An irritated Sally writes....
You know what I’d like in a Young Adult novel?
I think I may work on this more later. For the rest of you who read YA fiction, what would you like? And what drives you insane when reading?
- A hero or heroine whose parents were actually totally normal people. Ideally one raised in the suburbs.
- An ‘ugly duckling’ heroine whose ugly duckling quality is not that she is skinny and waiflike. A heroine who angsts about being podgy would make my day.
- A quality which makes the hero or heroine extraordinary which is actually earned or chased after in some way, as opposed to being bestowed by the angels of snowflakeness.
- An ugly duckling heroine who is actually plain and doesn’t discover that she’s secretly beautiful underneath it all. But instead stays plain until the end of the book whilst still kicking arse.
- A positive depiction of teenage sex. Because wanting sex at the age of 16 is actually OK, and does not inevitably lead to death or pregnancy.
- A hero or heroine who gets scared about things. Ideally sometimes silly things. Infinite bravery is all well and good, but it gets a little tiring.
- A love interest who is also flawed, and exasperating, but has enough positive qualities to make the hero or heroine stay interested, instead of Pure and Perfect Love all the time.
I think I may work on this more later. For the rest of you who read YA fiction, what would you like? And what drives you insane when reading?