YA Trends I’m Ready To Break Up With in 2014!
As 2014 approaches, I am here to talk about YA Trends I’m ready to Break Up with in 2014. I have five trends I’d like to say goodbye to in the New Year!
I love the New Year. There’s a sense of newness and possibility! I’m always the eternal optimist, sure that something great is right around the corner.
The New Year is also a time to figure out what’s not working — in your life, and in your reading.
So I’m starting the new year with a list.
Some of these are trends I never liked from the get-go and some are trends I’m growing weary of.
YA Trend #1 I’m Ready to Break Up With in 2014: Mean Cheerleaders
I was never a cheerleader and never tried out to be one, so I’m not personally offended, just kind of tired of this trend. And, yes, I get that cheerleaders tend to be popular and that popular kids sometimes use their powers for evil. But I’m getting to the point where, when I see a cheerleader character coming, I’m like, “Oh, here we go again.”
YA Trend #2 I’m Ready to Break Up With in 2014: Dead Parents
I’ve talked about the Five D’s of YA Parents and one of them is …. dead.
Again, I understand that kids in books need to get into interesting scrapes and adventures, and parents tend to be total sticks-in-the-mud. So killing off the parents is an easy way to get around the problem. But could we please have a few parents who are present, competent and … alive?
YA Trend #3 I’m Ready to Break Up With in 2014: Weird Reasons Not To Have Sex
At first, this amused me. You know, the two hot-for-each other teenagers who can’t get it on because a) there’s a curse OR b) one of them will die if their lips touch OR c) they’re about to but then there’s an apocalyptic disaster. I’m ready for new reasons, like: “I don’t know you well enough”or “I’m not really ready for that” or just “Hey, no thanks.”
YA Trend #4 I’m Ready to Break Up With in 2014: Smart Kids vs. Dumb Grown-Ups
Sorry, but this set-up feels VERY juvenile to me. Young kids — and I mean the 10 and under set — find this a hilarious idea, but beyond that it’s kind of like a cartoon. Can we have a little subtlety of character and plot, please?
YA Trend #5 I’m Ready to Break Up With in 2014: Makeover Sequences
Yes, a lot of YA readers are girls, and many girls do love beauty and fashion. I’m one of them. But I’m getting a little tired of having to take a break from the story to beautify the plain Jane heroine. Can we have a break from this, please? Then I’m sure I’ll be begging to have it back again one day.
**If winner, as picked by Random.org, is international and it will cost more than $10 in postage to ship the prize, then that winner will receive a book of their choice that’s $10 or under from The Book Depository. US winner can choose this option as well.
What YA Trend are YOU ready to break up with in 2014? Tell me in comments!
Definitely agree about dead parents! I feel like I always comment when the parents are actually alive and present because it's an element I love. And it doesn't have to just be parents-extended family is great too. I'd love to read a story where an aunt, uncle, significantly older cousin, grandparent, etc. played an important parental role for the MC.
There definitely are books with great parental (or surrogate parental) role models, but they seem few and far between!
Oops, I'm out of practice and forgot to number everyone for the drawing: 1
I dont like the mean cheerleader thing. I was a cheerleader in school. I do not think I was mean and neither were my friends who were on the squad with me. Maybe we were popular, but not really. We were all types of girls in all types of groups that were just good at what we did. We ran with everyone.
I'm sure you weren't mean! Time for a book with a nice cheerleader 🙂
2
I wanted to take a break from insta-love books. Sometimes it gets too tiring when the couple just first met and they have fallen in love instantly. I'm more of the love that takes time to develop like the boy/girl didn't get to be so close before or they may even hate or don't know each other existed until a certain scene. That would be the books of what I have in my mind rightnow. 🙂 Thanks for the giveaway!
-Riz Bulatao
On the one hand, teenagers can be like that. I can remember thinking I was desperately in love with some boy one day, and changing my mind the next.
But I agree with you — I love books that show how relationships develop over time!
The cheesy romance and the bad boy that it's actually not a bad person at all and he's only trying to save the girl…
Thanks for the giveaway!
Thanks for stopping by! Yes, cheesiness is never good!
4
First off, I love this idea Jen! I definetly agree with dead parents and cheerleader ones! I really also don't like insta love with all the "they were meant for each other" stuff.
Happy Reading and thanks for the giveaway!
Yep, I tried to find new stuff besides insta-love, love triangles and cliffhangers, but all those are getting overused too.
5
Cheesy romance with the insta-love factor. I like the romance to take longer to bloomer as the story progresses. I don't like it when they discover that they're made for each other in the first few chapters.
Insta-love is the most tired-of cliche so far!
6
I HATE the mean cheerleaders too. I was one in school but I never fit that mean and super popular mold. A lot of the girls didn't actually, so it can be insulting when it is repeatedly done. It's very cliche. I also hate the dead or neglectful parents who are never around. It is sooooooo refreshing to find a story with good parents and relationships. Those books stand out to me, big time. Like in Lola and the Boy Next Door, her parents were a huge asset to the storyline. I wish more authors would adapt that.
Aw, you're the nicest person ever.
