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Why is YA like this?
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wouldn't slapping an author for their choice of theme count as bullying them? :-)
Marc wrote: "wouldn't slapping an author for their choice of theme count as bullying them? :-)"Maybe, but the greater good demands it!
The mandatory romance is one of the things that tend to annoy me the most. Well-done romance? No problem, and high schools are as good a place as another for a budding romance. However, most of the time the romance part in such novels seems like it was put there "because it sells". Same goes with the done-to-death love triangles: forced into the story, and without much interest. You know from the beginning who'll get the girl in the end.(Oh, and might I add to that "never keeping your priorities straight"? My teenage years are two decades behind me, but I'm positive that in the case of some zombie apocalypse or whatever, my main concern would NOT have been "oh, golly gee, what boy am I going to pick? Both of them are so hot, and have such nice butts.")
Bullying: it's a sad fact, it happens IRL, and having it addressed in a YA book might help bullied kids, who knows? What I like less is the clichés almost systematically thrown in: 1) the bullies are always the beautiful/rich/popular/all of those kids, and 2) the bullied person is the nerd, the one without friends, yadda-yadda. Some variety in that would be very, very welcome, because you can't just fit bullying into such neat little boxes. I've known people who were bullied without a reason, while others, who would've been in a book, well, just weren't. (I was the bookworm obese teenager with Tourette's syndrome and plenty of acne. Probably the poster child for bullying. But nope. Didn't happen.)
Denzel, I agree with a lot of what you say!The silliness of the teens depicted in various YA sub-genres has caused a couple of heated debates with readers and other authors, and usually these people end up telling me that "teenagers are like that".
Well, I well remember my teenage time and when I was 12 I started picketing and working against a variety of political issues, was quite conversant on ecological problems and political failures, was against the race of arms and the amount of money spent on weaponry, and so on and forth. Not much different from how I am today, and decidedly different from the teenagers in the YA I read.
Naked manboobs (I read precisely this conversation between some authors today) sell several times better than already just manboobs in an undershirt and several dozen times (if not a hundred times) better than no manboobs. That is in the USA. In Europe people consider naked manboobs on covers as cheesy, crass and rather low as per intelligence level of the reader. But as always, money talks.
Romance outsells every other genre, and does so in mixed genres as well I suppose. I agree with you however, that it would be nice reading something else in YA than
- Romance
- Dystopias
- Fantasy
- Paranormals/Shifters
But apparently they are hot right now, so that's what's offered.
I disagree about bullying, though again I probably will agree on it being usually cheaply written. I've read few good ones about that.
I completely agree with you about parents, and needless TSTL.
Solution: write a good YA book about something interesting you. What would that be?
Denzel wrote: "As I don't usually find myself in literary groups, I tend to miss a few things. But as I've been delving deeper into my writing genres, I've found some things disturbing.Covers: Why is it so many..."
YA is *not* a genre; it's a marketing ploy. Teens don't like to think of themselves as children (where what we now call YA used to reside in the library and bookstore), so some marketing genius came up with referring to them as "young adults."
There are genres within YA: fantasy, paranormal, literary ... in other words, any genre you can name.
Steelwhisper wrote: "Denzel, I agree with a lot of what you say!The silliness of the teens depicted in various YA sub-genres has caused a couple of heated debates with readers and other authors, and usually these peo..."
Unruly, sarcastic, happy-go-lucky teenager with the power of god.
Sharon wrote: "YA is *not* a genre; it's a marketing ploy. Teens don't like to think of themselves as children (where what we now call YA used to reside in the library and bookstore), so some marketing genius came up with referring to them as "young adults."..."Right! I remember I switched from children's books to the adult section at around 11-12 and wasn't afterwards interested in much specifically written for teens. The main genre I moved on to was SciFi and as family also read that at the time it wasn't hard getting books.
The YA books I read in my young adult years were those written by authors like Victoria Holt, Phyllis A. Whitney, Dorothy Eden, and Daphne Du Marier. I still go back and read some of these sometimes. There were no werewolves, vampires, or witches. There were no high school crushes. There was nothing about high school at all. They were called Gothics. They always involved a young woman who falls in love with a man and marries him. Then things start to happen and she doesn't know if she can trust him. The covers usually had a picture of a young woman running away from a castle or mansion in the middle of the night. These books got harder and harder to find.
