And They Hummed of Mystery

Everyone has their dating deal breakers. It's a way to filter through the masses of potential partners, especially in the age of online dating and social media. Even a picture can cause us to turn away, like the presence of a cigarette or a bathroom selfie or a man bun. Whether you're just swiping through Tinder or testing the waters on casual dates, you know what you're going to stay away from.

The same can be said for books.
For anyone who frequents the nearest Barnes & Noble, you know what it's like to stand in front of the new releases and know that you're not walking out of there without one or two or ten of these beautiful hardcovers. You judge the covers. Read the description. You look for authors you recognize and read the blurbs for the ones you don't.
But how do you choose?
Well, like dating, we know what we're interested in what it comes to reading, and we also know what we're not interested in. Sure, the plot may sound unique and the characters appear to be promising, but the first few pages may be able to tell you if this one is worth taking home.

Here are some of my book deal breakers for YA:

The Mean Girl

I think it's been well established that high school is comprised of much more than just your typical hierarchy Regina George formula. At one point, this was a really intriguing trend in YA, like when Lauren Oliver released her debut Before I Fall. However, after countless similar novels put out the same story arcs with the same cast of characters (The Queen Mean Girl, The Remorseful Mean Girl, The Sidekick Mean Girl, The Queen's Jerk King, The Closet Jerk/Nice Guy Boyfriend, The Redemption Boy, and The Nice Girl), I no longer want to read about main characters who rampage through the story with cruelty serving as a mask for their deep insecurities. Yes, the deconstruction of the mean girl was fascinating the first couple of times, but it has been very overdone. There are plenty of other aspects of the teen years that have yet to be fully explored, and this exhausted trope has become redundant and predictable.


The Manic Pixie Dream

In both fantasy and contemporary YA, there have been many charismatic love interests strolling in with their perfect hair and quirky smile to turn the protagonist's world upside down. Think Ramona Flowers or Summer Finn. This character's job is to bring a light into the story and to show the MC how lacking his or her life was before they showed up. MPD's are often a reflection of what we dream of when it comes to a perfect love life, and they are not typically an accurate representation of a real person.
I'm sure we all have our own version of the manic pixie dream in our minds. I would love to find my own Augustus Waters to take me to Amsterdam and speak sweetly of his love for me, but my problem with this type of character is that it sets up a plot that moves forward under the implication that the main character's life wasn't good enough without the MPD. Not only is it an unrealistic romance, but it also takes away from the important message of loving yourself and understanding that your worth does not increase once this person has swept you off your feet. I want to read about two characters who are gritty and dimensional and complicated, because that is what's real. Manic pixie dreams just don't give me anything to believe in.



The Obnoxious Narrator

Writers know that voice is one of the most important factors when it comes to grabbing the reader's attention. You're supposed to be able to get a pretty good feel of the main character within the first few chapters by the way they bring you into the story. Obviously, when writing characters who are in their teens, authors have to work with the tendencies of the age group in order to create someone who is believable and relatable. If you were anything like me when you were a teenager, you were sarcastic as hell with a heaping side of angst.
Sarcasm is a language within itself, and I've seen it done to perfection (Cassie Sullivan from Rick Yancey's The 5th Wave trilogy is the queen), but sometimes it feels like the author uses an overabundance of sarcasm to make up for the lack of voice given to their characters. It can be a great piece of their personality, but I need more than that to get on board with a narrator constantly going off track to make snarky remarks. It gets to a point where I'm annoyed, distracted, and uninterested in anything other than getting this over with. Show me their heart, their pain, and tell me who they really are beyond the overused sarcasm.  If I come across a character who can't do that, it's unlikely I'll make it past the first chapter.

Often times, it's easy to see how the books we read reflect the current events and topics of the world we live in. Whether it's our obsession with reality TV, the flaws of the class system, or cultural divides, young adult literature has probably addressed it in one way or another. The category serves well as a vessel for ideas and as an amplifier for young voices weighing in on the issues of society.

And now, in 2016, few issues are more prominent than feminism.