And yeah, I loved Lola's dads so much 🙂
7
Great list! The dead/MIA parents are the thing that gets me the most. They don't have to be a huge part of the story, but it would be nice if they were there, just chillin in the background somewhere.
This seems to be another trend that people are tired of. I should have done a poll!
8
These are all trends that I am pretty ready to break up with, too. I'd also love to get rid of love triangles. Sometimes, they're okay, but sometimes it feels like they're just shoved into books no matter how little chemistry the characters have.
I did a Freebie Friday on love triangles, so I did not include it in my list, but yeah, I think a lot of people are tired of those.
9
The non-existent parents thing really annoys me, too. Whenever parents are noticeably involved in their kid's life in a YA novel (like in the Body Finder series, yay!), I make sure to mention it in my review because it seems so rare.
Another thing I'm kind of tired of is the paranormal being who looks like a teenager but is really super old and the love interest he/she keeps pushing away in order to protect them. That whole "I'm bad for you so stay away from me" thing is annoying anyway, but I find it more prevalent when that huge age difference also exists.
There are a lot more trends that annoy me, but this is your post, not mine. 😛 Have a good weekend, Jen!
Now I want to hear all your others – do a post!
10
Hi Jen! I definitely agree with the makeover thing. I'm sooo fed up wih endlessly long clothish monsters D:
Another YA trend I can't stand anymore is when the (female) protagonist is loved by everyone – read: overall perfect strangers – unconditionally and without a convincing reason. Sometimes I'd expect even bushes saying "Ohhh dear, you're so lovely! You're my new BFF and we'll be always together" dude, please >.<
Yeah, that's like a Disney character, who has birds and mice in love with her. Great for a cartoon, not so much for a real book.
11
While I do agree with most of your YA trends to break up with, I think mine would be love triangles. YA books are notorious for them! While I don't mind a good love triangle every now and then, I do get tired of them when they are in some many books!
I decided NOT to mention the Big Three: cliffhangers, insta-love and love triangles and see what else I could come up with 🙂
12
i agree with the dead parents… and also with the weir raison not to have sex… i think we can be mature and raisonnable without such elements
yeah, a lot of orphans in YA!
13
I totally agree with the weird reasons to not have sex. That one is getting old! lol
Well, on the plus side, it's creative. But I'd love to see more characters who are confident enough to say "not ready for this yet."
14
I am breaking up with the YA trend of instant love. UGH, it has no character development and its pointless! Thanks for the giveaway!:)
Yep, a lot of people hate that one!
Yes to axing all of those trends! The weird reasons to not have sex is my fave! And can I add to the Makeover Sequence also axing over the top descriptions of clothing, particularly girl's clothing? I don't mind brief examples, especially if it's pertinent to the story, but a constant recounting of every article of clothing the protagonist, her friends, her enemies and her love interest are wearing ALL THE TIME and in every scene is exhausting. Enough with the descriptive wardrobe changes.
Oh, and I'm kind of getting tired of Ball/ Prom scenes as well. Not always, just sometimes.
OK, said my piece:)
The prom scenes are to justify girl in a prom dress on the cover. (And I must confess, I like some of those covers. But there don't need to be so many of them.)
16
Definitely agree with Mean Cheerleaders… They're always the villain in the book especially when the book is about high school life… Cheerleading is not a big issue here that's why I really can't understand what's the big deal with them… Dead parents are also overrated… And parents who don't care about their children is also too much…
Have fun on your weekend!!! =)
It's like a shorthand for mean girls. I think some more creativity would be fantastic!
17
So interesting!
An extension of the cheerleader thing I would like to see the mean girls plot go away. I've seen it a lot lately and it take cover the whole story sometimes. The girls also seem to be getting SO mean that I don't understand how they even get away with it.
The other thing would be dystopians where only the kids can save the world. Where are the adults? At least one or two would be nice.
#5 – I would like the girl to remain plain Jane and be appreciated for it.
Yep, I think since that Tina Fey movie – nine years ago — that has become a big trend. I'm also kind of over it!
18
I'm ready to break up with the insta-love trend. I've simply read about it too many times. Thanks for the giveaway 🙂
Yep, a lot of people agree with you!
19
I hate ALL of the trends metioned above! Espeacially the Dead Parents! Man it gets old! Its like a virus that all folks of teenagers drop dead!
And that virus happens to in some books 🙂
20
Yeah, I agree with the pretty factor. I was reading The Selection not to long ago, and too many parts of the book were obsessing with the girls dresses! It was kind of a beauty contest in a way, but it still bothered me!
The only time it hasn't bothered me lately was in the book Entwined by Heather Dixon. It seemed to fit okay there, and it wasn't overdone. The descriptions of the girls were also connected to the descriptions of the setting, so it worked somehow.
Thanks for the giveaway!
If it fits the story, I'm okay with it. If it just seems to be done as girl bait, I feel kind of condescended to.
21
Yes – bye bye to mean cheerleaders, and weird reasons not to have sex. Also – has anybody noticed how about 90% of people seem to find out that they are adopted in the paranormal books? I swear, everyone at some point or another finds out that their parents (either dead or alive) are not actually their biological parents.
What I notice in a lot of paranormals is one live parent and one mysteriously absent parent who is, of course, some kind of paranormal creature.