In The Marriage Plot
admittedly not a YA book, there is a love triangle but it's never clear which of the two boys will get the girl. See this is why at the ripe old age of adult, I would never read a YA book. No matter how well written and conceived, the books is tailored for a younger readership. Some of the ideas are simplified. But this is just a question of personal reading taste.
@Denzel I always wonder why I was not attracted to YA in general, and I believed you nailed it. All what you are mentioning are things that gets on my nerves. You mentioned the covers, but sadly, it's not just YA. The tendencies to use manboobs has spread like wildfire. Enough that it's getting hard to know just by looking at a cover if you've read the book, the blurb or anything about it.
I'll leave the rest aside or I'd be rambling about it for hours...
First, as mentioned, YA is a section, not a genre. There are genres within YA just as fiction is a category that has genres in it.Second, 80% of fiction readers are female. Women and girls read tons a fiction. If you are a fiction writer, writing for women and girls is more likely to bring you success. That is the reason so many of those books are about girls. Part of this is because this is a sharp contrast from what many girls have been reading in school. I was young when the YA category was first getting started, and I have to say, as a girl, it was nice to finally read a book about a girl. Every book we read for school featured a male main character and female characters were superfluous at best. To Kill a Mocking Bird was the only exception. When I asked why we only read about guys, I was told it was because female characters were appealing to girls but male characters were universally appealing (even when they weren't). We read lots of books that they boys related to and girls thought were just plain dumb and had no relation to their lives. When the YA genre was coming out in stores, girls found books about them. As a result, they are still the primary readers of YA.
Third, like all other fiction, YA has its fads. Right now is vampires (because of Twilight) and distopias (because of Hunger Games). A few years ago, it was wizards (because of Harry Potter). In a few years, it will be something else. Tired of vampires and distopias? Read something from a few years ago when a different fad was around.
Fourth, and I am very curious about your answer to this, why are you adverse to reading about a female character? Why can you not relate to her? Why would swapping her out for an identical male character make the book more relatable and appealing to you?
Brittany wrote: "Fourth, and I am very curious about your answer to this, why are you adverse to reading about a female character? Why can you not relate to her? Why would swapping her out for an identical male character make the book more relatable and appealing to you? "(Not the OP, but hey, I guess I can answer, too.)
To be honest, even though I'm female, I often don't relate to female characters either. They're just, well... too female and not enough human. Meaning, what comes first is that they're girls, and this is an open road to stereotypes about girls: over-concerned about clothes, about finding "the perfect guy", and so on. Too much "this is stuff females are supposed to care about", and not enough "this is how a human being thinks and behave". (The contrary's true as well, by the way: I've seen my share of stereotypical male protagonists.)
Perhaps it's easier to feel in YA novels because, much like stories for younger kids, part of them are "simplified"? I'm currently working in a library for teachers of all levels, and we have a lot of books geared to middle-grade readers. I had a look at some of them, and indeed the characters are very often stereotyped, because, well, a 8-year-old kid just won't get something too subtle (which is normal). I feel like some authors who write for the YA audience proceed in a similar manner: making things very simple so that their readers will "get it" easily. As a result, plots and characters also fall more easily into stereotypes.
On the other hand, I must admit that the teenage/YA audience is a hard one to cater to. Some teenagers will catch on really tiny subtleties, while others haven't matured enough yet (on a reading level, that is). When you write from the start for an adult audience, you normally have to worry less about that—at least, this is how I perceive it.
Denzel wrote: "As I don't usually find myself in literary groups, I tend to miss a few things. But as I've been delving deeper into my writing genres, I've found some things disturbing.Covers: Why is it so many..."
A lot to answer, but the bottom line on all of this is, the publishers publish what they believe will sell. If these are the books that sell as YA, then that's the marketplace.
Likewise, writers looking to make money and get published will tailor their work to these specs since that's what's selling. So it's kind of a self perpetuating cycle.
