Wondering if my book can hold weight

[Nicole Shantae]

Hi all, I could do with some advice because I've been going back and forth about this issue. I've written a 92k YA Contemporary Romance novel. I've had quite a bit of feedback on the first couple of chapters and now I've had a beta give me feedback on the entire thing. I've been told they story is engaging and enjoyable which is great but here's my issue. My novel is a very light-hearted novel that only lightly touches on certain serious topics (sexual harassment, body issues, peer pressure). In my research of YA novels that are around and that I'm reading it seems people are steering well away from the typical teenager story which my novel is. Often it's either a lot of fantasy or deeper, more emotional novels. My beta told me that although she enjoyed it, my story is "surface level and cliché" and to consider creating something more "unique, hard hitting and emotionally driven" to match other YA books around. She pointed out missed opportunities where I didn't explore topics more (like body positivity and fat shaming). She also said my 16/17 year olds act too childish, especially the girls.

The thing is, I'm quite an activist. I follow and advocate for a range of topics and I'm not blind to how much the current generation talks about these topics and how important they're becoming. However, if I were to indulge in this I'd essentially have to really dismantle my entire story and just straight up rewrite it. I sort of just don't want to. I did have commentary about these topics and even explored a little deeper but I removed it feeling it was preachy and out of worry it was making the love interest dislikeable. But throughout writing I have been constantly self-conscious that my book looks too silly or light and that the youth of today will skip it. I followed closely with the book To All The Boys I've Loved Before to help work and develop my story. That's a pretty light book to me and it was successful.

So my dilemma is, should I keep and stick to my light fluff (maybe try and iron out some clichés as best as I can without destroying the story) in hopes it'll be a welcome break amongst all the hard-hitting books out or take my beta's advice and get deeper and more emotional to match what's going on these days? I know it's a little hard to say without reading my book but I'm not sure I can move forward until I know what I'm doing about it.

[V-girl]

Hey there!
I totally understand that torn-in-half feeling lol. Some betas are harsher than we're ready for. Also, every beta has their own opinions of how a story should be constructed, which is what makes editing feel so daunting. How do we know what really needs improving? My plan is to get a certain number of betas' feedback and then pick out the most common threads, and work on those. (For example, I'm seeing multiple betas mention that my short stories could benefit from more character-driven plotlines.) Is any story ever really perfect? No. And it is up to us writers in the end to make the decisions. But I realy believe the common threads speak volumes about the most beneficial changes.
As for your situation, here are my personal thoughts:
Yes, it's true. These days YA contemporaries are exploring deeper themes and issues, as there is a demand for such things. People want awareness raised about issues like anorexia, fat-shaming, depression, etc. However. HOWEVER.
I don't think they'll ever be a time when people DON'T want fluff. And not every reader is able to digest heavy themes. Even those who ARE able sometimes want a "break" to digest those themes, and have a light, easy read in the meantime. ( I am such a reader.) In other words-light, fluffy books should always be in demand. Like you said, To All The Boys was popular when it came out, and still is today. And I'm currently reading Tokyo Ever After, which is super popular right now, and is a light, fluffy sort of rom-com as well.
So, to sum it all up-there is always a place for fluff.

Hope this was helpful!

[J.R.]

I don't know the YA market in-depth, but it sounds like the reader wanted John Green and you gave them something akin to Red, White, and Royal Blue.

A book can't -- and shouldn't try -- to be everything to all people. If you have written a sweet, light, and fluffy romance, that's fine. Is it the type of literary haute cuisine that will get you nominated for a Pulitzer and attract attention from literary snobs? No, but every year, readers who want to ESCAPE into a happier world that does NOT delve into deeper, darker issues cheerfully and readily gobble up these books.

Remember, you can always write another book, one that scratches your itch as an activist. And if what you're afraid of is releasing disparate books (i.e. your next book is something dark and serious versus light and fluffy), well, that's why you see authors maintain multiple pen names.

[Nicole Shantae]

Thank you both, your comments are very helpful! I will definitely keep close eye on what other betas say but very much leaning towards keeping it a light read. She did at least say she really enjoyed it which is the main thing!

[Nick]

As someone who is also writing a YA book even though I am 66 my feeling is you can only ever say if you would enjoy reading your own book. I like funny and exciting books, so that is what I am trying to write. Whether anyone-else will enjoy reading my book, I find impossible to judge.

Have you considered asking some teenagers to read your story and find out if they enjoy it or not?

BTW, I think writing in a certain way because it is flavour of the month is a death sentence for creativity.

All the best, Nick

[Nicole Shantae]

Nick wrote: "As someone who is also writing a YA book even though I am 66 my feeling is you can only ever say if you would enjoy reading your own book. I like funny and exciting books, so that is what I am tryi..."

Hi Nick,

Yes I now have a 17 year old on board and reading for me. My niece also just finished giving me feedback although she is 22. I've been told my story is really enjoyable and I'm now confident I want to definitely deliver a light-hearted fluff piece with some tweaks.

[Nick]

Nicole Shantae wrote: "Nick wrote: "As someone who is also writing a YA book even though I am 66 my feeling is you can only ever say if you would enjoy reading your own book. I like funny and exciting books, so that is w..."

Hi Nicole.
Sounds like you're in pretty good shape with your book.

Just a thought - is it worth asking your readers if there were any parts they found boring, or which added little to their enjoyment ?

Cutting passages you have worked hard to write is going to be hard to swallow, but perhaps "less is more" applies.

All the best - Nick

[Nicole Shantae]

Nick wrote: "Nicole Shantae wrote: "Nick wrote: "As someone who is also writing a YA book even though I am 66 my feeling is you can only ever say if you would enjoy reading your own book. I like funny and excit..."

Hi Nick,

I've received feedback from another beta reader now and pending feedback from two more. So far nobody has said anything is boring. I'm told that the story is very enjoyable but one said I'm lacking depth. So far everyone has said something different but I think I'm identifying the issues now. It seems as long as the characters are solid I should be good to go as no one has issues with the plot.

[Nick]

Nicole Shantae wrote: "Nick wrote: "Nicole Shantae wrote: "Nick wrote: "As someone who is also writing a YA book even though I am 66 my feeling is you can only ever say if you would enjoy reading your own book. I like fu..."

Sounds like you are all set, Nicole.

If you'd like my off the cuff reactions, I'd be happy to give your story a 30-minute scan (I read fast!). Just message me, and I'll come back with my email address.

Cheers Nick