When I was growing up, I was surrounded by children's movies and shows in which a prince saved a princess and the greatest arc of the story was the dazzling discovery of true love. I wore elaborate dresses for Halloween, idolizing characters like Belle and Aurora as I dreamed of that perfect prince coming to sweep me off my feet. Who didn't just die when Hercules was willing to sacrifice himself in order to save Meg? And oh my goodness when Aladdin took Jasmine out to 'show her the world' it became #goals before #goals were even a thing.
Many of us grew up with this general recipe of heroes and damsels and formulaic romance. We swooned over The Notebook, watching that rain scene over and over and over. Jack Dawson gave us all the feels, causing countless sexual awakenings with his hair flip and drawing skills. Everything we were exposed to was heavy on the romance, from Disney to Barbie and Ken to whatever we watched when our parents weren't looking. This seemed to present us with this idea that being validated by a man was some sort of ultimate goal.

And then came the world of YA, which is generally written by women and has been constantly developing and adapting when it comes to gender roles, male and female stereotypes, and, of course, the ideas behind feminism. It took the readers who grew up believing that their greatest accomplishment would be to become a half of a prince/princess combo and gave them leading ladies like Katniss Everdeen and Ruby Daly and Viola Eade, who, among many others, defy these outdated concepts and give an authentic life and strength to the female character. These women hold their own, fighting in wars and saving loved ones and just being flat out brave and badass. They certainly do not need a man to give them value, and their love stories are only a small part of what makes up their characters. YA has been ahead of its time in many ways, creating these powerful heroines that perfectly counter the damsels we loved and thought we needed to be.


As feminism gains power with each passing day, YA writers are moving right along with it.  Heroines no longer need to be innocent virgins when we are introduced to them, and they have come to embrace their sexuality (which brings about a whole new topic, which I'll probably write about in the coming weeks). Genders roles are all but abolished, as the women are often the ones taking on the biggest burdens and they end up saving their male counterparts. They operate on an equal level with the boys, and don't tend to get caught up in handsome jawlines and shiny muscles like they used to. Today's heroines are tough, witty, intelligent, and do not have time for anyone's shit. If they made an army of every badass leading lady on the bookstore shelves today, no one on the opposing side would stand a chance.

While this a great way to create role models for young readers and to help break the rusty chains of sexism, there are also a few things I've noticed in my recent reads that threw me off as a reader, writer, and a woman. I just finished a new release that prides itself on its timely themes and feminist attitude. It featured a heroine who, while she did fit into every requirement of a strong, able female character, I just could not relate to or even get on board with. You see, this girl was so strong, resilient and smart that she almost stopped feeling like a real person. Everyone around her put her on a golden pedestal and could only ever talk about how amazing she was, and every man was practically throwing themselves at her feet. She always had an answer and was hardly ever in any state of worry or even concern. The only problems in her life were brought on by other people, making her seem better than everyone around her. Sorry not sorry, but this is not only bullshit because no one is that perfect, but it completely defeats the true purpose of feminism. I've seen this happening in quite a few of the YA books that have been coming out in the last couple of years. It's as if the authors are so hellbent on upholding their strong characters that they are afraid to let them have their flaws.


So, bring in Viola Davis (slay). Her character on ABC's How To Get Away With Murder is the absolute embodiment of what a true feminist character is supposed to look like. Even if you haven't seen the show, you've probably heard that Annalise Keating is one hell of a badass. She dominates in every court room she walks into, always seems to be six steps ahead of everyone else, and knows how to put you in your place. Honestly, that's #goals for you right there. She has such a powerful presence that commands to be paid attention to and Viola delivers an on point performance in every scene.

However, that's not all we get to see. Along with all the slaying, the show opens up a part of the female powerhouse character that is rarely seen or even addressed. We see this woman absolutely broken down. I remember in season one when she sat down at her mirror and took all of her makeup off and was exposed with nothing but her natural beauty. That was such a powerful moment because all women know the work we put into creating a presentable face for the world to see. But here she is, still beautiful and desired without any sort of shield or mask. Throughout the rest of the series, we've seen her laid up with a bottle of liquor and a bowl of ice cream. We've seen her in various states of defeat, finding comfort that only her mother can give or dealing with the regrets from her past in questionable ways. One of the most interesting things about Annalise is the fact that she does not always have the answer. She makes mistakes. She uses people, turns them away, and even endangers them. She is entirely flawed, which is something that makes her real and something that I feel has been lacking in some of the latest YA heroines.