Brittany wrote: "Fourth, and I am very curious about your answer to this, why are you adverse to reading about a female character? Why can you not relate to her? Why would swapping her out for an identical male character make the book more relatable and appealing to you? ..."I'm one of those who could easily do without the masses of "strong badass heroines" who populate one corner of YA (and lots of other genres), or the romantic "badass-loving heroines" who populate the rest. In fact, I really wished I need not stumble across another of those ever again. That's why in general I prefer male protagonists.
I'll explain why...
I have nothing, quite literally NOTHING in common with either variant except for the bits between my legs. Not just that I have nothing in common with them, which would at least mean I could somewhere empathise, I usually am revulsed by many if not most of them.
The badass alpha-female heroines are sickening diatribe. Re-gendered males, or in other words, women who out-macho psychotic alpha males on their home turf. Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis in female. Or worse. I already hate the alpha male sociopath that constantly gets touted everywhere, why would I in any shape, way or form like a woman equally as idiotic? No thank you. That's nothing I consider a role model, nor anything I am satisfied seeing. At all. If women can show no more intelligence than that, then thank you, that's failed. Royally.
And it's even worse with the princess-type or klutzy girl who hankers Twilight or FSoG-style after the badass hero, dolls herself up in brand name clothes and shoes and lingerie and hasn't got more than two braincells to knock together. Huge on consuming and never a thought about how she paints herself into a corner that way. But she'll sure know where her clit is and that she loves sixpacks. She's hollow, as daft as a brush, a wimp the moment Master Badass enters the premises, and so artificially feminine she squeaks like a porn flick.
So tell me again, why should I like either of these? I don't identify with them, I loathe their existence, they are setting women back by decades, and are no fun to read at all.
Yzabel wrote: "(Not the OP, but hey, I guess I can answer, too.)To be honest, even though I'm female, I often don't relate to female characters either. They're just, well... too female and not enough human. ..."
Everything agreed with as well!
I have commented and blogged on my lack of understanding of the whole YA genre/marketing ploy. I don't understand it and I'm glad I'm not alone judging by the comments here
Brittany wrote: "First, as mentioned, YA is a section, not a genre. There are genres within YA just as fiction is a category that has genres in it.Second, 80% of fiction readers are female. Women and girls read t..."
I became adverse to it when it became my only option, and a dull, dry, stereotyped one at that. Having female leads is nice, but you can't expect me to want to read ONLY female leads.
Denzel wrote: "Having female leads is nice, but you can't expect me to want to read ONLY female leads. "I think authors should aim at creating "interesting leads", period. Male, female or whatever else, I don't care. Just interesting.
do people read books for role models? I can understand identifying with a character through the journey of a book, but to take that beyond the covers into real life? Sounds kind of strange to me. Yes a book about bullying can impart some good advice or approaches, but to live life modelled after a fictional character? And I don't restrict that just to YA books.
Yzabel wrote: "Denzel wrote: "Having female leads is nice, but you can't expect me to want to read ONLY female leads. "I think authors should aim at creating "interesting leads", period. Male, female or whateve..."
Bella (think Twilight), or random teenage girl Maybe that's because authors think they have to write them that way, I don't know, but it does strike me and I think it would be nice to have some male leads every once in a while.
I would love to be able to say that, but I'm fully away of the characters gender as I move through the story. To say "I just like interesting leads" in this situation, to me, is akin to seeing a bunch of movies that were just released, but nine times out of ten they were super hero movies. Yeah, some of them had nice stories, but I didn't have much of a choice in what kind of movie I watched. I would appreciate more variety in my lead being something other than a super hero.
Inevitably, if you're subjected to the same thing over and over again, even if it's something minor, you can tire of it and desire something different.
I agree about the main themes being touted in YA fiction.In my day.....forty years ago... You were absolutely right...must central characters were not girls...except for Nancy Drew...and Scout.
The books I read when I was twelve to fourteen was pretty much anything...I loved a Wrinkle in Time by Mdeleine L'Engle, and the Robert Heinlein juveniles and the Children of the Green Know and horse stories.,,oh heck I'll admit my Grandma gave my Animal farm by Huxley to read when I was twelve....of course I didn't know about the political meaning...I just felt sorry for the animals and hated ol Napoleon! But I was lucky because I grew up in a house of readers so I read whatever took my fancy ( including Victoria Holt, Mary Stewart, et al...because my mom read them.)