22
Im also sick of the insta love trend! >:( Its really gettin old fast!
Yep, a lot of people are tired of that one.
23
I agree with the makeover
I have noticed that in a LOT of books lately.
24
Ooh. I'm going for the gold here, LOL.
I agree about the dead parents thing. I just want that to go away– I love parental interaction! It makes the story so much better in my opinion.
Why are all main characters only children? (Or they only have one sibling?) Because honestly, I do have one sibling. But so many of my friends come from 4-7 children families, so I love it when an author adds more kids.
Love square. (This has only happened once, but I don't think I need to explain why it needs to go away.)
A girl who's torn between two guys. (Similar to the one above, but different, you know?) Why is she torn between them both? I'm a firm believer that you can only REALLY love (like, love romantically as compared to brotherly) one person at a time. I may be wrong in that assumption, but that's how I feel.
Ugly main characters that have boys absolutely FALLING at their feet. I'm sorry, what were you saying about yourself? Oh, yeah. THAT YOU'RE HIDEOUS. *sigh*
How nobody ever falls for the plainish looking boy because of personality. Why not? Maybe he IS plain, but they find him attractive? Who knows.
Okay, I think I've rambled for a mite too long…LOL.
Loves,
Megan@The Book Babe
Ooh, the only child point is interesting. Have you read My Life Next Door — that one has an amazing huge family in it.
25
I agree with you so much! I really am tired if mean cheerleaders. It's kind of lazy on the author 's part, IMO. And mean popular girls/homecoming queens! I was popular and homecoming queen…because I was NICE to my schoolmates.
Anyhow, thanks for a great topic, Jen!
Good point — it's hard to terrorize your classmates into voting for you. I wouldn't have voted for a mean girl!
26
I agree with all of the above! Seriously, why can't the cheerleaders be friendly? While I'll admit I'm not fond of reading about parents in books myself it'd nice to have them around sometimes.
The biggest trend I hate is instalove! Or get together in book 1. Why can't the relationships develop over the course of the series instead?
A lot of votes for instalove!
27
Two things. 1) I find alive but absent ALL THE TIME parents to be even more annoying than dead parents. Yes, *some* parents are going to be more lax than others, but I'm tired of the parents who are alive and well and just never enter the story at all. 2) a female heroine who ALWAYS has to be saved/rescued by the male lead (though that's not really just a YA trend, I guess). Where are the strong women?!
Yeah, the absent parents are even weirder. Where are they and why do they think teenagers need no supervision?
28
I am so ready to get over the trend where the parents are totally drunk or addicts. This may make it easier for the characters to be alone but there are so many books which I've read lately which have them.I want sweet and caring parents who actually know what the kid is doing.
I love a book with realistic parents — not perfect, but not "call child protective services" either.
29
Oh God! I wish those trends you listed would go away too! >__<
The #1 trend I wish would disappear is…love-triangles. UGH! Can't stand them. Especially when it's so obvious who will end up with who. (Really, what's the point of the love-triangle then? The end result is the same!) And I hate it when it's a good guy vs a bad boy. Because then the good guy is always too perfect and cheesy/corny and the bad boy is too much of a freaking grade-A douchebag jerk. -_-
Thanks for the giveaway!
Yes, a lot of people don't like love triangles. I think they can work, but I don't think every book needs one.
30
There's a lot of trends that drive me crazy. What I really dislike though is love triangles and then when a character can't decide about a boy that she wants. (I guess it could go the other way to but mostly boys don't have trouble a lot of it that I see or read about.)
It's pretty unrealistic to have this many girls with multiple guys in love with them!
31
I have to agree with Clarissa- I'm not a big fan of Insta-love.. I've got tired of it happening in almost every single YA book. Also I wish the'd go easy on the swearing stuff too.
That seems to be the number one thing that drives readers crazy.
32
I been tired of the whole grown ups not listening and the kids suddenly knowing better bit in some of the books I noticed floating around. For YA books that have them no wonder teenagers rebel when a lot of books tell them that grown ups are dumb and don't know what they are doing.
Insta-love is also really irritating.
I get the whole "adults don't understand us" thing, but that doesn't mean adults are complete morons.
33
The trend I want to break up with the most is:
Evil government is evil because it won't let me LUUUUUUUV whoever I want.
I mean seriously? It can be an interesting premise (once), but you have to build the background with it too–which almost never happens. Most of the time it's the only reason why the boy and girl can't be together. Can't we have an actual reason with some depth to add tension to the relationship?
I agree — that premise has been done already!
34
So right! I'm happy to say I actually haven't come across the mean cheerleader one in quite some time (Yay!) and I have been picking up books with actual parents in them. There was one where the mom died but she came back to life. My main problem stems from the romance, it's either insta-love, cheesy or a love triangle. That damn triangle I swear. As Megan said I'm a firm believer you can only truly love (romantically) one person at a time, so this triangle thing is really grating. It's gotten to the point where if it mentions it on the blurb I don't even bother to try the book.
-Nyx @ Unraveling Words
It must be the books I'm reading. I should count the books in 2012 that had mean cheerleaders. It was quite a few!
