sometimes devasting, experience. Take a moment to think about feelings you had for someone in high school or even before that. How serious were your feelings?
The way I see it (I could be wrong), because of Twilight and little girls losing their minds over ficticious characters, teenage romance as become laughable and unrealistic. Even though it happens everyday. Maybe not with supernatural creatures but it does happen. Teenagers are huge dreamers because that’s all they have. It may seem immature to adults who have already experienced the real world already but to them their dreams are what they have to look forward to. Tell me one girl who doesn’t dream of finding Prince Charming. Not everyone’s ideal man or woman is the same. So what if a teenage girl dreams of finding a vampire guy or a wolf boy. What business is it of ours? I’m sure every girl in the world realizes these supernatural boys aren’t real. And not every girl is sitting around daydreaming about Edward or Jacob. But what if she were? Don’t poke fun or act like she’s a daydreaming idiot.
In conclusion, here’s what I think…… Get OVER IT!!! Twilight is OVER. Please stop comparing every teenage romance in every YA novel or movie to flippin’ Twilight! (If you’re not doing this then I would like to say a BIG thank you). Twilight is it’s own story with it’s own characters who DO NOT cross over to other books! Not every teenage romance should be compared to how you feel about Twilight. Not every male character, whether he be supernatural or not, is Edward or Jacob! Not every love struck girl is Bella! Please stop reading all other YA novels with these characters in mind! And please, for the sake of authors like me who enjoy writing YA and supernatural Romance, accept our characters as themeselves and do not judge the book badly from the beginning because it’s about teenage love especially those involving the supernatural. There are more to books than who is falling in love with who and how you can predict which guy the girl will be with. Some stories actually have really great plots that get drowned out but the inner love story.
Open your mind and experience the book for what it is. If you let your feelings and frustrations with other books control your feelings for new books then you’re never going to enjoy any other story and will miss out on the adventure.
http://kelliethacker.wordpress.com/20...
I’m going out on a limb here considering I don’t actually know the minds of reviewers not to mention the rest of the world, but it seems to me that ever since the craze over the YA novel turned movie saga, Twilight, started and ended, there has been this aversion to anything YA that has even a remote sense of romance involved. What I have derived from different reviews, including one of my own, is that teenage romance is now considered “cliche”. Whether it be in a novel or a movie. I’ve read book reviews where readers are actually comparing a totally non-related book to Twilight and comparing characters, even using Twilight character names.
Before Twilight was ever concieved, falling in love as a teenager was an every day reality and to my knowledge it still is, which I would assume most parents of teenagers understand and have probably already gone through the experience with them.
I fell in love at the age of 17 and married him just before I turned 22. I will soon be 31 and we’re still together. High school sweethearts are created from two teenagers falling in love during this confusing time in their lives. I realize some think they’re in love but soon find that wasn’t the case. However, I still despise when someone says teenagers don’t know what love is. Um, yes they do. It may not be the serious I’m-gonna-marry-you kind of love but it’s still real. So real that breaking up is a serious heartbreaking, sometimes devasting, experience. Take a moment to think about feelings you had for someone in high school or even before that. How serious were your feelings?
The way I see it (I could be wrong), because of Twilight and little girls losing their minds over ficticious characters, teenage romance as become laughable and unrealistic. Even though it happens everyday. Maybe not with supernatural creatures but it does happen. Teenagers are huge dreamers because that’s all they have. It may seem immature to adults who have already experienced the real world already but to them their dreams are what they have to look forward to. Tell me one girl who doesn’t dream of finding Prince Charming. Not everyone’s ideal man or woman is the same. So what if a teenage girl dreams of finding a vampire guy or a wolf boy. What business is it of ours? I’m sure every girl in the world realizes these supernatural boys aren’t real. And not every girl is sitting around daydreaming about Edward or Jacob. But what if she were? Don’t poke fun or act like she’s a daydreaming idiot.
In conclusion, here’s what I think…… Get OVER IT!!! Twilight is OVER. Please stop comparing every teenage romance in every YA novel or movie to flippin’ Twilight! (If you’re not doing this then I would like to say a BIG thank you). Twilight is it’s own story with it’s own characters who DO NOT cross over to other books! Not every teenage romance should be compared to how you feel about Twilight. Not every male character, whether he be supernatural or not, is Edward or Jacob! Not every love struck girl is Bella! Please stop reading all other YA novels with these characters in mind! And please, for the sake of authors like me who enjoy writing YA and supernatural Romance, accept our characters as themeselves and do not judge the book badly from the beginning because it’s about teenage love especially those involving the supernatural. There are more to books than who is falling in love with who and how you can predict which guy the girl will be with. Some stories actually have really great plots that get drowned out but the inner love story.
Open your mind and experience the book for what it is. If you let your feelings and frustrations with other books control your feelings for new books then you’re never going to enjoy any other story and will miss out on the adventure.
http://kelliethacker.wordpress.com/20...
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I like your last paragraph in particular: "Open your mind and experience the book for what it is. If you let your feelings and frustrations with other books control your feelings for new books then you’re never going to enjoy any other story and will miss out on the adventure."