Today's fiction is all about following the trends but there are some good things out there...that's why Hunger Games is popular. I thought they were excellent and I read them one after another..
But I too am getting a little tired of the dystopia and vampires
Denzel wrote: "I would love to be able to say that, but I'm fully away of the characters gender as I move through the story. To say "I just like interesting leads" in this situation, to me, is akin to seeing a bunch of movies that were just released, but nine times out of ten they were super hero movies. Yeah, some of them had nice stories, but I didn't have much of a choice in what kind of movie I watched. I would appreciate more variety in my lead being something other than a super hero."But do we really have that much more of a choice? Aren't YA chars all blending into the same after a while? (Cf. "the so-called klutzy brunette who finds herself so ugly because ohmahgawd she's a size 4 and not blond, but then she's the only one who can't see that and the male protagonists all have the hots for her") I sure tire more easily of that than I would of characters designed as human beings with a personality first and foremost.
Regarding more male leads: to be honest, I'd like to see more of them, too. But well-written leads. Not "manly male is manly because he's male" leads. Guys with a personality, with traits that are their own as people and not as men, if you see what I mean. All you male readers & authors here are more than just a lump of muscles with a penis attached to it. You're human beings. So male characters shouldn't be an exception.
As for why authors think they have to write them that way: no clue. Maybe because at some point, some model worked well, the author made tons of money, and the ones coming in his/her wake just did the same in the hopes of benefitting from it?
Yzabel wrote: "Denzel wrote: "I would love to be able to say that, but I'm fully away of the characters gender as I move through the story. To say "I just like interesting leads" in this situation, to me, is akin...""More than just a lump of muscles with a penis attached to it" I'm using this. I don't know where, I don't know when, but I am.
Denzel, you should check out Andrew Klavan's YA books. In case you're not familiar, he is an established, successful writer. A few years ago decided to write some YA books in order to address some of the problems you have mentioned in your original post. In response to your points: 1. I agree and 2. The main reason is that authors try to write what sells. Romance/erotica sells. Female protags sell. Stereotypes sell. You get the picture.
Arabella wrote: "Today's fiction is all about following the trends but there are some good things out there...that's why Hunger Games is popular. I thought they were excellent and I read them one after another..But I too am getting a little tired of the dystopia and vampires ..."I'm afraid that "Hunger Games" is pretty much exactly what I was talking about, which in my opinion is unfortunately the main reason why it is so successful. It's one of the top to-go to series for that Bruceline Willis--the articifial, sociopathic "kickass" female lead. And to go by the reviews only a handful of the readers grasp what is being done and presented to them.
I find this topic very interesting. I've rarely read YA and didn't even know it was considered a genre until last year. I was honestly devastated when my agent told me my sci-fi novel would be considered YA. There is little to no romance in it, and what is there is very one-sided and unhealthy. My protagonist is male; another strike against me I've been told. He's not your typical snarky teen, he doesn't even speak aloud until nearly the midpoint of the book. The book is dark with an intricate plot and complex themes. In fact I don't recommend it for younger teens and tweens. Yet because of the age of my protagonist, I'm being forced to market it as YA and 'play-up' the romance. It really bothers me. I did not write to satisfy the current trends. I wrote it to evoke emotion and (hopefully) make people think.
Which is probably why it won't sell well. Such is life.
Davonne wrote: "I find this topic very interesting. I've rarely read YA and didn't even know it was considered a genre until last year. I was honestly devastated when my agent told me my sci-fi novel would be cons..."No one forces you to do anything. Self publish it and market it as the scifi or subgenre of scifi that you consider it being. And it sounds interesting alright.
Davonne wrote: "...I've rarely read YA and didn't even know it was considered a genre until last year...."YA is NOT a genre - it's an age group. It goes MG, YA, NA, adult.
Then you have a myriad of genres within that. YA does not have to contain a romance, that is like saying adult books must have a romance. YA comes in numerous different genres, some of it is very dark and complex and some of it is popcorn.
A.W. wrote: "YA is NOT a genre - it's an age group. It goes MG, YA, NA, adult. Then you have a myria..."I think her point is that she is writing a book with a teenage MC for adult readers, and not for teens. And now she gets forced to adjust it to the needs of teen readers.
