I have read a multitude of young adult books with the same type of girl as the leading lady – plain, smart, unseen and yet also beautiful. These books also have a multitude of stereotypes – the goth, the best friend, the cheerleader, the smart girl, the "different" girl. How accurate are the descriptions given in YA books? Are the stereotypes pointed out in books counterproductive to the growth of the modern woman? How might these books impact on young women who see themselves as fitting into a certain stereotype – especially if that stereotype is construed as negative by the author?
It was be interested to see if someone could find a YA where there is either no romance plot or the romance plot doesn't matter. One thing about YA is the girl always has to have a guy who essentially comes and validates her beauty or her confidence and obviously they fall in love in such all at the age of 16. The problem with that rhetoric is some girls don't date at 16 or at all throughout high school yet every YA insist on having a love plot, and its also usually hetero relationship. So what does that mean for the LGBTQ girl or the girl who wasn't interested in anyone romantically when they where super young. – tmtonji7 years ago
This would be an interesting topic to explore especially if you considered how these books both positively and negatively influence readers. I think one possible avenue to go down would be women's expectations about love after reading these stories. I know I grew up with unrealistic expectations about relationships because of the YA books I read so the theme of love would definitely fit into this topic as well. I also wonder if authors purposely make their protagonist more plain and generic so that young readers can relate more to the character. – MackEmb7 years ago
"Percieved" in title change to "perceived" – Joseph Cernik6 years ago