The Fault In Our Stars : YA Edition
I LOVE YA books. I devour them every chance I get. And I have absolutely no shame in admitting it. After all, as one tongue wagging wise woman once stated, only God can judge me. I'm not alone though, as was evidenced by a twitter hashtag #IReadYA where adults shared their love and appreciation of the genre.
The Young Adult genre has become so popular that it now includes a spectrum of subgenres. YA authors have been constantly pushing boundaries and tackling difficult topics, all while keeping us thoroughly entertained. It's no surprise then, that a large number of YA novels have been getting the big screen treatment and have been raking in the ratings and the moolah, with crazed and loyal fans of all ages camping out throughout the night for a chance to catch the movie's premiere.
While I do enjoy waxing poetic about this genre, there are a few recurring themes that are getting kinda tiresome. I don't mean to generalize but (you and I both know that's EXACTLY what I'm about to do), I almost wish some new author would jump in and stir things up a bit. Bring in new perspective. Of course, there's not always the constant semblance of normalcy and relatability quotient thanks to the multitude of YA genres. Still, certain aspects get a little frustrating.
I don't intend to stir up a hornet's nest, but I'm going to shove my two cents down your throats anyway. Cliches, recurrent themes... Here are a few things I wish YA authors would spice up.
1. Protagonist's gender
As a female, I love seeing female leads anywhere - be it in books or movies. But of all protagonists in YA books, females outnumber males by a rather large margin. Forget feminism (which, by the way, advocates for equality) empowerment and all that jazz - us readers deserve an equal number of books with female and male leads. I think it's pretty awesome when female authors write books in a male POV and vice versa.
2. Self- discovery
This "OMG, I'm what????" reaction is getting kind of old. Makes you go "Oh no. Not again!". I understand coming into your new self can be daunting. But I'd really appreciate it if authors approached it in a "novel" way.
3. Parents
Where do I start. The protagonist's parents are either dead, missing, nonexistent, a mystery, shady as hell, or downright jerks. Makes you wonder - do heroes emerge from dysfunctional families?
4. Love triangles
Because sadistic villains and the imminent end-of-the-world as we know it aren't enough, we have to also put up with love triangles. Blink, and it's the focal point of the story - the fact that they probably wouldn't be alive to continue their love trysts since they're too distracted to save themselves and the world, be damned.
5. The quirky BFF
Is it just me or are the best friends adored more than the protagonists? Let's face it, the best friends usually have better personalities, are witty, fun and loyal to a fault. Most often than not, they seem to do more to save the day than the protagonists themselves, including saving said protagonists lives on many occasions. Why not give us a BFF who's not that perfect?
6. The mysterious, broody, troubled or worst of all - picture perfect love interest
Why can't the love interest be a plain old guy or girl-next-door? Not one who turns out to be a stalker or psycho after all, just so we're clear. They're always made of too-perfect, unattainable traits and ideals, so a change would definitely be welcome.
7. Love at first sight
It happens, obviously. But in almost every single young adult novel??? Give us a break. We're tired of the protagonist seeing a random human for the first time and knowing that they were going to spend the rest of their lives together. Frozen's Elsa said it best - "You can't marry a man you just met." Same. And vice versa.
By Rihaab Mowlana
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