Which is quite idiotic. I'm writing a book about the sexual abuse of a teenager, and it sure as hell is not geared for teens. Downright hilarious if then someone came along and suggested it is YA simply because the MC is a teen.
If you went by that rule half of classic SciFi is YA, and that's definitely not the case.
A.W. wrote: "Davonne wrote: "...I've rarely read YA and didn't even know it was considered a genre until last year...."YA is NOT a genre - it's an age group. It goes MG, YA, NA, adult.
Then you have a myria..."
Most of the books aimed towards the YA group have many of the things I complain about, regardless of actual genre, and that's what I'm complaining about. The bulk of what's sent towards young adults is the same thing over and over again. =/
Steelwhisper wrote: "Davonne wrote: "I find this topic very interesting. I've rarely read YA and didn't even know it was considered a genre until last year. I was honestly devastated when my agent told me my sci-fi nov..."Forced might have been a bit strong of a term but I don't have a choice in the matter if I go with a traditional publisher.
Denzel wrote: "Most of the books aimed towards the YA group have many of the things I complain about, regardless of actual genre, and that's what I'm complaining about. The bulk of what's sent towards young adults is the same thing over and over again. =/ ..."I gave this some more thought, and yes you are right. But if you look at the bigger picture, isn't it just the same with movies and TV?
A.W. wrote: "Davonne wrote: "...I've rarely read YA and didn't even know it was considered a genre until last year...."YA is NOT a genre - it's an age group. It goes MG, YA, NA, adult.
Then you have a myria..."
I apologize for my misuse of the term as that is how it was presented to me. I am not familiar with it or the others you mentioned. I write science fiction. :)
Steelwhisper wrote: "Denzel wrote: "Most of the books aimed towards the YA group have many of the things I complain about, regardless of actual genre, and that's what I'm complaining about. The bulk of what's sent towa..."It is. Part of the reason I don't watch tv anymore. I hope somewhere along the line things change.
Davonne wrote: "Forced might have been a bit strong of a term but I don't have a choice in the matter if I go with a traditional publisher...."
Well, then don't. It's not as if there was no different route open to you.
THAT is actually the forte of self-publishing: to publish those quality stories which else would be hopelessly mangled by traditional publishers in their need to maximise profits.
Get a good editor, buy good cover art, and there is no reason why you should put out something lesser than by a traditional publisher. And you'd have the advantage of putting forth an unconventional story not everyone and aunt Sally have published already umpteen times.
Denzel wrote: "It is. Part of the reason I don't watch tv anymore. I hope somewhere along the line things change. ..."Well, nothing like contributing to that change ;). I'm writing historical fiction, romance, erom and erotica without typical role models, alpha-arseholes and kickass/badass whatever. Pretty much almost alone in that at the moment, but who knows what the future might hold? ;)
And it's not as if not quite a few people lately have started to be critical of the same old, same old.
Steelwhisper wrote: "Denzel wrote: "It is. Part of the reason I don't watch tv anymore. I hope somewhere along the line things change. ..."Well, nothing like contributing to that change ;). I'm writing historical fic..."
Here here to the game changers! May our quests go well!
Davonne wrote: "Forced might have been a bit strong of a term but I don't have a choice in the matter if I go with a traditional publisher. "Considering how you seem to feel about it (re: your posts), I think "forced" isn't too strong a word. The publisher's basically asking you to flay your novel alive to cater to a market just because of the age of your protagonist, and you, the author, doesn't seem exactly about that. So yeah. Forced you are, at least in my opinion.
You do have a choice: you can tell them to stick it where the sun never shines. There's ONE thing never to forget regarding traditional publishing (and this was taught to me by a French published author): most publishers want something that sells, and if it means turning the novel into cookie-cutter crap, then so be it. And you, the author, is a piece of crap as well in their eyes. They can milk you? OK, they'll do it, without a care if your story gets mangled in the process or not. They can't? Well, you're a piece of crap anyway.
What I get from your post is that you're being forced to turn your story into exactly what you don't like. Will it sell if you do it? Maybe. Will YOU be happy about how it turned? Again, from the tone of your posts, it doesn't look likely.
