Grab a cup of coffee, hot chocolate, tea, or whatever you drink, and let’s talk about romance in YA.
So romance. What do you think about it in
YA? Comment below, talk to me, talk to other commenters.
Please keep this
discussion/debate civil! We all have different views, and the purpose of this
post is to read what other people think and why.
I might do a post expressing more of my opinions on this topic later next month.
Well, enough rambling!
Let's Talk:
Romance in YA
Thoughts?
Yes?
No?
Depends?
And why?
UPDATE 11/21/17: And if you'd like some food for thought on this subject, check out Catherine's post: Why All the Romance?
UPDATE 11/21/17: And if you'd like some food for thought on this subject, check out Catherine's post: Why All the Romance?
Honestly? If it’s a healthy relationship without a ton of smut I’m okay with it. I love me some good swoon worthy ships, but only if they are clean. :P
ReplyDeleteAgreed
DeleteExactly.
DeleteShips are the best, and yes, clean is a must for me too!
DeleteAgreed!:) Romance in young adult should be clean.
Delete-Quinley
100% agree
DeleteDefinitely agree!
DeleteI would like it to be clean, but I like romance plots. I've written some YA romance short stories too. There are several different kinds of romance plots. There's "will they get together," "will they get back together," and "how do they interact with each other," to name three. Is romance overused in YA? Maybe just a little bit. It's one of the easiest ways to add intrigue, highs, and tension to a story. It helps to hold things together. It can be a pretty minor plot though. I like other kinds of relationship plots (like friend to friend or father to son or sibling to sibling), but they may have trouble operating alone in a longer piece. Some of that might just be laziness though.
ReplyDeleteI'm okay with romance, as long as it's clean and isn't just thrown in there for tension.
DeleteOther relationships are definitely not written about enough, but I can see how it would be harder to write than a romantic one.
I've just recently watched the show Worst Year of My Life, Again (13 half-hour episodes, Australian) on Netflix. (I watched most of it yesterday after commenting.) It has a really great romance plotline running underneath the main romance plotline.
DeleteIt's so hard to find a good romance plotline or subplot like that, I'm glad you did!
DeleteI'm like Faith above. I need me some sweet ships to root for! ;) But honestly, I'm tired of the fact that every. single. YA. novel has romance. It's become almost a trope. YA novels are allowed to have zero romance, and I honestly want more of that. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd it must be CLEAN, of course. Making out disturbs me, and anything more than that is a big no-no. I've been turned off by many a YA novel that might have been good... without the romance.
I like ships too, (they can rip your heart out though, ack)!
DeleteIt has become a trope, we totally need more platonic relationships.
Making out in books gets me too, I'm okay with kissing, but making out in books always turns into a smutty scene.
And same, it's sad when books have an unnecessary romance.
I completely agree--I feel that the majority of YA is romance, and while I don't mind clean romance, I'm getting tired of it. It would be refreshing to read about a guy/girl friendship that doesn't end in romance. :)
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteArgh I wrote such a long comment then it published it twice and I deleted one of them and it deleted them both *bangs head*
DeleteI'm sorry! That's weird, I might have your comment in my inbox, so I might be able to publish it for you!
DeleteLISA//INKWELL:
DeleteHeh. Romance. I mean romance happens so it's only realistic that it should be featured. But realistically, in a good, fun, healthy way. Ok I don't mind a busted romance either cause it teaches you something, but overall THE ROMANCE SHOULD HAVE A POINT. Not just be thrown in because everyone does it. And personally I don't like it in excess. But that is just me.
I have high key ships, midkey ships, and lowkey ships ... most fall in the midkey and only a few in high key. So I'm used to an "oh well" romance but I love one in which I am screaming YESYESYES because it happens so rarely.
Also there is this weird thing about me. When the two have gotten together I'm like, "ah I wish I was back in the good old days when you two were just getting to know each other". XD
Question Gray -- have you ever written romance? What are your favorite ships?
What I was attempting to say wasthis --
DeleteRomance happens so it's only natural it should appear in YA.
But. I think it should always have a point -- not just be thrown in because it's everywhere. It should be fun and good and healthy and realistic. I don't mind a "mistake/bad" romance written in a good way either -- cause it actually teaches something too.
Personally I never liked romance in excess. I like it mild. It's super super rare for me to highkey ship people -- I'm just usually "oh well whatever." But if there is a highkey ship -- AMAZING BOOK.
Question Gray -- have you ever written romance? What are your favorite ships?
YES, romance should have a point! And I don't like it in excess either.
DeleteI can relate to the ships! XD
I have written romance.. it was cringey. X_x
I don't really have any ships right now, I know I've had some in the past though.
Oops didn't see your comment and apparently wrote it over again for no reason *bangs head twice*
DeleteTHIS IS HILARIOUS!