35
+JMJ+
I really don't like love triangles. Another blogger whose name I can't remember remarked that there must more important decisions for young women to make than which guy to date . . . but the subtext of this trend suggests the very opposite.
It's even worse when the girl is really unremarkable and the two guys competing for her are demonstrably awesome. I can see the escapist value, but the disconnect from reality started to bug me a long time ago.
I love escapsist books too, but I agree, the whole, "I'm so ordinary and two hot guys are fighting over me" has been done a lot.
36
The whole trend of manipulative, stalking psycho's as boyfriends; and everybody finds them so attractive because they are "such bad boys" I'm sorry, what did you say? If my boyfriend would act that way, I would run away, scared as hell! I just don't buy it.
And what also bothers me is the fact that some authors can't make a difference between loving someone or liking someone. If you want to kiss someone because he is hot, gorgeous and all the other words they use, it's because you like how he looks. You are lusting after him. It's not that you already fell in love with him!
I dislike this one too — when a book doesn't make clear that manipulative, controlling, obsessive behavior is not love!
37
LOL I love #4 – "Smart Kids vs. Dumb Grown-Ups." I just read Revolution 19 and that's exactly what the whole story was. The poor, helpless adults need saving, and only the AMAZING KIDS can do it! Ugh. I'm so over that.
That is a much better plot for middle grade fiction. I think the teen (and adult!) readers of YA must find it kind of silly.
38
I am getting a little bit tired of the "insta-love" angle. I feel like two people should get to know each other and THEN they can claim their love for each other. No one falls in love with somebody within a minute of meeting them.
I should count up the votes for insta love!
39
"Insta-love" annoys me. It's like teenagers need to believe that "twue wuv" will hit you like a train the very first moment you see your soul mate. I get attraction, but not instantaneous love. It's just silly.
It's good to differentiate between attraction and love. I'd love to see a story where the attraction fizzled.
40
I really don't mind series or trilogies, but I'm tired of a good idea being stretched so far that barely anything happens in book one, and then everything gets rushed at the end of the series.
Also, butterflies on the covers, especially if said butterfly is trapped or pinned down.
Also, best friends of main characters who are pretty, shallow and not so bright. How about some ugly, snarky and smart bffs?
Trilogy filler!!! I should have included this because it really irritates me too. Each book should be able to stand on its own as a cohesive story.
41
I actually do get a bit offended about the mean cheerleader thing because I was a cheerleader. None of us were stuck up snobs and actually our favorite part about being a cheerleader was the cheer competitions. It is hard work and we considered ourselves as much of a sport as the other teams. (We were lucky that our football and basketball teams would come cheer us on at our competitions)
I also grow tired of the dead or absent parent trend. I know that it's easier to leave them out, but very unrealistic.
So agree with the whole sex thing too. I mean, seriously what is so wrong with saying. "I'm not ready yet" or just let them have sex. (without going into it of course, it is YA after all) I mean teenagers have sex, so to make it seem like no teenager does is unrealistic too.
My big trend I am sick of is insta-love, and love triangles that don't need to be in a story.
I would also love more standalone novels. I know there are some, but I think there needs to be more. I am wrapped up in so many different series right now and it's crazy.
So many blogger cheerleaders!!
Yes, I don't care if the characters do the deed (though I prefer when this is handled in a responsible manner) or decide to wait, but the whole "I want to but I can't" is kind of trying to have it both ways. Own your decision!
42
I'd love strong gal characters who are also emotional – not so bad ass, and certainly not the type who always say they don't care about anyone, don't cry, don't have any emotions.
Thank you!!:)
I agree — a balance is great!
43
I'm kind of getting sick of the love triangles. I know they provide a bigger pull into the story of WHO WILL THEY CHOOSE? type thing, but it's getting to the point that there's always two really great guys that are so perfect & the girl can't choose for this or that reason. Stop. Why can't there just be one guy that's great? Or even make it somewhat more interesting by having three or four… or none? I don't know. I just get overwhelmed with the whole "team this" or "team that" too. It's annoying and everywhere.
I would love a break from the Team X and Team Y stuff. It seems not to be what love is about!
44
I LOVE THIS post. And I agree about all of these. The dead parents one is also in every Disney movie. Have you read NEVERMORE? This post made me think of it because the main girl is a cheerleader who has a good relationship with her parents – who knew THAT could happen?!
My life long pet peeve with books is LOVE TRIANGLES. This should not be a surprise for anyone. I especially loathe when they're added midway through to create tension. Basically everything anyone said above against them. There are very few books that I think have done them correctly.
I did read Nevermore when it came out and you're right — Isobel (is that her name?) is a great counter example!
45
I love Nevermore. Just saying.
Have you guys read the second book? I have not!
I cant really say much of trends getting old.. i have been severly backed up in reading books- have started back about a 1 1/2 ago.. So i havent gotten a chance to experience much.. interesting topic though…
Thanks for stopping by!
46
Yes! Dead parents and cheerleaders! I agree wholeheartedly! I think the cheerlearder issue bugs me the most. I mean come on. If you're going to make it an issue, have a REASON why she's mean. Or something like that. I dunno. And dead parents? No! They can be really cool if you let them live. Haha. And yes. Oh my gosh. I get ticked off with adults are idiots and kids/teens are smarter. I'm like. WHY are they so stupid? and how are these kids brainiacs? Be logical!