As a woman, you come to see just how complex true feminism really is. Yes, we are strong. We are brave, intelligent, beautiful beings and yes, do not mess with us. BUT. It is not required nor healthy that we only be proud of the words used to describe us if they would also be used to describe a man. If you wouldn't call a man emotional, does that mean it's a quality that a woman should hide away or deny? Because here's a bombshell for you: we are not men, and we need not display only the tough side of ourselves in order to be worthy in a world that favors men. The things that separate us from men are what make being a woman unique and special, and we can't be afraid or ashamed of the wide range of qualities that make us the women that we are. For me, yes, I am strong. That does not mean I am not allowed to lose my shit or cry over nothing or be afraid. I can be fixing cattle fences and watching football one day and guzzling wine during The Bachelor the next. Women are intricate, and it's impossible to represent feminism without displaying that.

Because that's a major point of feminism: being proud of womanhood and owning it. A female character is not less because she is emotional or indecisive or capable of making a mistake, because every single woman who ever lived has made a mistake. I don't want to read a book and feel as though the heroine has reached some level of womanhood that I will just never achieve. That's not being honest to young readers, or any readers for that matter, because such a thing does not exist.
I may not have started a revolution or brought down governments or changed the world, but I've faced my own challenges in my twenty-two years. Through these challenges, you better believe that I did not always make the right decisions, if I managed to even make a decision at all. I screwed up at times, and had nothing left to do but shovel ice cream down my throat and leave the house in pajama pants. It's just how it goes, and that does not disqualify me or anyone from being a strong woman. The same applies to characters in YA, because while this is no longer the age of lovesick Disney princesses and Ryan Gosling make out sessions, it is truly the age of women finding themselves and being proud of who they are, which goes far beyond any notion of being perfectly put together like the character in that book. Everyone has flaws, and reading about characters who are just too righteous to be real is exhausting. Young readers need role models who they can see themselves in, and writers need to be brave enough to create them.

This is an age old topic. The concept of beauty has brought about countless discussions and controversies over the years, and it feels like no one is immune to the glorification of the 'ideal' human form. Young adults are particularly vulnerable to body image pressure, and the unrealistic standards set by models and actresses are more than enough to provoke insecurities and body shaming. These are likely a permanent part of the media that young adults are going to be exposed to (at least for now), but these standards and ideas should not transfer into their favorite books. While YA literature is known for its empowering nature and strong, relatable characters, it is often times guilty of only presenting heroes and heroines of a particular body type.

Of course, none of these characters are supermodels, but they do stay within certain guidelines. Let's paint the typical picture. If you pick any random heroine out of a hat, here are some likely physical traits she will have:

• White
• Thin (sometimes described as abnormally small or birdlike.)
• Short, but not too short
• Brown or blonde hair (of some variation. Dirty blonde is a popular one)
• Toned (this is usually paired with being in good physical shape, because she's likely a runner or has some sort of hobby or skill that helps her stay fit.)
• Pallid 
• Devoid of body hair (because of course everyone shaves their armpits in the middle of the apocalypse)

Now that I have recovered from my weekend adventure in Chicago, it's time to reflect on my very first BookCon experience.

This year, the BookCon lineup was pretty impressive, headlined by authors such as Alexandra Bracken, Leigh Bardugo, James Dashner, and so many more. McCormick Place was packed as thousands of people lined up to be a part of this massive gathering of book lovers, and my friend and I didn't really know what to expect when we arrived. It was a lot to take in as we got in line with hopes to meet our favorite authors and see all that BookCon had to offer.

I'm going to be totally honest about my experience, as there were things that I loved, but also things that left me feeling pretty disappointed. For anyone thinking of attending this event in the future, it will be helpful to have to have a realistic expectation and a better idea of what you're going to encounter. There are certainly some things I wish I would have known.