I don't know, but this seems to be an instance of "stick to your guns". They're trying to scare you: "either you change your story, or your book doesn't get published." Can you do the same? Wave your knowledge of the indie market, show (even if it's one huge bluff) that you have other options and won't hesitate to turn to them? Something else?
Changes, cuts, corrections etc. that make a novel better are one thing; turning it into mainstream conventional YA whaddyacallit just for marketing purposes is seriously dumb.
Of course, that's my opinion as an unpublished author who hasn't even really queried publishing houses in her own country, so it's only worth so much. I guess it comes down to "do you want to be traditionally published at all costs" or "do you want YOUR story (not the publisher's) to be published".
I don't dabble in the YA section, neither to read nor to write, but if you're concerned about these issues and if you are a writer, write an alternative YA story and self-publish it.That's a big part of being a self-published author--no control from a company who wants all the pretty maids in a row. Give your own spin to a story and see if it actually appeals to the demographic.
Arabella wrote: "...my Grandma gave my Animal farm by Huxley to read ..."
I'd love to read that one. I only know the one by George Orwell. :)
HahahahaaaWhat an idiot...yes I meant George Orwell.not Huxley...
A.W. wrote: "Davonne wrote: "...I've rarely read YA and didn't even know it was considered a genre until last year...."YA is NOT a genre - it's an age group. It goes MG, YA, NA, adult.
Then you have a myria..."
we don't have MG or NA here in the UK
We don't really have a YA category in France either. It's all "regular books" vs "books for younger audience", the latter being geared towards anything from 3 to 18. If I go into a library, I can find The Hunger Games in roughly the same area where I look for gifts for my 4-year-old nephew. It's basically "young readers" vs. "adult readers". Things may have been changing a little, but not that much. (I still remember a time when the "Akira" movie was shelved with the Barbie DVDs, just because it was an "animated movie".)I agree, YA isn't a genre per se. However, the label itself tends to gather a lot of the same clichés no matter the genre. "Paranormal" or "science fiction" within YA will include the same cliché as "normal teenage romance" (only with the guy being a vampire/werewolf/alien/whatever). No matter the genre itself, it seems that all those recipes remain the same.
Denzel wrote: "Steelwhisper wrote: "Denzel wrote: "Most of the books aimed towards the YA group have many of the things I complain about, regardless of actual genre, and that's what I'm complaining about. The bul..."Most books written for adults are also formula (the same thing over and over). The ones that aren't usually don't sell well. Then the "breakout" book appears that isn't like other bestsellers and yet sells like hotcakes. The result is that the market adapts and the former breakout book becomes the model for a new formula. This is the way publishers have always worked. It's not just YA.
Denzel---you nailed it.It IS all about formula because---
what a surprise---its all about money. So if a publisher sees a book taking off--something slightly different--they frantically hunt up a book they can market in a similar way.
BUT---think of the YA books you read when you were younger. Are they classics or have they gotten buried by the avalanche of Twilight rip-offs?
The YA books I read as a teenager are still available and are still wonderful. The junk...well, they were so memorable, I don't remember them!
I don't like romance much either, but "sex sells" (even though it's debated whether or not sex sells).But you know, as a girl when I see a book with a guy's abs on it I think that the book is going to be celery. Celery looks like it's a nutritious vegetable, but it's mostly water. I mean, it's still GOOD for you, but it's got no substance. In the same way, a book like this has words. And you're reading! So that's good. But that's about all it really does for anyone anywhere. It's just a way to make people read. I guess if that's what the author is going for, then congrats?
I was once a bullied teenager because I was and still am a generally awkward human being that's 90% not the cute kind of clumsy and 10% smart, but not a genius. Then and now I haven't been fond of the bullied teenager plots because the teenagers are always supposed to relate to bullied people without actually knowing what their situations were.So it's always like, "someone beat me up" or "my sibling is better than me and is a jerk about it" or of course, "no one understands me". My experience isn't everyone's, but I've never been beaten up and my twin brother is the best sibling anyone could ask for. Also, I don't really want to read about other sad people all the time. Sometimes I just want a person to be living a normal life, you know, and just go on adventures and stuff.