Ha. Great points! Happy Friday!
XOXO, Inky
Hey Inky–
LOL — how did the kids get so smart with stupid parents. Good question!
47
I noticed that are the dead parents trend, too! It would be nice to have good and healthy parents around. I'm ready to break up with the trend of divorced parents, which is similar to yours. Not every family has to be imperfect or heavily flawed.
I love to see a variety of family types, but it does seem like two-parent families are hard to find in books these days!
48
Non-existent parents piss me off. I hate reading about kids who are left alone to deal with their problems while parents are out doing whatever it is they're doing. I can even deal with parents which don't want to hang around their children because it's a part of the book nut when author deliberately doesn't use them to help their kinds it just makes me want to rage so bad.
I agree — being a parent is hard work and it would be nice to see some good parents!
I found your comment in spam — sorry about that — and so your number will be out of order.
81
I don't mind the dead parents as long as it goes with the story. What bothers me more is the alive parents that are totally non-existent. Seriously I am a mom of a teenage daughter and I give my kid a lot a freedom but I still require her to check in with me and she is not out all freaking hours of the night like nearly every character in a most book is. Granted I know it is fiction but still!
I pretty much agree with the rest.
Yes, what are these parents doing?
49
Insta-love is what really bugs me…especially for no apparent reason! I can understand insta-attraction, I mean there are just so many gorgeous guys out there 😉 But LOVE? When you don't even know the person? I think not.
Insta love does seem to aggravate most of you!
50
I'm getting really annoyed of the guy pushing the girl away and pretending they have absolutely no feelings or dislike them because for whatever reason they can't be together. Sorry, but that just makes you seem like an asshole, not someone who is protecting them from getting hurt or some dumb reason like that. I'm finding this trend is becoming very constant, especially with "bad boys".
I also dislike the "I treat you like crap and that means I like you" thing. Not a good role model!
51
Car accidents! So many books start with "a car crash that changed my life."
-Jen C
I have read a few of those this year too! Safe driving in 2013!
52
I love everyone's comments! I agree with you about the Wierd Reasons Not to Have Sex. I've had enough of the "instantly-in-love-because-we-are-fated-to-be-together" kind of story. Even if 2 people are destined to be together, they still need to take time, get to know each other and then fall in love! Also, the strong heroines who are kind of cold/unemotional don't do much for me. I would much rather see someone who can be strong and still be caring!
I have a hard time connecting to characters who don't reveal anything about themselves.
53
Ugh, all of these are so annoying- especially the mean cheerleader thing (or really, any super-stereotypical character trope like that, blech).
I also really hate main characters that are clearly gorgeous that say things like "oh, but I'm so plain".
Yeah, the "oh I'm so ugly" gets old!!!
54
I'm pretty much done with the whole "bad boy and good girl fall in love against the odds" thing. It seems to be everywhere lately!
Good one!
55
YES! I totally agree! I so want to breakup with the whole I can't be with you thing. UGH! The authors really drag it on through our the whole series!
Yeah, the "I can't be with you" thing does get old after a while.
56
LMAO at the weird reasons not to have sex. I realize some YA authors don't want to go there but does there really need to be some crazy curse or other stupid thing?! I agree with the dead parents thing or also I would add in the whole finding out their adopted thing or that it turns out their dead parents are really alive. So tired of no one ever really being dead. Also kind of tired of the secondary characters being pointless. I feel like the best friend role is always so cliche and cookie cutter. But I would say love triangles are still the biggest thing I'm over. I actually avoid many books now because I am just sick of them.
" So tired of no one ever really being dead."
Snort — why can't people stay dead! Zombies! People rising from the dead! You crack me up!
57
Instalove! It sux!!! I understad that teens fall in love easily in general, but the I-know-you-and-I-already-love-you-forever stuff sux. It would be good to have more well-developed loves, and loves that grow based on friendship =]
Yeah, when I read those I usually say to myself, "I give this relationship a year."
58
I'm sick of the whole "all boys smell so wonderful" trend. Okay, yeah, not all boys smell great. They don't smell like pine trees and pine cones and what not. They smell of sweat and sometimes oil or grease!
Funny!!
59
I'm done with the whole 'ugly duckling' scenario, but if well written I will be back for more.
As for love triangles, if I never read another one I think I'd be okay with that.
I think most of these trends I'm tired of can work if well written.
60
I am really sick of the whole bad-boy-turned-good thing. I know a lot of people love them but they are everywhere now a days
I do still love a bad boy. You can send them all my way!
61
I'm fed up with guys breaking up with girls because they think they aren't worthy of them, when we know that they'll be together at the end of the book.
Fake relationship drama!
62
Building off of your dead parents thing, I want to get rid of the evil parents/parents that are never home trend. I feel like a lot of the books I've read lately, the parents are never home because they're workaholics and that enables the kids to go on these crazy adventures. I'm getting slightly tired of it. My biggest bookish pet peeve is when you tell a parent something seeking help and they totally turn evil and shut you down. I want the evilness to go away. Yeah, kids fight with parents, but I want the real-life trust and understanding not the "my mom is literally out to get me and ruin my life" type thing.