Let's start with the positive. Here's what I loved:

• It is always incredible to see the kind of following that young adult literature has. Seriously, there was an insane amount of people there, and it was awesome to see everyone so excited to meet the people who gave them their favorite characters and stories. Book lovers can always find something to bond over, whether it's a recent release or a beloved YA boy or a book that changed our lives. We're all here because we love the world of YA and we know how powerful it can be. As a writer, it was incredibly inspiring to be surrounded by passionate readers who have loyally supported this ever growing genre. 

• We were able to meet Pierce Brown (author of the Red Rising trilogy) at his book signing, and it was by far the highlight of the day. Okay, yeah. He's absolutely adorable and that smile...well, anyways. He was so kind and gracious when meeting everyone, and made a point to spend time with every person who went through the line. My friend and I went up together, and he was just so easy to talk to and was more than willing to take pictures and listen to our rambling. We left his signing in a joyous daze. It was perfect. 

• It can never be said that BookCon doesn't have a lot to offer. There was always something going on, with a diverse selection of panels and numerous in-booth signings along with the regular autograph sessions. It is impossible to get bored there with the enormous showroom filled with hundreds of different exhibitors. We were able to get deals on new books, pick up some arcs, and collect an ungodly amount of free tote bags. You could tell that all of the exhibitors were excited to be there and wanted to talk to you and get you involved.

• I just think it is really important that events like this exist. It's a chance for readers of any age to be in a place where you just can't help but feel a sense of belonging. I mean, there is a good chance that a lot of these people are just as introverted as I am, finding their solace and comfort within the pages of their books, and there's such a pure validation that comes with being in a room filled with a community like this one. It is a truly unique experience. 

When it comes to heroism, what is more important: Choice or Destiny?
In young adult literature, many young protagonists fall into a game changing role because of a bloodline, birthright, or prophecy. They are the 'chosen ones,' and they have built up quite a reputation amongst readers. Iconic characters such as Harry Potter and Percy Jackson quickly come to mind, but there are many others who found their path because of a predestined factor. This can be a really intriguing aspect of the story and can be done very well, as J.K. Rowling and Rick Riordan have shown us, but it can also present some constraints to the character. In many cases, having a chosen one creates a scenario in which personal choice takes a back seat to circumstance, and it feeds the developmental limitations of young readers.

If you take a quick dive into the psychology of teenagers, it's pretty clear why these characters have a strong popularity with their target audience. Starting at around age twelve, young adults experience something called the personal fable. This is a concept that leads them to believe that they are unique and special compared to everyone around them. A teenager will look at their surroundings and feel as though they are living out an exclusive experience that no one else can understand, making them the chosen one of their everyday lives. Every teenager wants to believe they would be the one to get the Hogwarts letter or discover a magical family history. When I was in high school, I can very clearly remember feeling as though I was meant for something greater than my little teenage world, waiting faithfully for my shining moment of destiny to arrive. If it was meant to be, it should have just fallen into my lap, right?

Shockingly, I discovered that if I wanted any sort of greatness, I was going to have to work for it. This is a realization that comes with growing up and understanding that, while fate and destiny may still play a role in our lives, we are the ones who have to make the choices that lead us through our experiences. The only prophecy for us is the one we write for ourselves.

When thinking about how to approach this kind of issue, The Hero's Journey is an excellent tool and path to follow when constructing any YA protagonist. It presents the need for choice and growth and shows the development of the qualities of heroism. Remember when Samwise Gamgee stepped over that line in the field and walked away from The Shire? That crossing of the threshold was a huge moment for him and marked the beginning of a long process in which his own choices would lead him to the story's climax and resolution. Showing how a character adapts to their situation and how they handle the tests, allies, and enemies they are faced with is what really drives their story forward and makes them someone the reader keeps turning the pages for.





There are billions of people in this world, and if there ever is a chosen one, odds are it's not going to be me. In stories, those who aren't chosen matter just as much as the ones who are, and I want to root for someone who takes on challenges and fear with no promise of making it to the end. Characters don't need prophecies in order for their adventures to be heroic, and readers need protagonists who take their lives into their own hands.