DeleteDude, it's fine, I do this a lot myself! Comment sections can be tricky things!!! XD
What a great idea for a blog post. I agree with many of the sentiments above. Attraction happens--but we can allude to it in appropriate ways.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteTrue, I agree with that, even though I'm not a huge fan of romance. :)
I honestly don't mind romance, so long as it's clean. There's something about it that adds a lot of intrigue and heightens the stakes for me, and I love rooting for couples. xD It takes over a lot of YA novels, and can be overused, but I still enjoy reading about it. :)
ReplyDeleteClean romance is the best, but so rare it's sad. :/
DeleteI LOVE shipping people and seeing what's going to happen :) so YES, good clean intriguing romance is GREAT but I also root for the center stage to switch to friendship in YA. Romance happens in real life and writing realistic is part of portraying truth but sometimes it doesn't happen and that's totally ok too...
ReplyDeleteYes! We need more friendships!!!
DeleteI agree, Anna!:)
DeleteIt really depends on how it's done: sometimes the romance seems like it's in the way of the actual story and it slows down the plot, and I hate that. But sometimes romance in a story can add a different, deeper layer to it, and it helps us understand the characters better, which is really good. I used to absolutely HATE any romance in books, but over the past year or so I've sort of started liking it, so long as it makes sense and it doesn't get in the way of the central plot.
ReplyDeleteBut it also really annoys me that every time there's a girl and a boy who are friends, they ALWAYS end up together. I really want to read about more platonic relationships that STAY platonic relationships. But yeah, I don't really have anything against romance in general, if it's done well. :)
Very true, sometimes it's just thrown in there without a reason.
DeleteI want to read more platonic relationships too! Then I could relate way more. ^_^
I haven't read much young adult (unless you count Percy Jackson, and the heroes of Olympus as young adult). But I felt as if (agreeing with what Anna said), there should be more friendship, and romance isn't always necessary to make a good story, it can just be two characters who are really good friends (like Legolas and Gimli) it doesn't always need to be romance, in fact it can be just a friendship.
ReplyDelete-Quinley
Legolas and Gimli are great examples! We definitely need more friendships.
DeleteWow, your timing!! I have a draft sitting in my RM files for a romance in YA post. I'll finish it this week and post the link here.
ReplyDeleteCatherine
catherinesrebellingmuse.blogspot.com
Ooh! I look forward to reading that!!! :)
DeleteThanks, Gray!
DeleteHere is the link:
https://catherinesrebellingmuse.blogspot.com/2017/11/why-all-romance.html
Catherine
Yay!
DeleteI don't like romance if it takes over the plot and is just all this drama and 'oh no now they've broken up, so sad' because just ugggh I don't care. XD
ReplyDeleteAnd naturally romance that is inappropriate (like 80% of YA romances *rolls eyes*) is a big no-no.
HOWEVER I don't mind a romance if it is well and realistically done and if it's just a side thing. I think romances can be done in a beautiful way and really add something else to a plot that nothing else can. It can develop the characters in an interesting and unique way.
A book I was critique/editing recently has a romance that developed over the 240k novel and came out absolutely beautifully at the end and aaghh I shipped them so hard. :P
I'm usually the same way!
DeleteYes, it is, i's annoying and it needs to stop ASAP.
Same! And that book you were editing sounds really good. :)
To be honest, romance in YA 9 times out of 10 disappoints me (though I haven't read any Christian ones) so I'm looking forward to more friendship-based books in the future. I'm also planning to be a no-romance author. That would be a dream.
ReplyDeleteMost Christian romances are awful. Think cheesy with a physical description TMI overload, not to mention a few random verses here and there, and you've got your stereotypical Christian romance novel!
DeleteAlthough, Melanie Dickerson's novel The Healer's Apprentice was romance and Christian and I enjoyed it, so not all Christian romances are awful. :)
We need more friendships in YA, it's so sad that's it's forgotten so often!
And yes, that would be a dream. ^_^
Romance is one of my favorite subjects to rant about...*deep breath*
ReplyDeleteI love a well-written romance in a YA book. By well-written I mean typically friendship before couple preferably over a period longer than a week. Honestly, a real crush doesn't develop in a day. I hate when the love interests fall in love within the first two hours they meet!! It makes me want to slap them.
Another thing I like in romance is cleanliness as mentioned above. The content that goes into YA books these days has a negative effect on teenagers, making them think that what they're reading is okay. And I don't think that publishers really consider that as long as the book sells.
But my biggest peeve is when the romance is a serious relationship between two people who are barely in high-school!! Romance is great as long as it goes somewhere. I don't normally root for ships that have no future, because I think that's sending the wrong message to youth.
And that would lead me to a really long rant about teenage relationships, but I'll save that for another time. XD
^^^ Truth.
DeleteInstalove and kids shouldn't date. I 1000% agree. Thanks for commenting!
Oh yeah!!!! I agree completely!