I agree. Just realistic parent-child relationships would be great. Not perfect, just real.
63
I don't like pretty-but-oblivous-to-it girl MCs. Another thing I really dislike is talk of 'soulmates' 'prophecy' 'destiny' or 'forever' when the characters have only known one another for a few days or weeks. I mean, how could they possibly know what will happen in the future? They're teens. It's a period in life where a lot of things change.
That being said, I agree with the first two of your peeves. Haven't come across the third one all that often though…
#3 is in a lot of paranormal books. On the one hand, it does create a lot of romantic tension. But after a while, it gets kind of silly.
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Great list! I love it when there are parents around, although I'm totally with you on the fact that sometimes authors just need them to be out of the way so their teen or pre-teen characters can do what they need to do for the story.
And going along with your makeover scene, I'm tired of all the characters being pretty. Or plain. I think it's a huge epidemic in this country (and in a lot of the world) that girls are expected to be beautiful, or cute, and if they're not, they have no worth, or they have to work twice as hard and yet they're still dubbed as the "ugly" girl. I'd like to see a strong "ugly" girl character. We've seen plenty of characters that aren't stick-thin, and that's great, too, but where are the ugly girls? Or the girls who are ugly or plain and STAY THAT WAY???
Sorry I've been so MIA lately. Thanks for still commenting on my blog even though I've been horrible at it. I'm glad to be back! I've missed your blog!
Maybe my use of the word epidemic was a bit too much. But I do think it's a problem. 😉
I missed you too — have not been by your blog either. I manage to visit back most of the people who comment and then I run out of time.
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I really love these! Especially the dead parents and the kids who are smarter than grown ups ones. Seriously, these stories would probably entertain me a thousand times more if the parents were A) involved or B) not complete idiots. That's one of the reasons I'm a huge fan of The Drake Chronicles by Alyxandra Harvey. Not only are the parents alive and well and actually pretty kickass on their own, but they also act like caring, loving parents!
Jesse @ Pretty In Fiction
I have not read those, but yay for living, competent parents!
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Do genres count as a trend? Because it seems like dystopians have really become all the rage in the last couple of years. While I have read some that I have LOVED, I'm also kind of ready to take a break from them for a little while.
I'm with you. I'm getting a little weary of those. But, you know, if it were amazing, I'd still read it!
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I am completely over love triangles. Can't two people just fall for each other without that third person?!?! Sometimes the work but most of the time there just annoying. I love all the comments you made. I agree with them all.
Brittany S
I agree that the third person is usually just awkward!
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Insta-love, MAKE IT STOP!!! I really am beyond frustrated with this.
Ha ha ha.
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Insta love and love triangles!
Some very popular choices!
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Oh Jen I love these chooses and totally agree. I am trying to be very selective with my picks in YA..to avoid a lot of these! Happy Friday!
Tried to think of things that haven't been discussed already!
Happy Friday!
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The thing that I don't like either is the dead or just dead beat family's. I think I wouldn't like these books a lot better if the parents were involved in a good way. Why can't these teenagers have ass kicking moms and dads. I agree with the what the others are saying also.
Hi nice to meet you, I love you. <—- that is very old.
Thanks for the awesome giveaway! Happy Friday!
Happy Friday to you 🙂
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I'm done with mc's who have this awesome power but don't know how to use it and we get to watch them fumble for 50 pages.
I just finished a book like that and I still loved it. But I see what you mean!
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Does there HAVE to be a mean girl–at all?! And for once, can rumors about a rank in social status be true? No offense, but there's a whole lot of "Oh, those rumors about me/us selling pot isn't true. Also, we don't vandalize houses for fun or beat people up" Lots of misunderstanding which happens a lot, but like…ALL the time?
Misunderstandings used as plot devices are a pet peeve of mine!
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Personally I'm done with love triangles. If there was some new aspect to it, maybe, but it's basically the same thing. "If you love two people at the same time, choose the second one. If you really loved the first one, then you wouldn't have fallen in love with the second one" – Johnny Depp
Did he really say that? That's awesome!
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For now, I'm done with the super secretive women (and sometimes men) who thinks they know what's best for another person and therefore hides a secret until something bad happens and end up revealing it anyway.
Ha — I like secrets. Go figure. But yes, anything that's overdone can get tiresome.
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I'm really done with instalove scenarios and just a little bit with the whole thing a girl meets a mysterious guy and just follows him around before even figuring out if he is dangerous or not. I mean ya it does set a good mysterious feeling to whats going to happen next but after reading so many books with these kind of scenarios its kinda getting really easy to predict whats going to happen.
Yeah, I don't remember any mysterious guys in high school!
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All of these that you've listed are SO true! (And so annoying!) There's a whole lot more- like on the girl's 16th or 17th birthday, she wakes up with magical powers, a mysterious guy appears, and you know what happens next. 😉 Then there's insta-love, love triangles, the I-love-him-but-I-can't-be-with-him, and so, so many more annoying trends!
LOL, you've written a whole book there!