I don't really care about the gender of the main character, but romance almost always tends to be with a female main character and it makes me personally feel demeaned because clearly I'm supposed to be relating to Ditzy McNoBrains when she madly falls in love with some dude she doesn't know but he's hot and she's hot but she doesn't know it so why the hell not be in love. But it just shows what girls are reading now. Girls now? They read romance, sometimes featuring Ditzy McNoBrains. I'm a girl who doesn't like romance and I'm not alone, but you know what? That doesn't matter as long as the rest of girldom is reading romance books and those books sell.
Ashlee wrote: "I don't like romance much either, but "sex sells" (even though it's debated whether or not sex sells).But you know, as a girl when I see a book with a guy's abs on it I think that the book is go..."
You sound a lot like my ideal reader, maybe there's a reader-base after all.
When I was a teenager (and, yes, I can remember back that far!)all I was interested in were books about horses. Now I've written my own and it is aimed at horse lovers from teenagers upwards: Winston- A Horse's Tale. I'm sure there are still lots of teenagers (and not just girls) who like to read about horses. Much healthier. My mother always said "stick to horses and you can't go wrong" but who takes any notice of their mother?Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G9QOZGE
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
One word or book for you Denzel, 'Twilight'. Ever since Stephanie Meyer plagued us with her corny, cheesy new twist on Vampires to please the YA masses there really has been no turning back since. I'm guessing while some may never admit it, they see this series and think to themselves hey that book was huge and has such a fan base and I bet I can do it too! I'm going to write my own YA and its going to be just like that!' Thats just my guess and even if not the sole reason it certainly must be a factor. The covers, the unoriginal plot, the female characters who have more boldness and determination then I could possibly imagine to have all weighs rather dull.Here's to YA, in hopes that maybe someone else can come along and write it to a stronger foundation and better direction.
Covers: Why is it so many YA covers seem like they're trying to border on erotica? I understand it's trying to be eye catching, but...really? If a teenager wants to see boobs then the internet is still a thing. He doesn't need a book, especially now that it comes with cellphone, tablet, and general anything electronic accessibility. Text isn't gonna cut it.
The genre: The fact that so many can't seem to leave romance alone. Maybe it's just me, but romance seems to be a huge thing in the YA genre. And that annoys the crap out of me. Because it makes looking for a book without a romantic sub or main plot a total hassle. More than it should be. I like romance, I really do, but I have a limit. It also scares me because it makes me think most authors in this genre can't think of any other kinds of plots to get the ball rolling. Something else that's been disturbing me is...
The teenagers: Why do they all act so dumb? I have read of characters instantly trusting people who have hurt them before. I was/am a teenager. We are not that stupid, people. From personal experience and the people I've talked to, most of the things these authors think we talk about are the furthest things from our minds. We also like to utilize common sense. I'm not going to stalk a horrific shadow, and I've no reason to believe any decently intelligent human being would either.
The topics: "Bullying" is an issue, yes, one that needs to be dealt with... but not every kid has been bullied. Not every protagonist needs to be either, it's just a sad attempt at some instant drama points. Please, if you know an author who is writing a bullied YA character...slap them. As hard as you can. "Dangerous and living on the edge" we like life too, you know. We aren't going to purposely do something drop-dead stupid. "Parental issues" what is with the idea that teenagers can't get along with their parents? I see this time and time again in these stories, why? Where's the happy family gone? Do people not like reading about someone who doesn't want to give themselves an emover?
And why is it, at least from what I see, that this genre seems to be bent on female protagonists? I do like reading about guys, because I can relate to them more. Forgive my genetics for this travesty, they've got a mind of their own. Noticing this made me remember that someone said "boys are reading less and less" now that person could be wrong, but if they aren't...
Well, if I go to look up a young adult book, and the only thing I see are books resembling this:
As a male, yeah, I think I might be less inclined to read them.
Or If I see something resembling this:
As a reader, I'm just put off.
So after all that ranting, explain to me, why do these seem to be genre norms? Am I just looking in the wrong place? If so place help me! If not, why? I understand people have different tastes, but this can't be all there is to this genre, can it?
Also, just for fun, what is the stupidest thing you've ever read in a YA story.