Sunday, March 16, 2014

Topics Taking Flight: Are readers too harsh on YA heroines?


Do we, as readers, expect out YA heroines (and heros) to act too much like adults? Do we expect these protagonists to be perfect?

Don't you ever want to chastise these girls and boys about their bad decision making skills? Aren't the heroines' angst and mood swings aggravating? I know I want to throttle them sometimes, and I am a teenager myself! (Oh, the irony!)

I've read (and written) a lot of reviews that say things such as "She made terrible decisions!" or "She was so selfish!" or "She had no backbone".

People are always inclined to think that the main character should be kicka** but not mean. Nice but not timid. Confident but not bratty. Spunky but not annoying. However, we just can't wipe away the flaws of teenagers. Even adults have flaws! Why do we nitpick at these girls (and boys)?


Well, let's face it, some of these heros and heroines are only 16. Their brains aren't fully developed, and hormones abound.They are sleep-deprived zombies, and most are dealing with an identity crisis. Plus, they are having growth spurts. And, believe me, those are not fun. In fact, teenagers might even deserve a small bit of sympathy!

I'm not saying that there aren't book with terrible main characters. (I've listed a few below!)  Believe me, I've experienced my fair share. However, let's look at what we expect from a YA heroine (or hero). From now on, I just want my YA protagonist too be vivid, realistic, and someone I can root for!!! What about you?

Next time you read a book, think about what you expect out of your main character. Then, remember they are just teenagers! Here is a helpful video about the Teenage Brain and why teenagers can be such annoying, lazy, mood-swinging devils: The Teenage Brain Explained

Flawed Teenagers I LOVED:


Annoying Flawed Teenagers that DID NOT work for me:

Thanks for reading this discussion post! I would LOVE to hear your thoughts on this topic!

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8 comments:

  1. I've pulled the "she had no backbone" a few times, but if they eventually grow a backbone or stand up for themselves, then the characters redeemed themselves (though, depends on the situations they're in) but if they continue to whine about this and that about, then nuhuh, I'm calling them out. See, why I get complaining about some is more because the characters are written the way an author thinks teenagers act than how they actually act. I don't mind bitchy MC's, I prefer flawed, but they have to grow, and if they don't then I get annoyed. It's all on connection and the voice as well.

    I know a lot of people didn't like Emma in Heartbeat, but I loved her,that was realistic. Haha, totally agree with you with Red, Felicity annoyed the hell out of me more than the one bitchy friend and the one that was blackmailing her, I can't even remember their names. Oh well. :)

    Kirsty @ StudioReads

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    1. Exactly! Character growth in books is so important! Also, I agree that I hate books where the author puts too much effort into making the character act "like a teenager"! It all depends on how well and realistically the author writes the MC.

      Emma was a great character, I am super glad you agree! And don't get me started on Red. Felicity was a terrible character. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

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  2. Interesting topic. I think that YA readers especially are very picky about our heroines and heroes. Most of the time they are either completely flawless or annoyingly flawed -- which is so unrealistic! I cherish YA books that feature characters that act like real teens -- those authors are the ones who understand teens the most!

    Megan @ Books i View

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    1. Authors who can write the perfect teen are goddesses in my mind. There is that perfect sliver of a line for a realistic character between perfect and annoying. Thanks for commenting, Megan!

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  3. Very insightful post here, Emily! Definitely hit some points about YA protags and passing judgement on them right away. For me, I can understand them being flawed or having characteristics that keep them from being perfect. They can have a HUGE character flaw, and that's okay. However, I really like to see them develop over the course of the novel. If the protag is a bratty girl and STAYS a bratty girl throughout the whole thing, I wouldn't like it. But if she acknowledges her flaws and develops over the course of the story to become more well-balanced, that's when I love the story. :)

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    1. Thanks! I agree that character development is one of the main aspects that makes a book good. People change all the time in real life, and I love seeing that in books! If a character just stays absolutely perfect or annoying or mean throughout the whole novel, it is unlikely I will enjoy the story. Thanks for the response Ana!

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  4. This was probably the biggest complaint I saw people had with the Ruby Red trilogy, and this is EXACTLY how I felt about it! I mean, yes the protagonist is silly and a bit boy crazy (and I really did get blegh with the love interest)....but if I think back to when I was 16, I definitely was more like the protagonist in that trilogy (whose name escapes me) than I would have been like Katsa or Katniss. I mean hell, I'm STILL more like Gwyneth (decided to look her name up) than I am like them!

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    1. The Ruby Red trilogy is the perfect example! I actually really liked how realistic Gwyn was, despite all the time-traveling stuff she had to go through! Teenagers will act like teenagers :D and NOT like adults or mature heroes. There a lot of Gwyneths in the world, and I know close to none Katsas! Thanks for commenting Elizabeth!

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