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I am so tired of the trend where the heroine/ main female protagonist is a plain Jane with an uber gorgeous best friend but still the hero/male protagonist falls head over heels with the ugly duckling on first sight. C'mon, I know they are just trying to make the girls more likeable and next door kind…but ALL of them?
I'm doing a whole post on best friends, inspired by FanofaSymmetry!
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I agree with others on the insta-love trend. But also, I would like to step away from the trend of the female main character being amazingly wonderful and unnaturally powerful, but thinks she isn't worth anything. Let's move on from that.
I agree. It would be nice to read about a girl who has self esteem and isn't mean!
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BAhahaha I totally agree with your reasons. There are so many trends I want to break up but can't seem to point my finger on the biggest one right…but definitely insta-love I'm sooo over it and the girls who are pretty, sometimes drop dead gorgeous but they don't see it or don't "know" they are beautiful *rolls eyes* so tired of it.
There are so many I want to point out but 80% are on the comments others left 😉 Love your reasons though, I'm still laughing here.
Yeah, insta-love seems to be a major offender for people!
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I am feeling you on the mean cheerleaders and dead parents. I've come across that a lot that it has me rolling my eyes now 🙂 I am getting tired of the insta love, though I did enjoy it at first. Now, I think I like my characters to go through more emotion and fight their feelings or have more obstacles to jump through. Make your man work for it 🙂 I like an instant sexual attraction, but please…. fall in love on page 80 not 8
Well, I was loving Just One Day, where instalove blows up into a disaster. Now we're talking!
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I'm tired of love triangles. I'd love to see only one guy for once 🙂
Yeah, there are not so many love triangles in real life!
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I am getting a bit tired of the makeovers and the whiny teen girls. I really enjoy when the character gets it together and gets the job done; whether this be coming to terms with the trauma or new powers. When I am reading I want to be the cheerleader and not on the sidelines going wah wah wah 🙂 Thank you for sharing the fun today and making me smile 🙂
I just feel a little pandered to by the makeover sequences. Or maybe I feel guilty for enjoying them!
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I can't stand it when the main character sticks her tongue out. Usually this happens when she's angry or acting childish with her love interest.
You're right — that does happen a lot. Enough of that!!!
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I'm ready to breakup with books that feature an extremely strong character that doesn't have an open mind. I really don't like these types of people.
I agree that "strong character" shouldn't mean "closed minded!"
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I don't really come across the mean cheerleaders so much in books but that is such an overused cliche in media. I do agree about the dead/uninvolved parents and like many other people I hate insta-love. I am also very tired of love triangles.
This is probably an odd one but I am also a bit fed up of the brooding/mysterious/cocky guy especially in paranormal, I won't mind a guy who likes to make funny jokes, is a bit silly or dorky or even a bit clumsy. Don't get me wrong, I like the sarcastic cocky guy as much as the next girl but diversity is nice too.
I agree. I love the slightly awkward guys. They're just more real.
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Okay this is kind of part of the Mean Cheerleaders trend, but I really hate high school stereotypes in YA! I'm Australian so our school system is a little different (and we don't actually have cheerleaders) and I've never actually encountered the typical American high school stereotypes/cliques in real life. But so many YA books seem to have the whole mean/cool jocks and cheerleaders, freaks/goths/emos, and other stock standard stereotypes. It's annoying.
Anyway, thanks so much for the giveaway!!
jessicamariesutton(at)msn(dot)com
It does seem to be shorthand for high school. Just throw in a few stereotypical cliques.
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Definitely agree with every point you made! I just finished reading The Selection and I felt like I was reading about what dress she and all the others were wearing every other page!
I'm from Australia – we don't have cheerleading here, so I'm not sure if the mean cheerleader thing is accurate or just stereotypical, but I feel like there is one in almost every YA book! I've always wondered, is it really that clique-y in American high schools? 🙂
Not saying I never want a character to wear a dress, but I feel like some authors stick that in to please their "girly" readers.
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I'm tired of the new student in school and everybody wanting to be with him or her but she or him chooses to be with you.
Ha ha — yeah, that always happens in real life. Not.
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I agree with all of this! Especially weird reasons to have sex. Urg. Kind of going off on the mean cheerleaders trope, I really hate the whole mean girls pretending to be your friends, and somehow the MC doesn't realize it (even if it way too obvious) until they inevitably betray her. It doesn't happen too often, but when I see it…it's not pretty 😛
I am getting a little tired of the mean girl thing in general. Yes, I know they exist, but do they have to be in every book?
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I agree with the mean cheerleaders. I've never been one, and really hate when they act like there's nothing more importand that themselves.
I just started to notice that trend last year, and I'm kind of done with it.
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I'm tired of the mean/abusive parent/guardian trend. What happened to all the nice parents? We're not all monsters.
I guess nice parents are boring???
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Great post! I'm with you on the dead parents. I usually always like the books where the parents are part of the story in a positive way (supportive, caring, etc of the MC's). I'm less into the insta-love stories now. I want to see the couples grow to love each other.
I'm not as opposed to the insta-love/insta-attraction to the idea that when you are attracted to someone, you will love them forever, they will never annoy or disappoint you. Yeah, right.
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Mean Cheerleaders & Love Triangles,Insta-Love is seriously over used these days!