DeleteHonestly, I much prefer books with a little bit of romance in them! I think it makes for a better story and it hooks the reader! :)
ReplyDeletewww.letmecrossover.blogspot.com
I get that! I know lots of people who adore romance, and I do too, once in a while. :)
DeleteI would like it to be clean. Even watching movies whenever people kiss I look away. But I secretly am a romance lover, but not really in YA. I think of YA being about giving life lessons, and romance...? If it is clean, and sweet then a little bit is okay.
ReplyDeleteNow, in Jane Austen books, or other books I really like it, but, it HAS TO BE CLEAN. In one book I read there was a lot of kissing, but they were like, "Oh, I'm not in love with them." What. in. the. world!?
I don't get "love at first sight" either. Seriously? I just role my eyes the entire time.
Summary: Romance in YA is fine as long as there isn't a lot of it and it is clean.
Great idea for a post, Gray! You are awesome! <3
YA romance can be pretty annoying and impractical.
DeleteJane Austen books are amazing!
UGH. Clausal hookups shouldn't be allowed in YA or any books for the matter, why are we uplifting this? X_x
You're right about instalove, bleh!
Awwww, thanks!!! You're awesome too! That made my day. <3
I think YA romance is great if it's clean, natural (as in it makes sense the characters would fall in love/it doesn't happen in a day/etc.), and important or at least relevant to the plot if it gets a lot of attention in the story. :)
ReplyDeleteAgreed! Romance definitely shouldn't take away from the overall plot or happen in a day. Thanks for your thoughts!!! :)
DeleteI like romance in YA but it can honestly get very unrealistic at times? It's fun to read when you keep in mind that it's fiction but real life relationships are not perfect, they take work and dedication. That's not to say that real life romance isn't fun (it is), but it's not as whimsical as YA books might make it seem.
ReplyDeleteYes, yes it can. And that is very true about the whimsical aspects, it could raise high expectations.
DeleteHi follow here! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteIt honestly depends on the book. I don't mind romance, as long as it's clean and age-appropriate (I'm not a fan of teenage dating). Also, I'm not a fan of romance-centered books. Usually, romance in YA books is depicted unrealistically.
ReplyDeleteAnd, it seems like the majority of YA books are centered around romance, and I'm getting tired of it. I want to read more books that have platonic friendships that don't end in romance! That's my personal goal--to write books that feature guy/girl friendships that don't end in romance.
Sorry, that was kinda long and rambling. Hope it made sense;)
I'm not a huge fan of teens dating either or romance centered books.
DeleteThat's a great goal, one I also wish to carry out myself!
Your comment made perfect sense! ^_^
Okay...romance...not my strongest topic. But here goes! XD
ReplyDeleteI personally don't enjoy romance themes in YA mostly because most of the people that read YA books are not old enough to get married, so why bother? I don't mind some here and there (if the characters involved are old enough to get married), as long as it doesn't take up the whole story, and it's clean. :-D That's my opinion. Can't wait to read your post! :-)
That's very similar to my opinion!
DeleteThank you!!!
Agreed, Middle Earth Musician!:)
Delete-Quinley
Wow, I had to scroll down a lot :)
ReplyDeleteI like some romance in stories, but not too mushy and not so much swooning talk, I hate that. I like good, strong, clean relationships that go a little slower, not so quick. The kind of relationships that progress, with the two characters getting to know eachother well. Or just a cute relationship with two characters who have been together a long time. I'm looking forward to your post!
Yep! Sorry, I know it can be annoying! XD
DeleteThanks for commenting. :)
I don't mind romance in stories, because the fact is that romance is a part of a lot of teens life, especially older teens. but it needs to be godly and real. I hate the types of romances found currently in YA, where fifteen year olds are kissing and pledging eternal love to each other. I hate 'love at first sight' tropes and love triangles. Basically, I love a very well written romance which strikes me as good, true and pure, but I prefer a good friendship or sibling relationship any day!
ReplyDeleteI look forward to reading your views :D
Yep. It seems that YA is being taken over by Juliettes and Romeos. I especially agree with about the need for godliness.
DeleteThank you!
I enjoy reading a romance thread so long as A) it doesn't overpower the main plot, B) it makes sense (no instalove, thank you), C) it's clean, and D) it's a good example of true love in the biblical sense of the word instead of the twisted definition that modern culture has given the phrase.
ReplyDeleteI actually just wrote a post about romance in books on my own blog due to reading a book that was filled with shallow romances. (http://rmarcher.com/2018/03/why-the-literary-world-needs-better-romances-and-how-to-write-them/)
I personally have trouble not writing romances into my books (I'm not sure if I'm romantic or if it's just all the input from common media), but I try to write the kind of romances that I would want to read; I think we need more authors writing good romances to balance out what's in the mainstream media, anyway, not fewer authors writing romance. The mainstream media isn't going to stop writing romances, so we need to write romances (the right way) if we want to do something about what we're reading.
Great points!
DeleteInsta love is so awful, it ruins romance for me as well. :/
Cool! I'll have to check it out. ^_^