& Smart Kids vs. Dumb Grown-Ups – Totally with you!
I'm glad!
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THE LOVE TRIANGLE! How often does this actually happen in real life? In my experience this was far, but it is so stupidly prevalent in YA. So annoying!!
Yeah, I think a lot of people are ready for a break from that.
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I love some Love Triangle, like in Vampire Academy, and some I just out right HATE then, like in Dark Flame by Alyson Noel (I can't seem to finish this book).
YES! The Alyson Noel series! I read up to Dark Flame … then I gave up.
I did a post a while back on Love Triangles that Work. I do think they can work. But I feel like some authors just throw them in there.
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Definitely the cheerleader thing! I hate it when a book takes place in a school environment and there's ALWAYS the mean girl.
Or the love triangle. Sometimes it's there just to be there. And it's ANNOYING!
Hi Kristilyn 🙂
Yes, I think that all these trends I'm sick of can work, but when they are just put there for no good reason, it's irritating.
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Insta-love and love triangles for the sake of having a love triangle.
It's the last part 🙂
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I am so over the sudden need to make almost every YA book into a trilogy–some books are better left at one or two installments, and dragging them out only ruins them. I'm also getting close to being ready to break up with dystopian YA. I love the genre, but I feel like there are so many books being thrown out there now that lack the quality world-building and deep, plot that comes from time and effort, which a good dystopian needs.
Completely agree. I'm going to do a post on the trilogy thing for sure. I'm also getting burned out by dystopians. I agree that when they are not well done they can be painful to read.
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I'm tired with mc being always extremely thin/fragile/skinny. this is probably has to do with the fact I suffered from an ED in the past and it's just so unrealist that every girl in YA has to be soooooo thin and skinny and beautiful. Jeez, have a look around, won't you?
I can understand it in a dystopian society with lack of food, but after a while I get frustrated
Loved The Girl of Fire and Thorns for having a plus-size heroine. Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes!!
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I'm not a big fan of those weak little girls that always need saving or needs someone to protect them. I mean, create a strong, fierce heroine that can survive on her own for once? We, women, are a lot stronger now than some would think…
I agree — women are pretty tough!
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I don't want to read about a heroine who keeps on saying that this certain guy is lying or playing with her when that certain guy chases her to the ends of the world and almost lost his life for her. Come on, what more does she want?
I also dislike convoluted reasons for keeping a couple apart!
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I'm definitely not a fan of mean-spiritedness, so I agree with your mean cheerleaders.
In looking through the new releases, I'm a little dismayed that there aren't more standalones.
Don't get me wrong, I'm a HUGE fan of books in a series. Most of the books on my TBR pile are books that are the start of a series…I'm a bit of a series junkie! But I just wish there was more selection of standalones. Sometimes, I just want to read a book that has a sense of finality at the end of the story…where I don't want to wait to find out what happens next!
Yes, good point. I am getting serious series fatigue!
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The two I fully agree with you on, is the dead parents and the weird reasons not to have sex! There is so much repetitive cliches going on in books right now but I can't complain too much because there are also those gems out there that remind me exactly why I love reading! One of the cliches I usually struggle with this the instant "love bond" between two people, the strange NEED they have to be together even though they just met. I struggle with this because I know that people can be instantly attracted to each other BUT instantly in love with a unhealthy obsession is lacking in the imagination department. I think it's lazy to not put more effort in a book to allow the reader to understand or at least grasp a little knowledge of the attraction between two characters and then let it develop in a more natural way.
I almost agree with most of the comments above too! I wish there were more stand alone books because I have too many series started it feels like.
Oh and the one other thing that I would mention is that I am a little tired with the "inner struggle". Girl likes boy but for some reason has this inner struggle because she is so sure she shouldn't be with him for a reason that doesn't quite make sense to me and the girl is obsessed with her own reason!
But as I said before, I can't really complain because those are only a few things I find I'm not a fan of, while there are MANY books I am over the moon for and make my reading obsession so worth it!
uilani25(at)hotmail(dot)com
So true. I do feel that ANY of the cliches, including love triangles and insta-love, can work if done well!
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I agree with you on all of those, all so very very annoying. I do want to put in the old love triangle there too
Yep, a LOT of people agree with you 🙂
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Ahh, insta love is probably one I would really like to see go away, especially in novels where people are having to put their lives on the line. As if they would actually be willing to die for this "love of their life" that they met two weeks ago…people don't work that way. Our sense of self preservation is too strong. Give me some books with some crazy UST and slow burn and I will be such a happy lady.
Ha ha — "love of their life that they met two weeks ago" — that's great. In a way, it is a teenage thing. But UST is the way to go, I say!
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I'm getting tired of so many love triangles, especially if it's all the same. There's always the good guy, who is sweet and loving; then you have the bad boy, who is mysterious and sarcastic. And while I don't mind them so much, the two polar opposites in the men is overused a lot. It's cliched. How about two great guys, or maybe even two bad boys? Or how about just one guy? I feel like with some of them, the love triangle did nothing to develop the main character. Sometimes books just don't need them, or at least make them fresh and new, and not the cliche of good vs bad.
I completely agree that all these cliches can be done in a fresh and inventive way!
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